The Pig near Bath

Rooms

The 29 rooms are split between the main building and the Coach House (you might hear some restaurant noise in the former, but other than that there's little difference), plus 2 secluded hideaways. All feature the same eclectic mix - antique desks, wooden floors made from reclaimed French railway carriages, botanical prints on the walls, and comfy beds topped with luxurious linens. Bathrooms have monsoon showers and Bramley products, and you also get Nespresso machines, retro Roberts radios and 'larders' packed with goodies.

Even the smallest Snug Rooms are just about big enough to swing a pig, but if you’re staying for more than a night or 2 it’s worth upgrading to a slightly larger Comfy Room (the only rooms which can be set up as twins; some also interconnect). If you want a bath, you’ll have to splash out on one of the Comfy Luxe Rooms, which have freestanding roll-top tubs. We stayed in one of these and loved the four-poster bed, the sink-into sofa and the tastefully tiled ensuite. Big Comfy Luxe Rooms are similar but have even more space.

For maximum privacy, The Apple Store and The Hide are separate stone buildings in the kitchen garden. Spread over 2 floors, they have a cosy bedroom (with woodburner) on the ground floor, and a bathroom with a shower and roll-top tub above. They also have terraces with views of either the garden or the deer park.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• Minibar
• WiFi

Eating

The restaurant is in a renovated Victorian greenhouse, or you can dine out on the terrace when the weather allows. We loved the décor - mismatched tables adorned with pots of fresh herbs and flowers, bone-handled cutlery, wooden crates and old garden paraphernalia dotting the walls and floor - but it’s the food that really steals the show. The menu changes daily and is dictated by whatever the kitchen gardener and forager unearth each morning. Anything that can’t be grown on site is sourced from producers within a 25-mile radius.

Predictably, pork features strongly, but by no means overwhelmingly. We had a selection of ‘Piggy Bits’ to accompany our pre-dinner cocktails, before moving on to delicate home-smoked salmon in a Somerset cider dressing and grilled courgettes with basil and almond pesto. For mains we devoured a huge chargrilled 35-day-aged sirloin of ruby red beef with hand-cut chips and béarnaise sauce, pan-fried fillet of turbot with spring cabbage, sour onions and crab sauce. With little space left for dessert, we opted for a light selection of 3 sorbets, all washed down with a silky smooth Rioja recommended to us by the sommelier from the extensive wine list.

For lunches and lighter snacks you can order pizza or flatbread fresh from the wood-fired oven, and the bar is open throughout the day for drinks. Breakfast isn’t included in the rates but is well worth the additional cost. Choose from an expansive buffet with all sorts of pastries, cereals and juices or a full list of à la carte cooked dishes.

Features include:

• Bar
• Kids' meals
• Organic produce
• Restaurant

Activities

• Head into Bath to visit the Roman Baths, shop in the many boutiques, and soak up the Georgian splendour of the Royal Crescent, the Circus and Pulteney Bridge. The city is also home to excellent museums, including the Museum of Costume (beneath the Assembly Rooms) and the Holborne Art Museum
  
• After you’ve finished sightseeing, spend a few hours floating around the naturally heated rooftop pool at the Thermae Bath Spa
  
• Drive to nearby Bristol to stroll along the revamped Harbourside, exercise your credit card in the independent shops of Park Street and Clifton Village, marvel at Brunel’s iconic Suspension Bridge and SS Great Britain
  
• Spectacular Cheddar Gorge is within striking distance, as are historic Glastonbury, Wells and the animals of Longleat Safari Park
  
• Back at The Pig, wander around the grounds, explore the kitchen garden, and watch fallow deer graze in the park
  
• Public footpaths meander out from the property into the Mendip Hills: borrow a pair of Hunter wellies and a map from reception
  
• Pamper yourself with a massage or treatment in one of the 2 converted potting sheds, have a game of billiards, croquet or tennis (all available on site), or find a comfy armchair by the fire and try one of their fab cocktails

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Museums / galleries
• Nightlife
• Shopping / markets
• Well being
• Wildlife

Kids

Children of all ages are warmly welcome, and they’ll love romping around the grounds and meeting the resident pigs, deer and chickens. There’s plenty to amuse kids nearby too, including child-friendly museums in Bath and Bristol. All the staff were truly wonderful when we last visited with two small children in tow, doing everything they could to make sure our stay was enjoyable and we felt relaxed. Lots of smiles and special treats - even offering to watch our baby monitor for us whilst we had dinner.

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

Most Comfy Luxe and Big Comfy Luxe Rooms can accommodate an extra bed or baby cot, and some Comfy Rooms interconnect.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Airport: 25-minute drive (Bristol)
• Hospital: 20-minute drive (Bath)
• Shop: 5-minute drive

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

The Pig near Bath is set just outside the Somerset village of Pensford, a 20-minute drive from Bath and a 25-minute drive from Bristol.

By Air:
Bristol Airport (18km away) is less than half an hour’s drive and is served by plenty of flights from elsewhere in the UK and Europe. If you’re coming from further afield you’ll probably arrive via London Heathrow (170km away), which is 2 hours’ drive. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving these airports.

From the Airport
You could easily get a taxi from Bristol Airport, but you’ll probably want to hire a car for exploring (see below).

By Train:
Bath Spa station is a 20-minute taxi ride from the hotel and is served by regular intercity services from London Paddington and elsewhere in the UK. If you’re landing at London Heathrow, you could take the Heathrow Express to London Paddington and catch a train from there.

By Car:
It’s best to have a car here (you’ll be relying on taxis otherwise) - see our car rental recommendations. The hotel is easily accessible from the M4 and M5 motorways and there is plenty of parking on site.

Detailed directions will be provided automatically once you confirm a booking through i-escape.com.

More on getting to the UK and getting around