Restaurant The Bath Arms
There’s a lot more to the Longleat Estate than a bunch of lions, as DERI ROBINS discovers
T here is a corner of these local
fields that will be forever England. Lord Bath will see to that. Horningsham is everyone’s
idea of an unspoiled English village. Roofs of thatched cottages are just visible over lush hedgerows, while its gentle hills support a populace of peaceful grazing sheep. And it’s likely to stay that way, for the good reason that the whole shooting match belongs to the aforementioned 7th Marquess, who resides next door at Longleat, and who has a very precise idea of what rural England should be like. In the heart of the village stands The Bath
Arms. At first glance, it’s your quintessential, creeper-clad English hostelry; scratch the surface, however, and you’ll find a likeable vein of eccentricity. The inn was originally built for the Longleat estate workers, but is now in the hands of Hillbrooke Hotels, a chain which describes its brand as ‘quirky luxury’. In fact, the promotional material bangs on about this quirkiness to a degree that had us feeling mildly apprehensive, but fortunately this simply translates into a pleasing interior of cheerful eclecticism, a preternaturally helpful staff, and a huge portrait of Lord Bath dominating the dining room – dressed as a rajah, as you do.
Park, next door. Lured by the prospect of the winter game
menu, Your Man and I checked in on a late Sunday afternoon, which afforded us just enough time to wander around Lord Bath’s gaff before pre-dinner drinks – the safari park, with its famous lions and monkeys is pricey, but the grounds are free. Your Man was naturally gutted to learn that we had narrowly missed an appearance from popsters McFly, who’d popped by recently to turn on the Longleat lights. A glance at the list of food
“Everything is locally sourced; always a good sign”
You can, of course, simply come for dinner
or lunch – and I can promise that you won’t be disappointed – but it’s worth noting that the Bath Arms also has a number of delightful, boutiquey bedrooms, and that they do all kinds of good-value packages – some including passes to Longleat Safari
36 Salisbury Life
www.mediaclash.co.uk
suppliers on the website reveals that everything is locally sourced; always a good sign. Refreshingly, even though chef Chris Gregory worked at the illustrious Lucknam Park, the Bath Arms’s philosophy is not to reach for the (Michelin)
stars, but to aim at top-notch, crowd- pleasing, honest-to- goodness British food. “We don’t do towers and drizzles, and we
don’t do fusion or even Mediterranean,” it says, firmly. What it does do is embrace time- honoured preserving methods, along with an enthusiastic use of game. Propping up the
bar during our visit was a chap clad in full tweedy shooting regalia; we wondered if he’d bagged any of the beasties on the menu that night. As well as the game menu, we were offered
the (excellent) standard menu, but we’d come for game and it was game we chose. My salad of partridge and black pudding
was far lighter than it sounds; the bird was tender and moist, beetroot added a refreshing tangy sweetness, but I would have welcomed the addition of a sauce. Your Man’s game sausage transpired to be a tender beast tamed with sweet apple gel; it made a hearty starter. My mains of venison (pictured) was the
highlight of the night. This deer was at the top of its game, packed with flavour, served blushingly pink and with its juices seeping irresistibly into an apple rosti; the perfect choice for the new season, though I could have handled a more substantial dollop of the parsnip purée. Your Man’s roast pheasant was pretty as a picture, the meat stacked Jenga-fashion on top of winter greens, with a colourful swirl of butternut squash. Friendly, note-perfect service and a
chatty, friendly ambience made this a wholly enjoyable evening. We’d strongly recommend you give the Bath Arms a whirl and get yourself over to Longleat – even if you aren’t a fan of lions. SL
Visiting details
Opening hours Seven days a week; 12-2.30 lunch, 6.30-9 (late orders) for dinner Prices Game menu: (one to three courses) £18.50, £23.50, £28.50 Child friendly? They are positively encouraged; whether or not this is a good thing depends on your POV Vegetarian choice Not much on the game menu, admittedly; but other options are available Disabled access Good Service/atmosphere Very relaxed, friendly but highly professional staff The Bath Arms Horningsham, Warminster 0844 8150099;
batharms.co.uk
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