FIRST IMPRESSION: 4.5/5

This quintessential Somerset village is filled with cottages boasting mullion windows and stone-tiled roofs and begs to be lazily explored.

The George Inn & Plaine, housed within a Grade I listed building, is no stranger to the High Street and fits the bill perfectly thanks to its rich history. you’ll find it hard not to fall in love with this 700-year-old inn.

Imagine staying in a 700-year old coach inn. You enter through a cozy bar with low darken heavy beams, uneven creaky wooden floors, and roaring fires burning long into the night. Peering outback, take in the ancient galleried courtyard where travelers once tied their horses while they’d rest their bones for a pint.

The bar area is fantastic with its open fire and large windows. It’s especially cozy in the dark, winter months.

FOOD & DRINK: 4/5

Sample from the menu: Scottish smoked salmon on a toasted muffin with capers, sour cream and dill. Perhaps follow with seared duck with glazed turnips and a honey, brandy and peppercorn sauce with mash, or pan-fried chicken served on a fricassee of bacon, leeks and mushrooms, with creamy white wine sauce and buttery new potatoes. They say the proof is in the pudding, and the homemade banana and rum crumble with a dollop of clotted cream and sticky toffee pudding with ice cream both prove that this is one of Somerset’s best-kept secrets. Traditional Sunday lunches are available for an end-of-week treat.

ROOM & SERVICE: 4/5

I love their characterful bedrooms with beams and antique furniture. At night, you lay in bed wondering what stories do these walls keep? Who crossed the threshold of this room you find yourself settling in for the night? I lay in bed wondering aloud these questions while we drifted to sleep to the joyful and drunken murmurs of the people below in what was once a dungeon.

I’ve stayed here many times over the years and it is always a pleasure to stay here. I usually prefer to eat dinners elsewhere but always enjoy a drink in the bar area.

Rooms starting at £89 night

Family-Friendly?

Yes! They have roll away cots. Make sure to let them know in advance.

The George Inn & Plaine

High Street, Norton St Philip, BA2 7LH