Haselbury Mill, Haselbury Plucknett, Crewkerne

Billed as a hotel and wedding venue, Haselbury Mill is much, much more than that. The grounds of this rural house and former mill are extensive, and include a small lake. There is plenty of parking, and there is a strange collection of old cars – all in various stages of neglect – at the side. The main house is a hotel and restaurant, and there is a bar in the old mill building called Windy Miller’s Village Pub, though this separate from the main bar and dining area. The ‘pub’ bit hosts food theme nights (curry, steak, Mexican) and live music. There is also a medieval tythe barn on site, which, with the lake and various other huts and sheds including a pizza van, are used to create a rather naff tourist attraction. The bar and dining room are somewhat more grown up and attractive, providing a pleasant and comfortable area to enjoy the well-prepared restaurant-standard food, reasonable wines and the solitary ale, Yeovil Stargazer, on offer. The staff were really helpful and friendly. I’m looking forward to coming back to explore the estate a bit more, certainly to dine here and perhaps just drop in for a pint (when the grockles have gone) as it’s fairly close.