Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
has attractive gardens, and on chilly nights, log fires burn. Most rooms are spacious,
with one room large enough for a family and another with a four-poster bed.
Teffont Evias, near Salisbury, Wiltshire SP3 5RJ. www.howardshousehotel.co.uk.
&
01722/716392.
Fax
01722/716820. 9 units. £175-£195 double. Rates include English breakfast. Free parking. AE, MC, V. From
Salisbury, head east on the A36 until you reach a roundabout (traffic circle). Take the 1st left leading to
the A30. On the A30, continue for 3 miles to the turnoff (B3089) for Barford Saint-Martin. Continue for
4 miles to the village of Teffont Evias.
Amenities:
Restaurant (see above); bar.
In room:
TV, hair dryer,
Wi-Fi (free).
Newton Farmhouse
This restored 16th-century farm-guesthouse
makes a perfect informal touring base for visiting Salisbury, the New Forest, and
the best of Hampshire (see chapter 7). Rooms conform to the charming, haphaz-
ard layout of the original buildings, but are comfortable and full of character, with
all bathrooms renovated in 2010. Interconnecting units are well suited to families,
as is the tranquil garden. The only downside is the adjacent road, but you'll hardly
hear a sound at night.
Southampton Rd., near Salisbury, Wiltshire SP5 2QL. www.newtonfarmhouse.com.
&
01794/884416.
9 units. £55-£150 double. Rates include English breakfast. Free parking. MC, V. On the A36, 7 miles
southeast of Salisbury.
Amenities:
Pool (outdoor).
In room:
TV/DVD, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).
8
LONGLEAT & STOURHEAD
Longleat: 108 miles SW of London, 28 miles SE of Bristol; Stourhead: 6 miles SW of Longleat
Two very different interpretations on what a country house and gardens should be in
the 21st century grace the southwest corner of Wiltshire, adjoining the Somerset and
Dorset borders. The
Stourhead
estate is home to one of Britain's magical formal
gardens, a landscape crafted during the 18th century where architecture and nature
combine amid exquisite beauty and harmony.
Rather than surrender his inheritance, the 6th Marquess of Bath took the unusual
decision in the 1940s to open his country seat,
Longleat,
to visitors. The range of
attractions surrounding this grandiose Elizabethan mansion has been expanding ever
since, with 2011 seeing the Jungle Kingdom joining Longleat Safari Park, the railway,
the hedge maze, and much more; it's all aimed squarely at the family day-tripper
market. Stately it isn't, perhaps, but it's lots of fun with little ones in tow.
If you're driving, you can visit both Longleat and Stourhead in one busy day. Follow
the directions to Longleat given below, and then drive 6 miles down the B3092 to
Stourton, 3 miles northwest of Mere, to reach Stourhead.
Longleat House & Safari Park
ZOO On first glimpse, this magnificent
Elizabethan stately home built in the early Renaissance style is romantic enough, and
once you're inside, it's hard not to be dazzled by the lofty rooms and their exquisite
paintings (including a Titian) and furnishings. From the surviving Elizabethan Great
Hall, which Elizabeth I visited in 1574, to the State Rooms and late Georgian Grand
Staircase, Longleat is filled with all manner of gorgeous things. Its library holds the
finest private book collection in the country.
Surrounding the house, the number of attractions aimed squarely at kids has con-
tinued to expand. Around Longleat House is
Longleat Safari Park,
which opened
in 1966 as Britain's first drive-through animal park. It hosts several species of endan-
gered wild animals, including white rhinos and Rothschilds giraffes, that are free to
roam the Capability Brown-landscaped parkland. You can also see a pack of Canadian
timber wolves, two separate prides of lion, and endangered Siberian tigers, all from
