The Apple Press is a grade 2 listed converted barn located at the foot of the Blackdown Hills close (3 miles) to Taunton the county town of Somerset.
The property consists of a well equipped spacious kitchen/ dining area, a separate sitting room with vaulted ceiling, wood burner and comfy seating for six. The ground floor bedroom is ideal for those of limited mobility and who find the stairs difficult. The bed in this room is zip & link and can be either two singles or a King. This room benefits from an en-suite shower room and WC and access to the courtyards.
Located on the galleried first floor is a family bathroom, a twin room and a spacious King bedroom.
There is a large courtyard (which the owner uses as access from her house to check the hottub) with an all weather table tennis table a canopied swing seat/bed and an outdoor table with seating for six. This leads to an an additional more secluded courtyard with comfy seating, BBQ, another canopied swing seat/bed and a luxurious 5 person hot tub spa.
The Apple Press is ideally placed between the Blackdown Hills to the South and the Quantock Hills to the North. Both are areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and are ideal for walking or cycling.
It is also well situated for day trips both to the North and the South coast beaches and costal paths.
A short drive to Bishops Lydeard will take you to the West Somerset Steam Railway where you can hop on a steam train to Minehead stopping at stations in between such as Watchet where a statue of Coleridge's Ancient Mariner stands overlooking the harbour, and Dunster to see the medieval village and its castle. Netherstowey is the birth place of Coleridge, a pretty village where the National Trust has opened Coleridge's Cottage to the public. The Coleridge way is a 36 mile walk from Nether Stowey to Porlock and takes in some of the county's most beautiful landscape. A passionate walker, Coleridge walked this route in a day.
The Somerset Levels and moors (7 miles distant) has special protection due to its rich wildlife, and is ideal for spotting rare species of plants, animals (otters) and birds (the largest lowland population of breeding wading birds). There are plenty of opportunities to walk or cycle the many routes and to visit Athelney Abbey where King Alfred the Great is said to have hidden in 878 before going on to defeat the invading Danes in Battle.
The Willows and wetland centre is well worth a visit and Taunton itself offers many independent and high street shops as well as the 1st Class Somerset County Cricket ground, where visiting International teams play, and there are the exciting T20 Blast matches throughout the season as well as the domestic championships.
The recently refurbished and interactive Museum of Somerset situated in the former Taunton Castle is also worth a visit. Discover the under-floor plesiosaur and the largest collection of Roman coins ever unearthed.
Vivary park is a short 7 minute drive away and is home to a high ropes centre, mini golf, and an18 hole parkland pay and play golf course suitable for all ages. Hire of clubs etc... available. It also hosts the town's annual flower show every summer.
It doesn't all happen in the summer. Somerset carnivals are unlike any other, they are held in the evening and the carts are illuminated. Bridgwater's Annual Guy Fawkes carnival is the biggest illuminated carnival in Europe. It is held on the Saturday nearest the 5th November.
If you want a diverse holiday from beach, wetlands, moors, hills, countryside to market town the Apple Press is perfectly situated for it all.
What are you waiting for? Come and visit us!
