Charlton Farm B&B, Somerset
Charlton, Radstock, Somerset
Located 20 minutes south of Bath near the former mining town of Radstock, Charlton Farm is a perfect getaway for a weekend away from the city, or as a stop-off en route to Devon or Cornwall. The home of Anthony & Ness Dutton and their three young children (Archie, Georgie and Martha), the house and its surroundings provide a wonderfully relaxed and welcoming environment for young families looking for a few days away from it all.
The house offers a family room and a double room next door to each other with a dedicated bathroom - these are both well away from the rest of the house so noise is generally not a concern! Downstairs there is a dining room with TV, sofa and a selection of games and children's books. The house surroundings are a child's dream - safe open spaces, swings, slide, trampoline, a real tractor to climb on and a sand pit, not to mention the dogs, cat, chickens, sheep and goat. There are beautiful walks from the doorstep along the romantically named Snails Bottom valley where there are paddling and dam building opportunities at every turn.
Within half an hour's drive are plenty of attractions for everyone - for the children there is Longleat safari park, Wookey Hole, Cheddar Gorge, Horseworld and @Bristol; for their parents Bath, Wells, Bradford-on-Avon, Clarks village in Street, Glastonbury, Stonehenge, Stourhead and the Mulberry Factory Shop.
It goes without saying that all the practical clobber is readily available free of charge, from cots to cutlery, bed guards to booster seats. More importantly there is an abundance of patience, understanding and babywipes!
But the main attraction at Charlton Farm is the friendly welcome, relaxed atmosphere and the opportunity to enjoy playing with your children while Anthony and Ness do their utmost to make your stay as chilled as possible. Ness quips "Breakfast and children's tea menus are dictated as much by you as us, as well as those cosy meals for two that are so rare these days!"
This is truly a bed and breakfast along the lines of the much vaunted ‘Child Friendly Hotels' but at a fraction of the cost!