It’s hard to imagine a more inviting West Country pub with rooms than the Bath Arms in Longleat. The ivy-covered listed 18th-century pub, now part of the modern Beckford Group that has rejuvenated other pubs in the region, is as warm and welcoming as a hug — much as it has been since 1736. The food, served in the higgledy-piggledy candlelit inn downstairs and overseen by Jack Chapman, the chef, is superb. Rooms upstairs and in the stable building are cosy-casual with clawfoot tubs, soft throws and Roberts radios tuned to Classical FM. A cutesy spa cabin, added in 2023 and stocked with products from Wiltshire brand Bramley, sits in the garden. A stay here puts you at the mouth of the Longleat estate, which provides enough space for woodland rambles or child-pleasing drives into the safari park, which has lions and giraffes. Rates are admirably affordable for other popular West Country areas such as Bath or the Cotswolds and include a full English breakfast — plus a bloody mary and paracetamol for your hangover.
Overall score 8/10
Main photo: the Loft is a private dining space at the Bath Arms
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Rooms and suites
Score 8/10
The 17 rooms are across three categories — small, medium and large — and rates run accordingly (from £140-£210). They’re either on the first or second floor of the main pub building, or in the stable block next door. You will want to check the exact specifications of the room if you are tall or require an extra bed for a child or additional space. This is an 18th-century building and rooms are delightfully one-of-a-kind, so the website helpfully lists each room’s quirks. For this reason, none of them are entirely accessible. The best of the bunch is Room 1, overlooking the village, with a king-size bed, sisal floors and a giant white bathroom with walk-in shower and tub. Bramley smellies come as standard, including a small kids’ version. I loved the homemade chocolate brownies, plus the thoughtful bottle of milk left outside the room in the morning to add to cups of Prince & Sons earl grey or the French-press coffee.
Food and drink
Score 8/10
Wiltshire produce is front and centre downstairs, with meat and game sourced from the Longleat estate; fish comes from the south coast. Expect to see dishes such as sea bream with saffron-sprinkled fennel, Dartmoor venison striploin or wild mushroom pappardelle on the ever-changing menu. There’s also a traditional “pub” menu, with people-pleasing haddock and chips and a ploughman’s, as well as some tasty vegetarian options, including a portobello mushroom burger with Korean gochujang mayo. Save room for a pud — and these really are puds — which could be a chocolate and kirsch cherry trifle, sticky toffee pudding or a board of local cheese including Westcombe cheddar. Rotating cocktail specials could include a Beckford espresso martini or a rosemary-infused whisky sour — and the wine list is better than any country pub has any business having.
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A proper breakfast is always included (there’s smashed avo on toast as well as a full English) alongside a silver tray of bloody mary ingredients and a glass jar of painkillers — a fun, much-needed touch. As you’d expect with a destination pub, the suppers and Sunday lunches draw many locals, who also hang in the bar (which has its own entrance) and sprawl into the garden when the sun shines.
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What else is there?
Score n/a
This is your regular pub with rooms, and beyond the wooden spa-cabin-for-one, which operates only on Fridays and Saturdays, there’s not much else to note — you’ll need to make your own fun in neighbouring Longleat. There are some board games available in the inn, plus treats and bowls if you want to bring a (much-welcomed) dog.
Where is it?
Score 8/10
In the tiny, thatched-cottage-stuffed village of Horningsham, just beyond the entry gates for the Longleat estate. This is the real local draw, and the safari park is a short drive away. You will need a car to visit as the few local taxis get booked up. The nearest station is Frome, a 15-minute drive, which connects to London via Westbury. Starry Bruton, the Notting Hill of the West Country, is 20 minutes away, and Bath is possible in half an hour.
Price B&B doubles from £140
Restaurant mains from £15
Family-friendly Y
Dog-friendly N
Accessible N
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