An arty stay in cider land: a brush with the Somerset countryside
A cosy cabin offers not just a place to stay but a chance to learn from local artists and discover the gentle, rolling landscape and its farm produce
Frost tints the landscape silver as we set up our easels in the watery morning sunlight. On the horizon is Burrow Hill, a gentle surge in the pancake-flat Somerset scene. Local artist Frances Watts talks me through how to mix colour palettes and then, with her help, I attempt to capture some of the wintry magic in oils.
I’d come to Kingsbury Episcopi, 20 minutes west of Yeovil, to stay in the new Craftsman’s Cabin, set in its own meadow on the edge of the Somerset Levels and Moors. Built by hand, the interior brims with work by artists from the area – some of Frances’ paintings hang on the walls. Those who stay can arrange an outdoor painting session, connecting more deeply with the pretty countryside and taking a keepsake home.
