Broomhill, North Devon, England

Faith Bleasdale

Faith Bleasdale discovers The Broomhill Hotel. Surrounded by nearly 300 sculptures in ten acres of gardens with a slow food restaurant.

When I moved back to North Devon, people suggested I should visit Broomhill to convince me of the area’s sophistication. Broomhill is a hotel with sculpture gardens and a lovely restaurant, so I booked lunch there unsure what to expect and was surprised by what I found.

Nestled in woodland, the hotel is surrounded by a stream. On arrival, the variety of sculptures dotted around the grounds is striking. (Actually, probably not “dotted” but carefully curated.) In fact, the ten-acre gardens – which attract an entry fee (£4.50 for adults) – house about 300 sculptures. Wear sensible shoes in order to enjoy the winding paths through the woodland.

After your walk, head indoors to sample the food. They advertise “slow food” as their ethos. I think their mission is also to respect local suppliers and serve authentic produce. The food is mainly Mediterranean; a full lunch or bar snacks. I recommend the tapas to share, either meat or vegetarian. In fact, their vegetarian menu is one of the best I have seen. The food is delicious, fresh and the menu offers a reasonable variety, which should suit everyone. A pre-booked three course lunch is £13.95, which includes a ticket to the sculpture gardens, and bar meals start at £4.25. They also have an art gallery inside which you can browse after lunch. Most things are for sale if you are in the mood for shopping.

The hotel itself is small, with just six bedrooms, but it also a great place for a function, a party, wedding, or conference, and they have facilities for all of these. You can pop in for a drink, or a Devon cream tea, and the late Victorian house which overlooks the gardens is a lovely setting.

Broomhill is a wonderful idea and it works because the food is so good, the art is interesting, and the sculptures on the whole impressive, (although some are a bit baffling), and the setting is gorgeous. The marriage of food and art is, in this case, a happy one.

Visit the website: http://www.broomhillart.co.uk

Faith Bleasdale

Faith Bleasdale grew up in Devon, studied History at Bristol University and then moved to London. After sampling a huge variety of jobs, she decided that she would put her passion for writing to good use. She has lived in London, Bristol, Brighton, and Singapore but moved home to Devon, which is where she grew up to have her son. Her son, who is the light of her life, has Down’s Syndrome and Autism so a big passion of Faith's is working for awareness and acceptance. She writes fiction under her own name and also Rachel Wells. As Rachel Wells she is the author of the Alfie The Doorstep Cat Series. She writes full time.

All Posts