Mells: 'Chocolate

Mar 10, 2023

Thirty Are Better Than One: Andy Warhol at The Brant Foundation

Mar 06, 2023

How to wrap Christmas presents: 3 holiday gift

Dec 15, 2023

Colorful results

Aug 16, 2023

Trump Was Personally Involved in Packing Boxes, Moving Them to Mar

Jul 01, 2023

Things To Do in Tallahassee FL

Send your inquiry

SUBMIT

Apr 13, 2023

The pretty little village has been listed among "Britain's 30 greatest villages"

Never miss Somerset's latest and breaking news again by signing up to our Daily Newsletter

We have more newsletters

A beautiful Somerset village has been named among "Britain's 30 greatest villages", according to the Telegraph. Charming Mells, near Frome, has been highlighted by the newspaper.

The list has been compiled as travel experts at The Telegraph revealed their favourite "unspoilt villages". They have scoured the nation for villages "untouched by mass tourism".

Telegraph writer Oliver Smith states: "A combination of good looks, convenience for day trippers and a few influential endorsements can be enough to turn what was once a peaceful village into an overtourism battleground inundated with selfie stick-wielding tourists from April till October." He believes that many well-known village destinations, including Castle Combe in the Cotswolds and Polperro in Cornwall, "now exist largely to serve tourists, not residents".

READ MORE: 600-year-old 'haunted' Somerset pub for sale as owners look to retire

However, some villages remain unnoticed by tourists, and Mells makes the top 30 list. The Telegraph describes it as "chocolate-box-charming" and "home to an achingly-cool old pub".

The newspaper says Mells "scores highly in village Top Trumps". "Handsome pile" Mells Manor, parts of which date from the 15th century, is highlighted as a key feature of the village.

The Telegraph states: "It's not all ancient history though. A lovely outing is a walk by the Mells Stream, via the atmospherically overgrown and crumbly 18th- and 19th-century ruins of Fussell's Ironworks, which once exported farm tools around the globe. The remains are now Grade-II listed and a vital roosting site for horseshoe bats.

"Don't miss the community-owned village shop and cafe, a friendly spot selling basics. Treats are also available from The Real Cake Company in nearby Radstock and Little Jack Horner sausage rolls, whose bakery is in Mells itself."

Mells is absolutely stunning all year round. In summer local houses are awash with colourful gardens and shrubs which burst with colour.

Some of the larger houses are the among the finest in the country - but even nicer are the smaller thatches which line the country road as you approach the village. If you visit, take a walk around the manor estate and church - the tithe barn is one of the nicest in the area.

The Talbot Inn is a delightful place to visit - featuring little snugs and small rooms with fires, it is a treasure trove of real life pub history. With great food, beers, wine and cider you will want to spend hours there.

The Talbot is frequently visited by celebrities and rock stars including David Beckham, Courtney Cox (Monica from Friends), Ruby Wax, fashion designers, models, famous pop and rock artists and musicians. Many of them cycle out from Babington to the Talbot Inn on courtesy retro bikes provided by the Soho House establishment, it is only a short ride and very pleasant especially in summer.

Courtney Cox famously said on American TV she loves to spend Christmas in Frome, where they walk to a real country village with a real country pub. She was talking about the Talbot Inn.

Blog

Mells: 'Chocolate