The Bath Arms

The Shooting Gazette Good Hotel Guide 2007

I CAME DOWNSTAIRS and was asked if I had been woken by the lions roaring! Happens all the time in England that.

In explanation the Bath Arms sits proudly in the middle of the picturesque village of Horningsham and is a brisk walk from Longleat House and the safari park of seemingly constant television fame.

Imagination has been used here and the hotel was recently nominated as the number one UK hotel by the Independent.

The Flashman room in the attic actually consists of two rooms linked by a doorway with a lintel so low Dudley Moore would have had to duck. The bathroom has a free-standing roll top bath and no shower. This might upset some people but I think it’s a nice touch.

Every bedroom has a different theme and all are decorated in bold, striking colours. The Kama Sutra room is probably the most exotic but apparently nymphomania is not a prerequisite for a reservation.

The restaurant makes a point of keeping things simple and does a good job of it too. Both dinner and breakfast are good and the ambience is certainly conducive to a good meal. Before or after dinner guests can have a drink in the front bar, which is basically the village pub.

During the shooting season there are special shooting party rates from Sunday to Thursday nights and there is a room for shooting lunches and dinners and drying cupboards for outdoor clothing. There is also safe storage for guns and, by arrangement, kennels for dogs.

On top of that guests can head off down to Longleat for a look around. The safari park is closed in the winter but there is still a chance of seeing the gorillas on their island, and of course of hearing the odd lion roar.


Tel. 01985 844308
www.batharms.co.uk