 24-Hour Room Service: Miller's at Glencot House, Somerset
By Fiona Griffiths Anyone who knows anything about antiques will know the Miller whose name hangs over the door at this mock-Jacobean pile in the Mendip Hills. Glencot House had been a family-run hotel for 20 years until it was taken over by the antiques expert Martin Miller – the man behind the Miller's Antiques Price Guide series – last year. He has since been busy stuffing the place with antiques – not necessarily of the Victorian period, from which the house dates, but a mish-mash of items that caught his eye at auctions. The result is a hotel with an elegant yet homely feel. One can't help feel that the house's previous occupants – it was built in 1887 for William Sampson Hodgkinson, the owner of Wookey Hole Paper Mills, and was a private residence before becoming a boys' school in the 1950s – would approve of the hotel's olde English style. While the public rooms and 15 bedrooms may look full with period furniture already, Miller says he isn't done yet and will probably spend another £150,000 on antiques to get the hotel exactly how he wants it. If you've stayed at his other hotel in London's Notting Hill – the eight-bedroom Miller's Residence, furnished to give the impression of a private, 18th-century-style house – you'll have some idea how Glencot will eventually look. Just steer clear if you're a fan of minimalism. Location Miller's at Glencot, Glencot Lane, Wells, Somerset, BA5 1BH (01749 677 160; www.glencothouse.co.uk) The hotel is pretty hard to find, tucked away down a single-track road among fields and woodland. But it's only five minutes' drive from Wells, England's smallest cathedral city, and no more than a stone's throw from the popular tourist attraction of Wookey Hole Caves, carved out by the River Axe. Time from nearest mainline station: Castle Cary, nine miles away, is 15 minutes' drive from the hotel. Comfortable? The bedrooms have an air of quality and luxury. Fabrics have been chosen to inject a slightly more contemporary look, with bright colours and bold patterns, while flat-screen TVs bring things up to date. Our bedroom overlooked the pretty garden with the River Axe flowing through it and the Wookey Hole cricket team's pitch beyond. The four-poster bed may have been antique but I imagine the mattress wasn't, as it was supremely comfortable. Thankfully, the plumbing isn't antique either – updating it was a priority when Miller took over the house. On arrival, we were immediately offered tea and sandwiches in our room, which we gladly accepted, having missed lunch on the drive down. But we were wise to save some room for dinner, as the hotel's newly recruited French chef looks to be a rising star. Dishes are imaginative and make the best use of local ingredients, including Somerset-reared lamb and beef, and even Cheddar aged just round the corner in the Wookey Hole caves. Expect dishes such as crispy pork belly with caramelised apple, sweet onions and a mustard dressing to start with, followed by five-hour braised leg of lamb with dauphinoise potatoes and fine beans, and Miller's own take on Eton Mess, "Mess in a Hole" (crushed meringue with whipped cream, seasonal fruits and brandy). After dinner, guests can retire to the mini-cinema to watch a free movie on a (relatively) big screen while lounging about on couches scattered with cushions. Freebies? Toiletries, large bottles of still and sparkling water, Quality Street, homemade shortbread, tea, coffee and hot chocolate. Keeping in touch: Telephones in the bedrooms with internet access, plus wireless access in the drawing room, restaurant and library. The Bottom Line Doubles start at £165 including full English breakfast |
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