The Dairy House

The Dairy House is a detached, grade II listed ham-stone cottage tucked away in in the private parkland around Dillington House.

The house has many historic features that add to its charm, with mullioned windows, old oak beams and a wood-burning stove set into a huge fireplace.

A secluded garden cocoons the house and is one of its highlights, with bursting flowerbeds, interesting trees, a spacious lawn, a stone terrace and a wild woodland area, and there is a large garden room, so you can enjoy being surrounded by nature, whatever the weather. The garden also has a wood-fired hot-tub, from which you can lookout over the nearby parklands while you soak.

You are welcome to pick the fruit from our apple, pear and plum trees in the garden when they’re in season (you’ll also find basketloads of blackberries in the nearby hedges if they’re in season, which you’re welcome to pick). We also have a good sized climbing frame which kids are welcome to use (at your own risk).

The house has seven bedrooms, four in the main house and three in the “cowshed”, which is a converted barn a few yards from the main house, these can be setup differently depending on how many doubles / singles are required. And there are deep mattresses, 400 thread count cotton bedding, indulgent mattress toppers and fluffy bathrobes.

The open-plan kitchen / dining / living room feels warm and homely, despite it’s spaciousness. The dining table seats 16 and there is a wood-burning stove set into a large old fireplace surrounded by two sofas. There is also a large garden room conservatory overlooking the garden accessed directly from the kitchen.

A separate sitting room offers privacy or space to relax on the sofa in front of the large TV, and there is a utility room with washing facilities.

The Dairy House is full of character, but is modern and comfortable. Its private rural location makes it a great escape for those looking for a fix of space and countryside air, with plenty of pubs to walk / cycle to and things to see and do nearby. The convenient shopping in Ilminster is also not far away.

BEDROOMS

The house has seven bedrooms, four in the main house and three in the “cowshed”, which is a converted barn a few yards from the main house. 

In the main house, the master en-suite has a super-king sized wooden sleigh bed. Two of the other three bedrooms have zip & link beds that can be arranged as superking doubles or as twin singles, one of these is an en-suite and the other shares a bath / shower room with a bunk room also in the main house. The bunk room can accommodate three if needed, with one on a pull-out trundle bed kept under the bunk. The bunks are adult-sized beds, but do have slightly thinner mattresses.

The three bedrooms in the cowshed include two zip & link doubles that can also be setup as twins, one has an en-suite shower room, the other shares a bath / shower room with the third bedroom in the cowshed, which is another bunk accommodating two or three in the same way as the bunk in the main house.

LIVING AREAS

The house has a large open plan kitchen / dining / living room which combines modern designed furnishings with its traditional fixings, including stone mullioned windows, old oak beams and a beautiful old fireplace with a wood-burning stove.

The kitchen is modern and well equipped with two electric ovens, a large induction hob and kitchen island for prepping and serving, so cooks can indulge their passion. There is also a dishwasher and a separate utility room with washing facilities.

Just off the kitchen is a garden room / conservatory overlooking the garden, which is a great place to enjoy a morning coffee, but the dining table, which seats 16, is a better place to enjoy meals together – or while entertaining guests.

At the end of the kitchen / dining room there is also a living space, with comfortable sofas and a wood-burning stove set into a large stone fireplace, and next door there is a separate sitting room for those looking to relax with a little more privacy or in front of the TV.

The sitting room is equipped with a 55’’ flat-screen internet-connected TV with a Bluetooth sound-bar that can be used to play music / radio through the TV or from a Bluetooth device, or just envelop those who want to relax with a movie.

To the East the garden room looks out over, and opens out into, the spacious lawn and a beautiful garden, which is one of the highlights of the house. The garden is mature, with native and exotic trees that screen it from the surrounding parkland and create an incredibly calming cocoon around the house. For nature lovers and little explorers, there is also a private wild wooded area to the back of the garden, and there is a wood-fired hot-tub looking out over the nearby parkland.

To the South, accessed directly off the dining space, there is also a stone terrace complete with a teak outdoor dining table and chairs for enjoying outdoor meals in the warmer months.

SETTING & LOCAL AREA

The Dairy House is set in the parklands around Dillington House and offers guests total privacy and the benefit of being able to enjoy access to the park as well as the House’s garden itself.

Nearby there are several pubs, some within walking distance – like the Barrington Boar – others a little further, but worth cycling or driving to, such as the Dinnington Docks or Lord Poulett Arms.

Barrington House, a National Trust house with gardens open to the public, is nearby, as is Dillington House. The Dennis Chinaworks in Shepton Beauchamp are also very close and worth a visit, for the tea rooms as much as anything else.

There are several local cider producers whose orchards and presses are worth seeing, Perry’s Cider in Dowlish Wake being one, and Julian Temperley’s cider and cider brandy distillery over at Burrow Hill another.

A little further away the beach at Lyme Regis and walks along the Jurassic coastline are 40mins or so to the South, and the Hauser and Wirth gallery near Bruton is 40 mins or so to the East.

ACCESS

The Dillington Estate is very easily accessed by car just off the A303, and the house has private car parking space for four cars.

The train stations of Crewkerne (15 min drive), Castle Cary and Taunton (30 mins each) are all nearby..

Keys can be left at the house, so you can check-in at your convenience and the staff at the Dillington Estate are available to help with anything unexpected.