After a good nights sleep we made our way downstairs for breakfast. Once in the breakfast room we found that a table for three had been set up in a prime location for stunning views over the garden towards Wells Cathedral and Glastonbury Tor. The breakfast was every bit as superb as it was on our previous visit last July.

Over breakfast we, with a little help from the lady who served breakfast, we decided on our first port of call for the day; Montacute House. We arrived just as the house opened and decided to go into the house straight away. This proved to be a good choice, we missed the later queues for entry to the house and the inside the house was relatively quiet and easy to get around and appreciate. I particularly enjoyed seeing the Long Gallery which is claimed to be the longest in England.

When we had finished viewing the house, we spent time in the gardens and grounds. By the time we had finished it was time for lunch. The food options were a bit limited but once again we beat the rush and found a table so we could sit and enjoy our choices. After lunch we called in briefly at the shop and then considered our options for what to do next. There was another National Trust property nearby but were minded to do something completely different. After a little bit of research via maps and Google we decided on Kilver Court Gardens which is just 6 miles outside Wells. The garden sounded small but interesting. When we arrived there, the entrance didn’t look promising, but we bought a ticket and went into the garden. We were pleasantly surprised to find that garden, although small, was quite delightful.

After the garden visit we browsed around a bric a brac store that had some interesting gift ideas before heading back to Stoberry House. We started to explore the garden at Stoberry but the windy weather deterred us from exploring it to its full extent. We retreated to the warmth of Stoberry House where I had a nice relaxing bath and got ready for our evening meal in Goodfellows. The meal was excellent. I chose pollock with pancetta, soya beans and mixed mushrooms on a bed of mashed potato – it was delicious.

After the meal as we drove up the road from the bottom of the property to Stoberry House we were once again delayed by sheep lying across the road. We could see their breath as they exhaled in the cool night air. After some gentle persuasion, the sheep moved to the grassy area to the side of the road allowing us make our way up to Stoberry House where we enjoyed a nightcap before retiring for a good night’s sleep.