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Wheelwrights Arms - Monkton Combe

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A stunning country pub-cum-restaurant-with-rooms

Stay at The Wheelwrights Arms for a weekend and we challenge you to leave without taking a last, wistful glance back at this idyll of idylls. Situated just 3 and a half miles south of Bath - this 18th-century pub-cum-restaurant-with-rooms nestles snugly into the gorgeous Somerset village of Monkton Combe, its Cotswold stone walls veritably smiling in the hazy sunshine.

Step inside though, and the Wheelwrights Arms has really taken the idea of rural chic and run with it. The bar and restaurant - all fireplaces, Farrow & Ball paint and lovingly-written blackboard menus are super-cosy, yet stylish - perfect for urban escapees hesitant to rough it - while the pretty terraced garden was born for summertime pre-dinner aperitifs. Seven luxurious, en-suite bedrooms have been built in what was once a carpenter’s workshop, adjacent to the pub. All have been brilliantly designed and decorated, with simple colour schemes, stylish furniture, gorgeous shuttered windows and truly beautiful bathrooms. All have great bed linen, fluffy towels and flat screen tellies to up the luxury quota that little bit more.

In the main building, The Wheelwright’s restaurant is buzzy, vibrant and as popular as you would expect for a quintessential country inn just a few miles from a city centre. Way-above-average pub grub, made to order with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients makes for a perfect, chilled-out evening meal, particularly when accompanied by the big and very explorable wine list.

Where is it?

Monkton Combe is pretty much as close to Bath as you can get without being in the city itself, but is remarkably rural all the same. Sitting in the pretty Limpley Stoke valley, the village itself is on a hill, blessing its residents and visitors with beautiful views across the Somerset countryside. It’s a great spot for weekend walkers, with several trails of different lengths starting at The Wheelwrights Arms (see www.monktoncombe.com for trail maps and directions). For the best walk-with-a-purpose, you can follow the towpath from Monkton Combe, along the pretty Kennet & Avon canal and right into the heart of Bath.

Four miles east of Monkton Combe is the picturesque medieval market town of Bradford on Avon, with its famous 13th-century bridge across the Avon, stunning Georgian architecture and weavers’ cottages. It’s a ‘mini Bath’ and a lovely place to while away a day if you fancy somewhere different. For a great day’s adventure, pack a picnic, hire a bike or a canoe from The Lock Inn (www.thelockinn.co.uk Tel: 01225 868068), on the Kennet & Avon Canal, and cycle, or paddle the ten miles along the canal to Bath.

You could easily spend a whole weekend pottering about in Monkton Combe, enjoying the last legs 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 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. For what to see and where to eat once you get there, read The Weekenders Guide to Bath.

Where can I eat?

The restaurant at The Wheelwrights Arms really is a no-brainer of an eating option. Not only is the food fantastic and the ambience heart-warming, but there’s nothing better than eating an amazing meal and downing a bottle (or two) of vino within stumbling distance of your bed.

If you are looking for an alternative, however, the obvious place to go is Bath itself. You can easily arrange taxis from Monkton Combe right into the centre (Bath Taxis are just one firm amongst many Tel: 01225 447777). For the best places to eat in town, read The Weekenders Guide to Bath.

If you fancy a great lunch and want to make a day of it, walk along the Kennet & Avon to Bathampton and 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.

For fine-dining outside the busy centre of Bath, drive the 5 miles to wonderful Woolley Grange (www.woolleygrangehotel.co.uk Tel: 01225 864705) on the outskirts of Bradford on Avon. Famous as the luxury destination for stressed-out parents, this super-plush, super-friendly family hotel also happens to have a fantastic fine-dining restaurant. Traditional British dishes are given a contemporary twist by head chef Rob Scott, and the puddings are to die for.

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Situated just 3 and a half miles south of Bath - this 18th-century pub-cum-restaurant-with-rooms nestles snugly into the gorgeous Somerset village of Monkton Combe, its Cotswold stone walls veritably smiling in the hazy sunshine.