Out & About Around Somerset

OUT & ABOUT AROUND SOMERSET

PUBS & EATING OUT

Pubs & Eating out

If you want to venture further than the onsite bar, there are lots of great country pubs just a short drive away.

Our favourite locals are: 

 

  • The Squirrel Inn – 4 miles away between Clapton and Winsham, this independent local has a huge gin selection, and big family garden with great views. http://www.squirrelinn.co.uk/ 
  • The Bell Inn, Winsham 4 miles away –  Is a little local pub with good homemade pies,  games room and skittle alley.  It is possible to walk to the Bell by footpath and small country lanes on a circular walk – making the pub a great half way point for your hike! https://thebellinwinsham.co.uk/ 
  • Royal Oak in Drimpton – 3 miles away, another cosy local, The Royal Oak can is a relatively easy bike ride away for competent cyclists. https://palmersbrewery.com/pubs/royal-oak-drimpton/ 
  • The Windwhistle Inn – 4 miles away on the A30 between Crewkerne and Chard.  A St Austell brewery pub, is good for families and has a nice big beer garden with great views. https://www.windwhistleinn.co.uk/ 
  • Winyard’s Gap Inn , Cheddington  – 7 miles away is a more food focused pub, beautifully furnished with incredible views.  Worth booking ahead on Sunday and in the summer https://www.winyardsgap.com/ 
  • The Prince of Wales, Ham Hill – great for walkers you can reward your climb up the hill with a pint of a local brew! You can also join it in with a visit to National Trust property Montacute House. http://www.princeofwaleshamhill.co.uk/ 
  • The Lord Poulett Arms – set in the idyllic ham stone village of Hinton St George , just 5 miles away.  Has gained a fantastic and well-deserved reputation for its food.  Seasonal menus change constantly and always feature fresh local ingredients.  Make sure you book before you visit for this one. https://www.lordpoulettarms.com/ 
  • Holm – 9 miles away in super trendy South Petherton.  Ok this is actually a restaurant not a pub but we had to include it.  A contemporary fine dining experience they are passionate about food and drink inspired by nature.  Splash out on the tasting menu with matched wines, or scale back to the a la carte or bar menu for something a little more modest.  Booking a must.  https://holmsomerset.co.uk/ 

 

There are several  pub choices in Crewkerne as well, here are some of the ones we know:

 

 

Crewkerne has a good range of takeaways with two Chinese, plus two fish and chips, a kebab shop, Indian and a Dominos. 

CAFES

Wytch Wood Camping | Suppliers

There are some amazing independent cafes in Crewkerne and the surrounding area and if you really must – there is a Costa. But here are our picks of ones to try out in the area:

 

  • The Board House – brand new board game Cafe in Crewkerne – this is a great rainy day choice.  Serving up drinks and snacks you pay for your table for as long as you want and take your pick from over 100 board games on offer.  https://www.theboardhouse.co.uk/
  • Bilbys – a friendly local cafe on Crewkerne high street with lots of traditional breakfast and lunch menu choices, plus a great burger selection in the evenings.  
  • The Stables – Broadwindsor 6 miles away – a lovely airy cafe doing yummy local home cooked food from Breakfast to teatime. Plus you can go for a nose around the independent shops in Redlands Yard.  https://redlandsyard.co.uk/ 
  • The Feed Station, Merriott.  Now if you are a cyclist, The Feed Station is probably already on your radar as it recently won Cyclists cafe of the year, and it’s true that it is well set up to welcome velocipedes.  Just 6 miles away it’s definitely bikeable if you are reasonably confident, with a few sharp climbs to burn off the cake or link up to Route 30 for a longer spin! But you definitely don’t have to arrive on two wheels to enjoy the warm welcome and delicious food.  https://www.thefeedstationmerriott.co.uk/ 
  • Pip’s Carriage – 8 miles away at Lopen Head just off the A303.  Awesome quirky cafe , bakery and restaurant where you can dine in individual booths in an old railway carriage or bus  Growing many of their own ingredients and baking all manner of delectable patisserie in house, they’ve won a Muddy Stilettos award for best cafe in Somerset.  https://www.pipsrailwaycarriage.co.uk/ 
  • Barleymows Farm Shop – see food shops
  • The Green House, Dillington Estate – enjoy the stunning views, takeaway food and drink as well as shop in a relaxed atmosphere where you will find helpful knowledgeable staff as well as household items and delicious foods to fill your basket.

INDEPENDENT FOOD SHOPS

Nestled in the corner in the crook of South Somerset, West Dorset and East Devon – Wytch Wood is at the heart of the rural South West.  So it’s no surprise there is a wealth of excellent farm shops, butchers and producers.  Here are some of our favourites:

 

  • Barrets Brother, family butchers on Market Street in Crewkerne.  Proud holders of the Q Guild mark for quality artisan butchers, they stock a fantastic range of quality West Country meats, cheeses and deli items – perfect for stocking up for BBQs or picnics.  Oh – and they’ve just opened a green grocers next door too! https://www.barrettbros.co.uk/ 
  • Barley Sugar Bakehouse really is the definition of hidden gem!  Tucked away on a tiny side street of Oxen Road in Crewkerne – this classic French style boulangerie  bakes the most delicious sourdough bread, patisserie, vienoiserie and a few British classics like sausage rolls and pasties.  Only open on Saturday mornings, join the queue that goes half way down the street – it’ll be worth it.  https://www.facebook.com/TheBarleySugar 
  • Barleymows Farm shop and Cafe – 9 miles away on A30 near Chard.  A fantastic resource, Barleymows houses a butchers, deli, fruit and veg, huge range of local dry goods and preserves, free-from items, baked goods, chilled and frozen … basically a truly local supermarket!  Stocking their own meats and eggs from the farm, their policy is to source from within a 25 mile radius.  And all this is used to make stock the excellent cafe as well.  https://barleymowsfarmshop.co.uk/ 
VIEW PITCHES AND BOOK ONLINE 
 
 
 
  Excellent  
    
 Based on 85 reviews 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 Liam Turner-Vos 
 
 
 Liam Turner-Vos 
 
26 January 2024
 
 
  
This place is really amazing. Beautiful quiet campsite with individual character pitches. I took my boys and they loved it. Booked again for another visit for 2024 and will probably become a traditional for us to visit.
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Donna Orman 
 
 
 Donna Orman 
 
16 September 2023
 
 
  
Amazing stay. Wonderful camp site, well managed, with great atmosphere.  Left very relaxed. Pizza was an added treat.
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Phoebe Chambers 
 
 
 Phoebe Chambers 
 
15 September 2023
 
 
  
We thoroughly had a fantastic time staying at Wytch Wood. It was obvious from the get go that a lot of thought, love and effort has gone into creating this beautiful campsite, with a conscientious approach to nature.

We love how each pitch has their own complementary fire pit, handmade table and chairs and even a trug full of logs free of charge as you arrive - something you rarely get on other campsites! We stayed at Toby's Double pitch which is right next to the stream on the edge of the woodland, but still gets plenty of sunshine throughout the day. Falling asleep next to the sound of running water was absolute bliss... as was seeing an eel in the stream and waking up to owls hooting, horses neighing away in the distance and serene birdsong.

All of the pitches are generously spaced out so you get plenty of privacy without feeling like you're too penned in. We even had our own compost loo which was super convenient and clean and tidy. The showers were simple yet a great set up with complimentary Faith in Nature shampoo and conditioner - again, an offering you rarely get on other campsites.

They have thought of everything essential you need here - at the entrance to the site there are plug sockets to charge devices and a makeshift shop selling local beers/ciders/snacks and most necessities you might have forgotten to pack - all with an honesty box to contribute to. The homemade Pizzas we had on Saturday were epic! We were also really grateful to be given some homemade apple and elderberry crumble made by one of the ladies running it - it was really thoughtful and kind of her. They were friendly, relaxed and always easy to find if we needed anything. Walking around you can see all the new trees they have planted including figs and apple trees which we thought was very forward thinking. There was a lovely well looked after herb bed too.

If you are looking for all this, at excellent value for money and in an incredible setting nearby to lots of lovely villages and beaches, then you really must go here. Thank you for a wonderful stay - we hope to come back in the future. Phoebe and Mel x
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Anca Alias 
 
 
 Anca Alias 
 
1 September 2023
 
 
  
A really nice place with a lot of activities and communal spaces with different vibes to chill or play board games or read a book and relax. Family friendly with lots of space for kids to play. Fantastic pizza and they also have coffee, croissants and more, in the morning. The owner was lovely and very helpful.
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Lucy Oates 
 
 
 Lucy Oates 
 
31 August 2023
 
 
  
This is the perfect campsite- we stayed for 4 nights and would have stayed longer if we could! The pitches are really spaced out, so it feels peaceful and private. Great countryside views. We appreciated the private composting loo for each pitch. The honesty shop served us very well, we loved having a campfire every night with toasted marshmallows :) the local area is beautiful too.

The campsite owner is super helpful and welcoming. We also enjoyed chatting to Jonny who was the cleaner while we were there, very nice guy. We would love to come back one day and will be recommending to family/friends.
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Jacqueline Dangerfield 
 
 
 Jacqueline Dangerfield 
 
31 August 2023
 
 
  
Absolutely wonderful experience amazing vibes and everyone was so nice . Loved the facilities
  
 
  
 
 
 
 KPM 
 
 
 KPM 
 
27 August 2023
 
 
  
Family of 5 (3 children aged 9,7,4) and our first time camping/glamping.  Wytch wood was a fabulous site with everything we could have possibly needed and all very comfortable. We rented a bell tent and it was spacious, set up brilliantly and the beds were comfy and cozy.  We had the best time and Elise was an incredible host.  Thank you for a magical time!
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Matt White (MattWPBS) 
 
 
 Matt White (MattWPBS) 
 
25 August 2023
 
 
  
Only spent one night here, but already planning to come back next year for longer! Stayed on pitch 7 (Toby's Double), and was able to string my hammock tent up between two sturdy trees. I think this is one of the smaller pitches here, but even so it's fully equipped with table and benches, firepit and your own composting loo.

The rest of the site is glorious as well, there's showers up the top, and a great little communal area with charging, a community fridge/freezer, and an honesty shop with local products (try the gelato and the kombucha). In the morning there's fresh coffee available from Elise, and two nights a week they fire up the pizza oven(!). The best bit though? There's a babbling brook that runs through the bottom of the site.

Despite all the facilities, the low number of pitches and separation between them allows this to feel nearly like wild camping in terms of closeness to nature. Heavily recommend Wytch Wood!
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Sebastian Janik 
 
 
 Sebastian Janik 
 
23 August 2023
 
 
  
Super miejsce dla osób ceniących sobie ciszę i spokój, sklepik na miejscu z najpotrzebniejszymi artykulami, lodówka, można kupić kawę i ciastko. Gry planszowe. Cena do jakości uczciwa. Właścicielka bardzo miła i uprzejma.

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