A well deserved four stars for Castleton House (bed & breakfast). I'm not a b&b habitué. I prefer hotels, you know what you're getting with a 4/5 star hotel. My prejudice has been challenged by Castleton House and found wanting.
Castleton House gets a 4 star rating from the AA and Enjoy England. It's a well deserved rating and one that is maintained consistently. On arrival we were warmly greeted by Gail Garbutt (the owner). A quick tour of the main areas followed, the dining room and roomy drawing room. Both were furnished in a solidly comfortable and tasteful way. Staying in a b&b can sometimes be challenging as other people's hygiene and taste may differ from one's own - not in this case.
We were given a quick tour of our room - a spotless, twin bedded room with a large en-suite bathroom, fridge and tea and cofee-making facilities. Once we had the room to ourselves I checked under the beds for cleanliness - spotless. Ditto the bathroom in every conceivable nook and cranny - spotless again. The fridge was clean and stocked with a complementary bottle of wine and good local beer. The beds were made-up with crisp, clean linens and there was an additional stock, plus clean blankets and towels if we needed them.
The next morning saw us treated to a (pre-ordered) breakfast of wonderful quality. Cooked breakfasts, continental breakfasts and special dishes like kippers, scrambled eggs or the like were proffered swiftly on good china. Much of the produce served at breakfast was locally sourced. The honey was not only delicious but gathered by Gail and her husband from their own hives (in case bees put you off visiting - these are 4 miles away!). Excellent tea and coffee was also on hand and topped up with minimum fuss. The whole experience was just lovely. Gail served us throughout our stay and was chatty, welcoming and helpful, but never intrusive.
We really could not have asked for more. I thoroughly recommend Castleton House either for a short stay (perhaps a stop-off) or ideally, as a base for a few days walking or cycling in the surrounding countryside. Stourhead is not far away and there are many private estates nearby offering excellent walking, cycling and riding paths and facilities. Try it, you've nothing to lose and everything to enjoy. read more
