Something old, something new: Bittescombe Lodge

With its beautiful pastoral location and plush, hedonistic interior, Bittescombe Lodge might just be your new favourite country-estate getaway

Travel and Wellbeing 8 Mar 2023

Bittescombe Lodge

Bittescombe Lodge

It’s said that working in the City arms you with transferable skills and a permanent beady eye for a money-making opportunity. But even someone with the gold-plated City credentials of Richard Campbell-Breeden (Goldman Sachs and Julius Baer) would be forgiven for not spotting the potential in a chaotic jumble of decaying agricultural buildings tucked away in the folds of a steep Somerset valley, far from Bruton’s trendy artistic bustle or touristy, picturesque Frome.

Richard and his wife Samantha, with their five children, had a home in Somerset already and five years ago bought some extra land adjoining it. What they hadn’t seen were the barns on that land. ‘They were a mess,’ explains Samantha. ‘Three huge barns, all broken-down concrete and corrugated iron. To cap it all there was a stinking slurry pit. We couldn’t even seethe view for the buildings at that stage.’

Slowly they began demolishing some of the buildings to see the lie of the land, and once they saw how beautiful the view was, their vision took shape. Inspired by the remote setting that could be straight out of a Thomas Hardy novel, they imagined a centre for many sporting activities, but no-one then could have foreseen the palatial pleasure dome the site was to become as Bittescombe Lodge.

Before attending INSEAD, Richard had gained a BSc in mechanical engineering at Bristol University, so with an engineer’s insistence on precision, he had the entire site measured, and commissioned a joinery shop to be built to his specifications as he began putting pen to paper.

One of the individually designed bedrooms at Bittescombe Lodge
One of the individually designed bedrooms at Bittescombe Lodge

Five years later, the result is a fully staffed estate complete with deer park, available for private hire, and offering a range of outdoor pursuits. This might not sound so out of the ordinary, and indeed, to arrive at the rather austere farm buildings is to experience a twinge of doubt. The view is beautiful, yes, but is this really something so unusual? But then step inside and you are confronted by a bold vision of such exuberant Baroque opulence that it defies all expectations. This is an interior exuding swagger, humour and outrageously lush comfort in equal measures. It comprises 10 individually designed en suite bedrooms, spa, pool, gym and entertainment areas that cry out for a lavish party.

The grand dining area at Bittescombe Lodge is defined by exuberant Baroque opulence
The grand dining area at Bittescombe Lodge is defined by exuberant Baroque opulence

Richard has built the bones while Samantha has created the décor, and here she has come into her own, furnishing it with luscious fabrics, antiques from a family home in France and very good paintings. ‘As we built from scratch and it’s devoted entirely to provide the utmost in hedonism and comfort, there was no limit to what we could do,’ she explains. ‘We could raise the roof if we wanted. And whether it’s my grandmother’s Spanish riding boots, which guests can still borrow today, a painting or a ram’s head mounted on the wall, every piece means something to us as a family. Bittescombe has a living presence, imbuing the place with soul and character, and all authentic to the countryside around it.’

Activities on offer are shooting (including clays), fishing, riding, hiking and there is an entire barn dedicated to racquets that includes a padel court. Guides, yoga teachers, masseuses and personal trainers are available.

Food and drink are locally sourced, including rare wines, ciders and spirits, while much of the food is grown at Bittescombe itself and imaginatively transformed into delicious creations by chef Richard Picard-Edwards.

‘It’s better than my own house,’ insists Samantha. ‘That’s what makes it so extraordinary and special. Bittescombe is a home from home, and our staff are there to cherish guests and provide them with whatever they feel like.’

bittescombe.com