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Cricket St Thomas Hotel
A Starring role through two centuries in a beautiful Somerset Valley
Cricket St Thomas is an elegant mansion built c1820 in the heart of Somerset’s cider country. Designed in the Regency manner by the famed neo-classicist Sir John Sloane, the house is noted for its glorious Grade II-listed gardens of mature cedars, maples and yews, on whose layout the 2nd Baron Bridport spent over £250,000; damming a stream, creating a chain of lakes and planting ornamental trees and shrubs. But for a country estate so rural in its setting, the story of Cricket St Thomas is decidedly maritime in flavour. Following the stewardship of various notable medieval families, the 18th century saw Cricket forge maritime links with the Hoods, the Bridports and the Nelsons.
Although the elegant mansion of Cricket St Thomas is avowedly Regency in style – the present house was designed by the neo-Classicist Sir John Soane and set within glorious landscaped gardens based on a design by Capability Brown. The Manor’s proud history actually predates 1086. Since its rebuilding in 1820, Cricket has remained virtually untouched, its integrity as one of England’s most cherished stately homes completely intact. Uncompromised too is the nearby 12th century parish church of St. Thomas, with its Walled Garden, rare Sicilian chestnut font and brocade cloth which adorned the 1953 Coronation altar.
Today you can readily appreciate and enjoy the loving care that Lord Hood and his family lavished on this stunning estate. Within the grounds is the 12th Century parish church of St Thomas, which features the brocade cloth which adorned the Coronation altar in 1953. Cricket is also well-known for its splendid 46-acre Wildlife Park, where some 500 animals and birds, including rare lemurs and the highly-endangered Amur leopard, form part of a captive breeding programme to help foster their survival. The park mounts regular three-hour ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ tours, in which you can get up close and personal with some of the planet’s most endangered species.
All told, with a heritage as noble and as varied as this, it’s small wonder that the BBC chose the estate of Cricket St Thomas as location for the popular sitcom ‘To The Manor Born’ adding a fitting extra dimension to a history that’s already an embarrassment of riches.
Included in all breaks:
Choice of evening activities, including nightly performances in the Late Lounge
Wealth of indoor and outdoor sport and leisure facilities, from swimming and saunas to croquet and fencing
Cooked or Continental breakfasts
Three-course evening meals
Great bedrooms offering home-from-home comforts at our Hotels,
Warner Leisure Hotels and Resorts, Weekend Breaks, Adult only, Warner Weekends
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Holme Lacy House, Littlecote House, Nidd Hall, Sinah Warren, Thorsby Hall, Corton,Gunton Hall, Lakeside, Norton Grange Check Availability |
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At Cricket St Thomas
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Warner Leisure Hotels and Resorts, Alvaston Hall, Bembridge Coast, Bodelwydden Castle, Cricket St Thomas
Holme Lacy House, Littlecote House, Nidd Hall, Sinah Warren, Thorsby Hall, Corton, Gunton Hall, Lakeside, Norton Grange
Warner Leisure Hotels and Resorts, Weekend Breaks, Adult only, Warner Weekends
At Cricket St Thomas Hotel
page by Maggie Roden |
