Welcome to the Castle Hotel at Taunton. This historic Norman fortress has witnessed over 9…read morecenturies of turbulent history. In 1685 the Duke of Monmouth's officers gathered here on the eve of the Battle of Sedgemoor, where they were defeated by the forces of King James II. The infamous Judge Jeffries held his Bloody Assize in the Great Hall of the castle shortly afterwards. Over 200 rebels from the Monmouth Rebellion were tried, convicted and then hanged, drawn and quartered. A further 800 were transported to the West Indies to work on the sugar plantations. The building we see today is a Grade II listed, 18th century reconstruction of the original Norman castle, but does incorporate the original east gate, Castle Bow, which boasts 13th century features.

Where to begin! Staying here was a highlight of my recent, and first trip to England. I was coming…read moreto do some family history work at the archives in Taunton, as well as visit Glastonbury Tor. When I read this was an actual castle with medieval beginnings, I was immediately drawn in. Then I visited their website and read a few reviews and I booked it! It's a unique experience to say the least. Coming through the front, revolving door had an old world charm that was very welcoming (even though I snagged my luggage). The front desk staff were all super friendly, accommodating, and professional. The room was huge! I don't know how I ended up with a suite but I certainly did not book it nor pay extra so, the only conclusion is they upgraded me because it was available? No matter, I was in awe! I cannot recommend this place enough, it's a castle! Unforgettable.

This is a rather standard travel lodge i'm afraid. The room looks well used and the bathroom a…read morelittle scummy. but then what do you expect for the money you pay for these places. It serves its purpose well and has a little chef and petrol next to it as most of the travel lodge chain do. We arrived late at night and the bed was comfortable enough, if a little chilly. The room did smell of stale cigarettes which was quite disappointing, but still we were only stopping there for a night on our way to cornwall. We slept well as we were tired from the drive. I wouldnt recommend spending a considerable amount of time here. However value for money is ok if you get it on one fo the cheaper deals. If you were to pay full price i would suggest finding somewhere else to stay.

Overnight I've become a huge fan of this chain of budget hotels which I only discovered by accident…read morewhen surfing the internet. Vastly superior to Travelodges though sometimes almost as cheap, or even cheaper when they offer special deals (three nights for the price of two, etc). The rooms are clean, spacious and comfortable, with plenty of storage and a superior standard of furniture and fittings. Our room had a telephone, large flat-screen TV, tea and coffee making facilities with lots of teabags, hot chocolate and fresh biscuits each day. In addition to the large bed was a plush two-seater settee. The en-suite had a large power shower and, again, the tiling and fittings were of a high standard for a budget hotel. There's a modern lift to rooms (very good disabled access), beautiful carpets and curtains, and a foyer with local information and a sweets and chocolate machine. Breakfast came free with the room rate and was served across a short walkway in the Jack Rabbit pub. It consisted of a continental-style buffet with an excellent choice of cereals, fruit juices, fresh fruit, yoghurt, breads, toast, preserves and croissants. A machine provided good quality teas or coffees. You can eat as much as you wish and there are helpful staff on hand to assist if need be. A free newspaper (Daily Mail) was also available each day. All in all, a superb value package at only £89 for 3 nights (the special offer this month)! Certainly a chain to watch - there are 200 branches around the country and more planned.

The Carvery is amazing - the beef is cooked to perfection. Staff are professional. the Bar is cosy…read more I have only had food from the a la carte once and that was equally as good. There is a Side restaurant at the back called Le Roche which does black rock steak where it comes out on a hot rock so you can cook your steak to your own liking - a novelty but fun. I find the Arms good for large groups there are 17 of us there next weekend for a carvery for a birthday meal.

On our many trips out of Essex we always have an overnight break in, normally, a Premier Inn. This…read moretime, on our way down to Kernow, we chose Glastonbury. What a fantastic choice it was. Reception was swift and Covid-19 aware. A pleasant surprise was an upgrade to their Premier Plus room. Wow, quite a difference. Larger room, extras such as arm chair, ironing board and iron, extra pillows, good coffee machine as well as tea making facilities, nice toiletries, faster wi-fi available etc etc. A really enjoyable, quiet, overnight stay. TIP. Buy their meal offer when booking. Great breakfast and a nice evening meal at, I believe, about 25% discount.

Might possible be the best Premier Inn across the UK. Newly opened, it is modern, clean, bright…read more Rooms are well I sugared from sound for a good nights sleep. Beds are very comfy. Not sinking soft, and not too hard either. Water pressure in the shower was great and water was hot instantly. All rooms have air conditioning too. Checkin service was very friendly and quick. What more would you want from a Premier Inn?

2nd Time coming here, it was even better from the 1st! The view is incredible, the staff are lovely…read moreand the food, although its a tad expensive, is delicious. The garden at the back of the hotel is kept in pristine condition and it is full of civilised people reading newspapers. It feels straight out of a film from the 60's. The hotel has a lovely calm, quiet and zen feel to it. It is near the sea if you enjoy the beach. Overall I think this is the best hotel/restaurant in the area. I have come here before and I would come here again. Pros: * Lovely garden * Sea view * Bar * Incredible Restaurant * Cozy Cons: * Expensive * Car park is a bit on the small side

Popped in here after a walk round the town and booked up a Dorset Cream Tea for 3 People for just…read moreunder 20 pounds. We sat outside on the deck area overlooking the gardens and cobb, an amazing viewpoint. The tea arrived with three large warm scones, three large scoops of clotted cream and a large dish of Strawberry Jam, a pot of tea, a pot of hot water, rough brown and white sugar chunks. The quality and choice of location to consume your dorset cream tea at the Alexandra Hotel is excellent and second to none. Worth a visit

The atmosphere in this rural retreat is warm and inviting with a real fire burning in the winter…read moreand pleasant helpful staff. The food is moderately expensive but overall good. Rather large helpings of chips, less so when it comes to vegetables. The wild duck was rather hard to eat and rather short on meat but perhaps that's what wild duck is like everywhere. Deserts were good. Real ale available. Overall quite a good pub and restaurant that is worth a visit if in the area.

We have been lucky enough to stay in a few Red Carnation Properties but the attention to detail…read morehere is over the top excellent! We stayed in Room 1 which is beautifully appointed, large bright and with a great bed. The second bathroom also has antique bath tub which is perfect. The grounds are gorgeous and we took a great hike through the nearby deer park. The staff is friendly and helpful and management really caters to every guest desire. The full English breakfast exceeds expectations as does the tasting menu and service at dinner. If you wanted to be treated like royalty, stat at the Summer Lodge!

Have stayed at Summer Lodge twice, and eaten there a handful of times…read more Old world luxury, sumptuous afternoon tea and delicious lunch/dinner (with local produce) make it worthwhile driving from London for a great day out. If you like it, go back for a weekend. Great walks and not far from the spectacular Dorset coast.

Anyone travelling on the A38 between Taunton and Exeter, or on the M5 which is close by, and…read morelooking for a place to stop would be well advised to call in at 'The Poachers Pocket'. This is a really good pub which also has good food and doubles as a small hotel. The beer, food and rooms are all excellent; the landlord and staff are welcoming and the locals friendly. Having stayed there yesterday, I can also vouch for the quality, variety and quantity of the breakfast which was a great starter for the day. There's only very quiet background music and a small television in the bar, but there is free Wi-Fi for those who need it. Residents have access to a small but comfortable lounge if they wish to relax outside of both their rooms and the bar. There's plenty of parking, both in front and at the rear of the pub via an archway, and a small patio and grassy area at the rear. There's a website at http://www.poacherspocket.co.uk for those who are interested in investigating further or arranging a visit. I'll certainly be going back.

I had my wedding reception in Penny Square Barn. What an amazing venue this was for a wedding…read morereception. The barn is owned by the fabulous farmer Bruno and Gill, such wonderful people! I stayed with Bruno and Gill for B&B and one of my fondest memories is having a bottle of vino and a gas with Gill in the kitchen. Honestly Batcombe is just a fantastic place with some amazing friendly, interesting people. Bruno had just put in toilets when we got married here which was fantastic and the barn had not been used all winter so we had a lot of cleaning up to do. Its no frills but it makes it for economic sense as a wedding venue if you have the vision and want to get married in a glorious location. The main barn itself is gorgeously rustic, just put some dichroic floods as a backdrop and it becomes wonderfully atmospheric. We had a friend climb around like a monkey and do an amazing job on lighting and hung long swathes of black fabric over the not so pretty metal door entrance to the barn. In the smaller barn annex we also hung fabric to disguise the galvanised roof. We were able to have a fire going outside and allowed to have fireworks (before 10pm of course) and a flamethrowing fire engine. The villagers were just fantastic and welcoming and Bruno was an absolute star! Not only was he a bell-ringer, but he ran the bar at the village hall and made sure we had enough fuel to run the genny for the weekend. Barn does get cold at night so its worth renting a couple of space heaters. We got a TENS from Mendip council and ran our own bar which was fab. This is a beautiful quiet village so its not the spot to pound music late into the night as noise does carry but its a perfect venue for an event such as a wedding in the summer.