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Dolphin House - Batheaston

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Georgian loveliness outside Bath

We challenge you to stay at Dolphin House and not secretly wish that it was yours... This Grade II-listed Georgian pile of loveliness has everything a country retreat should have: beautiful bath stone walls covered in Wisteria, big sash windows with little dormer windows in the roof, a walled garden complete with its own Roman gazebo and, of course, gorgeous countryside views. And all of this just two miles from Bath - one of the most picturesque cities in Europe.

Step inside this great B&B and the green-eyed monster isn’t going to let you off the hook. The two bedrooms - well, actually one bedroom and one amazing guest suite - are stunning. High, corniced ceilings hover over a multitude of period features - fireplaces, pannelled walls, enormous windows, antique furniture and wooden floors. The split-level suite, in particular, is a real gem, with its own cosy lounge overlooking the garden, and a bathroom with free-standing bath up a little flight of stairs. The other double bedroom is smaller, but just as romantic, with a squidgy king-size bed, beautiful fireplace and soft lighting. We’re coming over all Austen-esque just thinking about it...

And if all that wasn’t recipe enough for that special weekend away, a big continental breakfast is offered on the pretty garden terrace in the summer, or, if you prefer, in your room - that’s right, you can eat breakfast in your jim jams! Bliss.

Where is it?

Dolphin House sits in the pretty village of Batheaston, two miles east of Bath (hence the name). Set in the beautiful St Catherine’s Valley, it’s a sleepy, typically Cotswoldy kind of place and a perfect weekend bolthole. Walkers and Peter Gabriel fans will be overjoyed that Batheaston is overlooked by none other than the Solsbury Hill - a 500ft, flat-topped mound with an ancient fort on top, that offers stunning views of Bath and the countryside beyond - it’s also bang-on for kite flying. However, whether it makes your heart go boom, boom, boom, just like Peter’s did in the song, is probably dependent on how unfit you are.

You could easily spend a whole weekend pottering about in Batheaston and its neighbouring village Bathampton (famous as both the location of the last duel fought in England and the birthplace of Plasticine!), enjoying the last stretch of the Cotswolds before this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty officially ends at Bath (for lots more information on what to see, do and eat in the this area, read The Weekenders Guide to The Cotswolds). But you would be foolish, and frankly a bit odd, if you didn’t venture into the city itself. Dolphin House is perfectly placed for a walk, or cycle, along the lovely Kennet and Avon Canal, right into the heart of Bath - meaning you don’t even have to let the city centre one-way system burst your newly-acquired rural bubble. For what to see and where to eat once you get there, check out The Weekenders Guide to Bath.

Where can I eat?

For the biggest choice in restaurants and cafes, the obvious thing would be to venture into Bath. You can easily arrange taxis from Dolphin House right into the centre. For the best places to eat in town, read The Weekenders Guide to Bath.

If you’d rather stay closer to home, a brisk 5-minute walk will take you to The Bathampton Mill (www.thebathamptonmill.co.uk Tel: 01225 469758), a very smart, but still very cosy gastro-pub right on the banks of the River Avon. Way-above-average pub grub, including particularly great starters and accompanied by a fab wine list, make this ideal for a lovely evening’s dining or a full-day’s fireside chill-out session. Bathampton is also home to the very cute George Inn (Tel: 01225 425079), a 12th-century hostelry on the banks of the Tennyson Avon Canal. A favourite with barge skippers, who can moor up right outside and, especially in the summer, with Bath residents who have made the half-an-hour walk from town, it’s a lovely, friendly place with great food (speciality - fresh fish dishes), wine and real ales.

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This Grade II-listed Georgian pile of loveliness has everything a country retreat should have. A beautiful B&B within spitting distance of Bath.