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THE GREAT GARDEN ESCAPE TO THE NEWT IN SOMERSET

July 13thSomerset

July 2019 – This summer, celebrate all things Somerset aboard ‘The Great Garden Escape to The Newt in Somerset’ – a glorious day trip in a first of its kind partnership with Great Western Rail, taking guests from London by First-Class rail deep into the West Country to discover this year’s most exciting country estate and garden opening.

Every weekend from 13 July to 27 October, a designated first-class carriage will pick guests up from London Paddington to take them on scenic journey to the sweeping vistas of Somerset, arriving at Castle Cary station to then spend the day exploring the estate’s beautifully designed gardens. The day trip will include guided tours, talks, traditional cyder tastings, and delicious meals en-route and at The Newt. It is the perfect day out for garden and foodie lovers alike, with visitors able to sample the very best Somerset has to offer, from the freshest apple juice to inventive dishes that showcase the seasonal vegetables from The Newt in Somerset’s own kitchen garden.

The Newt in Somerset is a newly-restored historic country estate near Bruton. In May 2019, it opened its beautifully cultivated gardens, designed by renowned landscape artist Patrice Taravella, a cyder press, restaurants, farm and house and garden shops to the public. A 23-room hotel and spa will open to guests in September 2019. With a focus on all things local to celebrate the history and heritage of Somerset, the historic estate and gardens have been lovingly transformed by Karen Roos, the owner of the award-winning hotel and gardens, Babylonstoren, in South Africa’s Franschhoek valley.

The Great Garden Escape to The Newt in Somerset:

~ 07:40 on Saturday / 09:15 on Sunday – Arrive at London Paddington and embark on the day’s adventure in the Great Western Railway First Class Lounge. Meet the team before being escorted to the specially designated first class carriage for the day.

~ 08:35 on Saturday / 10:03 on Sunday – Depart London Paddington and enjoy a full English breakfast service onboard as the train makes its way out of the city and into the countryside.

~ Arrive into Castle Cary station to be met by The Newt in Somerset’s team and be driven the short distance to the estate.

~ Meet one of The Newt’s expert gardening team and be taken on a guided tour of one of the UK’s most ambitious gardening projects to date. With the gardens taking centre stage, visitors will be led on a journey through time, experiencing various phases of gardening history: from a Baroque maze to a Victorian fragrance garden and greenhouse, an authentic cottage garden to modern water gardens and rooms of colour. The guides will take visitors on a gardening journey through time stopping to pick, taste, smell and touch the different fruit and vegetables growing in the gardens.

~ Pause for refreshment and sample the estate’s freshly made apple juice or have a coffee in The Greenhouse, which houses a special collection of exotic plants and ferns, before exploring the surrounding woodland walks, deer park. The Parabola Walled Garden is at the very core of the garden, an apple tree maze with 460 apple trees of 267 varieties, the largest national collection of apple trees in the country.

~ Enjoy a delicious lunch of freshly picked fare, local meats and cheeses in the glass-walled Garden Café overlooking the orchard and vegetable garden below. Standout dishes include local braised beef and roasted cauliflower from the gardens.

~ Browse the carefully curated Farm Shop and House & Garden Shop, featuring artisanal products from the best local producers in the south west.

~ End the day with a fascinating tour and cyder tasting at The Cyder Press Bar. Here, visitors will learn about the traditional cyder-making process in The Newt’s state-of-the-art cyder press and cellar, from growing and pruning trees to harvesting, pressing, fermenting and bottling.

~ Catch the 17:51 – early evening train back to London Paddington and enjoy a delicious light supper and a selection of Babylonstoren wines or The Newt in Somerset’s own cyder on board before arriving back into London at 19:30.

HOW: The Great Garden Escape to The Newt in Somerset is priced at £285pp and the package includes First Class same-day rail travel from London Paddington to Castle Cary, transfers to and from The Newt, guided tours of the gardens, talks, breakfast and supper made aboard the train, lunch in the Garden Café and cyder tastings.

The service will operate on weekends from 13 July – 27 October 2019

Bookings via [email protected] or 01963 577777

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SIBBJÄNS ARRIVES ON GOTLAND, SWEDEN

February 2nd

SIBBJÄNS ARRIVES ON GOTLAND, SWEDEN

SIBBJÄNS ARRIVES ON GOTLAND, SWEDEN

A REGENERATIVE FARM STAY SHAPED BY SEASONS, FRIENDSHIP AND CRAFTSMANSHIP

Sweden

Sibbjäns began quietly, the combined dream of Jonas Nordlander and Sanna Rönn, who with close friends and many meaningful couples Pontus and Kina Zeidler share a life between Stockholm and Gotland. Over the past four years, they have steadily transformed this former horse farm into a regenerative stay that feels singular to anywhere else in Scandinavia.

After a soft opening in 2025 for friends and family, the farm stay now enters 2026 as its first full season, opening more intentionally to a like-minded global community drawn to nature, food, and thoughtful design.

 

A PLACE TO REST

 

22 individually designed rooms sit across the Hotel and ‘The Bunkhouse,’ each named after important women in the family and among their friends. Adorned with classic Scandi touches of sheepskin throws, limewashed walls, soft palettes, and contemporary art, the spaces are designed for comfort.

Buildings are framed by wildflowers and constructed using traditional methods, much of the work completed by hand, with local craftsmanship central to the process. Architect Maja Berg has been a key contributor, working alongside Erik Larsson, a Master of Gotlandic Craft Heritage, who built some of the original buildings himself and continues to pass on traditional building knowledge to the next generation.

THE KITCHEN FOLLOWS THE FARM

At the heart of Sibbjäns is a working farm home to hens, Mangalitza pigs, horses, and sheep, with agriculture guiding both the kitchen and the guest experience.

In the gardens, lead gardener and local Karin Winarve brings a quiet hand to what thrives here across meadows, vegetable beds, and fruit-growing plots. Produce is grown on-site and harvested seasonally, forming the backbone of a true farm-to-table approach—one that pauses entirely during the winter months when the land rests.

 

EXPERIENCES & ‘VIKING WELLNESS’

New for the 2026 season, wellbeing at Sibbjäns is restorative rather than prescriptive. Inspired by Nordic traditions and the physicality of outdoor life, the evolving wellness offering includes:

  • A hand-built yoga barn

  • A wood-fired sauna

  • An outdoor gym

  • Recreational spaces

  • The beginnings of what will become one of the world’s most beautiful tennis courts.

The surrounding landscape invites guests to engage with nature on its own terms, from cycling or horse riding across open farmland to kitesurfing along Gotland’s windswept coastline (widely regarded as one of the finest spots in Europe for the sport). This is ‘Viking wellness’ in spirit—elemental, grounding, and quietly transformative.

 

SWEDEN’S ‘SUNSHINE ISLAND’

Gotland is Sweden’s sunniest destination, known for its distinctive light, limestone landscapes, and strong ‘right to roam’ ethos. Open from Easter through to Christmas and closed entirely during the dark winter months, Sibbjäns follows the natural calendar rather than resisting it.

Reaching it is part of the journey:

  • A short flight from Stockholm to the island’s capital of Visby, followed by a drive across the island.

  • A ferry crossing that reinforces the sense of arrival somewhere distinct and deliberately unhurried.

  • For those preferring a more direct approach, arrival by helicopter is also possible.

At its core, Sibbjäns remains a place for friends old and new built slowly, grounded in nature, and designed to endure.

BRENNERS PARK-HOTEL & SPA REOPENS AFTER LANDMARK RENOVATION

November 5th

BRENNERS PARK-HOTEL & SPA REOPENS AFTER LANDMARK RENOVATION

A New Chapter Begins as Europe’s Legendary Grand Hotel Returns

Alive with the Spirit of the Black Forest and the Cultural Pulse of Baden-Baden

Germany

Following a meticulous two-year transformation, Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa, the original grande dame of the Oetker Hotels portfolio, proudly reopens its doors – ushering in a revitalised era of timeless hospitality and contemporary finesse.
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