Somerset has another standout country pub
With Hauser and Wirth, Osip, Holm and The Newt all opening up in the area around Bruton, this little corner of Somerset has become something of a hotspot in recent years. And the latest hot ticket to tempt Londoners down is The Three Horseshoes, a beautifully restored 17th century inn that has none other than Margot Henderson at the helm.
The pub is located in the tiny village of Batcombe, just north of Bruton. There’s nothing much more here than a lovely church and the pub, but it’s a supremely peaceful spot, surrounded by fields and rolling hills. Despite the lack of headline attractions, it’s well worth strolling through the village and fantasy house hunting some of the gorgeous houses.

The Three Horseshoes is now owned by antiques dealer Max Wigram and he enlisted an all-star team to transform the place. There’s Margot leading the kitchen of course, with St John alumnus Nye Smith as head chef, plus Frances Penn, a local interior designer who helped design the five bedrooms, and Libby Russell, who’s created some beautiful landscaped gardens.
Inside, the pub is roughly split into three, with a bar area, a casual dining room, and a more formal dining room complete with white tablecloths and candles. There’s whitewashed walls, old wooden ceiling beams, and heavy flagstone floors, and the place is filled with antiques and old paintings. We can imagine it’s the perfect cosy pub in winter but as we were lucky to be visiting in summer on a hot day, we spent most of our time outside in the pub gardens surrounded by wildflowers and sampling the local cider.
There’s a short bar snack menu available in the front bar (think epic cheese toasties and fried sardines) but most people arriving for lunch or dinner are here for the full experience. We sat down outside for fresh simple starters of beetroot with watercress and a hard boiled egg; cured trout with crunchy kohlrabi and mustard; and big chunks of bread and butter, both of which are made just down the road at Landrace Bakery and Westcombe Dairy respectively.



For mains, a perfect chicken and ham pie that was probably big enough for two (but happily enjoyed by one greedy writer). Admittedly not the most summery of dishes but it’s hard to turn down a pie from a Henderson. More in keeping with the warm summer evening was skate wing with roast tomatoes and monks beard, accompanied by dripping fries and spring greens.
For dessert we retreated to the bar for ricotta cheesecake, a glass of Somerset Brandy, and a game of Scrabble, as the locals poured in for post-cricket pints.
Upstairs are five surprisingly big bedrooms. We were in No.4 overlooking the pub garden, a long room in the eaves filled with antique furniture like a large wooden wardrobe, and an old writing desk, and vintage bird prints and artworks on the wall. For relaxing, there’s a big sofa by the window and a huge super king-size bed, piled high with comfy cushions and blankets. In the bathroom there’s both a shower and a big soaking tub (each of the rooms has a bathtub), plus lovely Wildsmith products. There’s tea and coffee in each room, plus a communal stash of snacks in the hallway for guests to help themselves – think scampi fries and crisps galore.
Breakfast is served in the more casual dining room for hotel guests only in the morning. There’s homemade granola and yogurt with fresh stewed fruits; huge slabs of toast butter and jam; and eggs with roasted tomatoes and a big pile of streaky bacon. This being Somerset, there’s also lots of local apple juices and even shots of apple cider vinegar to get you started.


Before you leave, it’s well worth walking the mile or so down the road to Westcombe where you’ll find the Westcombe Dairy. Here, you can stock up on all their brilliant cheeses and homemade charcuterie before heading back to London. We actually just carried on walking from here all the way back into Bruton which is an easy enough walk but the road does get quite busy with cars towards the end.
The Three Horseshoes is yet another new country pub with excellent food and smart design. The peaceful location is another plus so if you’re feeling the need for an escape from London, this beauty of a pub is well worth the journey.
Batcombe, Shepton Mallet BA4 6HE
thethreehorseshoesbatcombe.co.uk