Somerset’s Bruton has long been a draw for those looking for a bucolic escape with the bonus of culinary gems, courtesy of the likes of Osip, and cultural standouts, namely Hauser & Wirth. But a few miles north, the charming village of Batcombe is staking its own claim to our attention with the opening of The Three Horseshoes, a country pub with rooms by former gallerist and art collector Max Wigram, and a restaurant helmed by Rochelle Canteen’s Margot Henderson.
The Three Horseshoes, an intimate country pub offering hospitality and culinary excellence
Occupying a former 17th-century coaching inn neighbouring a grand 15th-century church, this cosy spot feels as if it has been lovingly given a new lease of life while still maintaining all its original character – making The Three Horseshoes deeply refreshing.
The star of the show is undoubtedly the pub restaurant. For Henderson’s first spot outside of London, Henderson is letting the seasons dictate the daily changing menu to create a mix of traditional fare and elegant dishes – think Jerusalem artichokes roasted with sticky shallots and a hearty pheasant and ham pie that looks like it’s jumped out of a Dickens novel.
The pub is almost Quaker-esque in its simple design, with 19th-century wooden chairs set around tables on the flagstone floor and an inglenook fireplace under a mighty timber beam dividing the restaurant from the bar.
Upstairs, it seems like a different chapter of the same story. The five rooms have been individually designed by local talent Francis Penn in a way that maintains the simple, pastoral ethos of the pub, but with elevated comforts and thoughtful details.
The bright and airy rooms have their own character, dictated largely by the mix of antiques and artworks from the owner’s personal collection. Colourful Berber rugs are paired with delicate antique side tables, and vibrant landscape oil paintings are hung opposite watercolour studies of birds.
In every way, The Three Horseshoes feels like it belongs to the village. Nothing has been impressed on it, and instead, every effort has been made to integrate the surroundings via local finds, from the kitchen ingredients to the cosy beds, handmade by Relyon from nearby Wellington.
With so many picturesque walks on its doorstep and Bruton only a short drive away, you’d be easily convinced to make an extended stay out of your visit – if only to have a second helping of the treacle tart.
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