My First Visit To The English Countryside
Wedmore, Mark, Somerset England
This past December I was lucky enough to get to visit the English Countryside with Christopher, whose family is born and raised. Not only did I get to explore the beauty of the countryside, but I also had the chance to meet Christopher's family for the first time. His family’s home base is in Wedmore and Mark, two charming little towns that perfectly embody the quintessential English countryside. I flew into the Bristol Airport from Newark New Jersey, with a 4-hour layover in Dublin Ireland. The total travel time to get to Bristol from Newark was about 12 hours. This was my first time flying abroad on my own, as Christopher was already in England a week before I was able to head over. I was worried about the layover and finding my connecting flight in Dublin, but the process was smooth and simple. When you land in Dublin, You have to go through customs and find your new terminal where you will load onto a small bus that will take you right to the plane. Then you will load onto the plane directly from the tarmac. The plane from Dublin to Bristol is a small hopper plane, which was something I had never experienced before. The flight was quick and easy and I landed in Bristol around 10 am.
Where We Stayed
One of the highlights of our time in Wedmore was dining and our stay at The George Inn. The George Inn is an ancient coaching inn and one of the oldest and most prominent buildings in Wedmore.
The inn recently underwent a renovation and had just reopened right before we visited, the sleeping quarters of the Inn were still under renovation and not yet open to the public. The George had a great feeling of old-world charm and it was unlike any inn I had stayed at before. The downstairs consisted of a lobby and a great dining room where you can grab a meal at any time of the day. They also have a perfectly English sunken pub with some of the best drinks in town. We visited the bar almost every night during our stay in Wedmore. Upstairs there is another larger party room and all of the rooms in the Inn. Which have all just been re-done and are in perfect shape for a great night’s stay.
It was Christopher’s birthday while we were on our trip, so his family planned a big surprise party at The George Inn, in one of their larger dining rooms upstairs. It was a perfect night, his whole family had come to celebrate, and we had great drinks (I think this was one of the best espresso martinis I had ever had), the food was delicious (they even had a great vegetarian pasta option for me) and the staff was so friendly and helpful.
Christopher’s mum even surprised us with a room at the Inn for the night, and it turned out that we were one of the first guests to stay since the remodel. The owner had even made a point to come and find us to ask what we would like for breakfast since we would be the only guests staying that night.
The room at The George was clean and quaint, the room had just been freshly re-painted and redecorated and it was perfect. It felt like we had just stepped back into a storybook and we were one of the first to experience it. We enjoyed their delicious meals so much that we ate there multiple times during our stay. Everything about The George was perfect and I would stay here time and time again. I highly recommend booking here if you are in the area.
Another great dining experience was at The Packhorse Inn. The inn offers a lovely country-style dining experience, complete with a roaring fireplace and comfortable seating. The food was fresh and flavorful, and the portions were generous.
For breakfast, we visited Ollie's Cafe, a quaint little cafe located in Wedmore. The cafe has a warm and welcoming atmosphere, and the food is simple but delicious. We enjoyed the freshly baked pastries and strong cafè americano, a perfect way to start our day.
A travel tip for all the Americans: If you order waffles or pancakes like those pictured below, do not ask for maple syrup as they will have no idea what you mean… My waffles were served with a butterscotch sauce and double cream.
While in the Mark area, we couldn't pass up the chance to visit Rich's Cider, a local cider producer. The family-run business has been producing cider for over 60 years, and we were lucky enough to sample some of its delicious offerings. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, and we left with a few bottles of their best cider to take home.
We were also told by a few of the locals to visit Wilkins Cider Farm in Mudgley. This place was for sure one for the books. At Wilkins, we were able to make a donation in exchange for their one-of-a-kind Cider. You are essentially just visiting their large workshop in the farm, where you will find the locals hanging out and playing cards.
While Wedmore was our home base, we decided to take a few day trips to check out some of the surrounding towns such as Bath, Cheddar, and Glastonbury as well as a weekend family trip to Torquay, Dartmouth, and Lyme Regis.
The area around Wedmore and Mark was beautiful and unlike anything you will ever see here in America. Everyone must visit the English Countryside at least once in their life.
