Beryl, Wells

Beryl Country House, built in the Gothic Revival style in the 1840s, offers luxury accommodation with award-winning breakfasts. It has been the home of the Nowell family for the last 40 years and has been welcoming guests for much of that time. The reception rooms take you back to the grand days of English Country House living, with elegant proportions, Georgian furniture and Chinese Porcelain. Complementary tea or coffee and home-made cake is available every afternoon, and award-winning breakfasts are served on classic china, with silver cutlery and teapots.

There are 10 bedrooms, ranging from the grand first floor rooms and family suites, to smaller classic rooms and a self-catering garden lodge. Every room has a perfect blend of antique furniture and modern appliances, and wonderful views of either the gardens, the Mendip Hills or across Wells and the Somerset levels towards Glastonbury Tor.

Set in acres of parkland the main lawns sweep down past the outdoor pool and Japanese Garden to rows of Rhododendrons and Camellias. Formal planted borders surround the house, and a Walled Garden has romantic paths and benches set amongst old English roses and fruit trees. The estate also boasts Coastal Redwood trees, woodland with beautiful English bluebells, 200 year old oak trees, and an ancient stone bridge. You might even find some fairies.

Beryl is one mile from the centre of Wells, with its magnificent Cathedral, Bishops Palace, Vicars Close and medieval market square, and is situated in the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with breath-taking views, protected habitats, and the spectacular limestone gorges of Ebbor, Wookey and Cheddar.