Enjoy exclusive private tours of two secret houses hidden away in the foothills of the Quantocks.

Discover Grade II* Hestercombe House, originally built in the 16th century for the Warre family. In the 11th century Hestercombe was owned by Glastonbury Abbey and in the 14th century, Sir John Meriet founded a chantry which passed to John La Warre by marriage and stayed in his family for almost four hundred years. The house was inherited in 1750 by Coplestone Warre Bampfylde, a landscape painter who developed pleasure grounds incorporating cascades, lakes and a series of ornamental structures. The house was enlarged and altered in the 18th century but this work is no longer visible beneath the re-fronting and enlargement works carried out around 1875 for Edward Portman, 1st Viscount Portman. Our tour will include the Gertrude Jekyll designed garden which has been fully restored to its original glory. 

Hestercombe House © Ashley Dace / Hestercombe House / CC BY-SA 2.0

Later visit medieval Fairfield, featured in Simon Jenkins’ England’s Thousand Best Houses, a Grade II* Elizabethan house lived in by the Acland Hood family for 800 years. A house has existed on the site since 1167 when it was owned by Godislan of Fairfield and looked after by his descendants ever since. Most of the current house was built in 1589 under the ownership of William Palmer and Elizabeth Verney. There were some later additions in the late 18th century including a kitchen and passage at the back of the house. There have been few structural alterations since. Our owner-guided tour will include the principal rooms and there will be time to explore the gardens which have views of the Quantocks and the sea.

Tickets £70 including a two-course lunch at the Carew Arms, Crowcombe

Lunch options (please include your choice on your booking form):

Mains:

· Fish Platter – Salmon Gravlax, Scampi, Breaded Whitebait, Salad and Toasted Ciabatta

· Ham, Egg and Chips

· 8oz Rump Steak served with Mushroom, Tomato, Chips and Peas

· Chicken Caesar Salad

· Breaded Wholetail Scampi served with Chips, Peas and Tartare Sauce

· Halloumi, Pine Nut and Orange Salad

· Beer Battered Hake served with Chips, Peas and Tartare Sauce

Desserts:

· After Eight Ice Cream Sundae

· Eton Mess

· Homemade Apple, Pear and Rhubarb Crumble served with custard

· Citrus Torte served with Banana Rum Chocolate Sauce

· Homemade Chocolate Brownie served with Vanilla ice cream