Overview
Smack beside one of the entrances to Longleat House in peaceful
Horningsham, the estate-owned Bath Arms dates from 1736 and is an
striking, creeper-clad stone inn fronted by 200-year-old pollarded
lime trees. Having had their eyes on this impressive building for
some years, the Beckford Group (aka Charlie Luxton and Dan Brod -
see entries for Beckford Arms, Talbot Inn & Lord Poulett Arms)
took on the lease in early 2020 and spent lockdown summer gently
refurbishing and fine tuning the place, pushing open the doors in
late July to reveal a very stylish country inn.
Country prints and paintings line the walls in the locals bar,
with its roaring log fire, bare board floor, and local Horning Ale
and Butcombe beers on tap. Next door, in the country-house style
dining room, warm blue hues, distinctive rugs, an eclectic mix of
old dining tables, and an ornate stone fireplace set the scene for
savouring some classic pub food. Rooms are split between the inn
and the converted stable block.
On warmer days, you can spill out onto the sun-filled rear
terrace and garden for leisurely alfresco meals - it's a truly
peaceful spot on balmy summer evenings. The walk down the drive to
Longleat is majestic.