We decided to go away for my birthday this year, as it’s only really the three of us at home now, so we thought we would go somewhere to do nothing for a couple of days, other than perhaps a little walking, reading and sitting around with booze. Oh and food.
I had looked around and came across a place called the Queens Arms in a little place called Corton Denham. I think I came across it from TravelZoo, but I got in touch directly and arrange a two night trip from the Sunday until the Tues. This was three of us, two nights, breakfast and a seven course taster on one night – all for 240 quid. Bargain.
The plan was that we could take a walk on the Monday from the pub across the wilderness and to a pub in the next village, then have lunch and come back. Little did we know this weekend was to be “the worse storms in Britain (since the last big wind)…
Clocks went back on the Sunday morning, so we had plenty of time to get ready and out of the door just after 9:00 for the initial stage which was down the M5 to Bridgewater and then to a place called Street. IN Street there is a shopping center where they have outlet stores with discounts from loads of major retailers, such as Barbour, M+S, Le Cruseat, Timberland etc etc its called “Clarkes Village”, and it is pretty much the town center of Street. I am not a true fn of shopping, but this is great. Its clean and reasonably quiet if you get there early, and loads of things to see, and bargains to be had. I got a Barbour coat, some T-shirts and some chocolate – all with a good percentage off what you would pay on the interweb. So we spent some time here, and left sometime around lunchtime.
After a little bit of faffing to find a petrol station – where I was robbed my the sly pump which only had “super-dooper” unleaded and 10 pence a litre more than the regular stuff, we made our way down multiple back roads to Corton Denham, and very luckily into the only parking space around the pub. It was slightly confusing getting in, and it was rammed. I managed to get the bar tenders attention, and he basically said we had no chance to move in until 3, it was around 1:30 – so we nabbed a table, and got some beers in – the relax had begun.
The place was frantic until about 3:00, when we noticed some of the bar staff set off to make up our room, and we enjoyed a fresh, very lovely pork pie from the bar and quoffed a couple more ales. Once the room was ready we moved the bags into it, had a quick look around and went back to the bar for extras. The room was a decent size, even with the “Z” bed, it had oldish heavy, dark wood furniture and a big old fashioned free standing bath and shower and ginormous sink. Really good all in all. So back in the bar we played some games, read some books and drank some Amstel. Quite surprisingly the bar man kept reusing my beer glass, until after about 5 I did ask him for a clean one, as this one was holding less ale due to the white scummy residue around the sides. I had a scare from a dog who went mental at me, just out of the blue barked like a dog possessed, until it was taken out, then when it came back it growled a little then STFU.
We had some really good nosh for supper, and very reasonably priced – Burger for me, game pudding and chicken nuggets for the ladies. We went to bed expecting the hurricane, full and dizzy.
Next day was my birthday, so I celebrated by having a full English. It was great, nice bacon, tasty haggis, fat and meaty sausage, nice fresh bread for toast, but crappy unsalted butter. We still stole half the breakfast rooms butters though – they give you such a tiny amount ;o) After breakfast and after checking that actually the hurricane was a bit of a let down, we tooled up and set out for our walk.
It was windy, and a little rainy, but in all it was a very nice walk – across and through undulating countryside, with some terrific views. It was reasonably well signposted until we came to a farmers field, so we kept to the edge, and then found ourselves at the bottom next to a new fence with no sign as to where the walk had gone. So we figured we would climb the fence and keep out of his field. Unfortunately for me a miserable twat on a horse happened by at that very point, and patronizingly told me what an idiot I was to not realise that this isn’t the way the walk goes and that we should have gone right across the field diagonally. Why do these country tossers have to be so awful? Anyway we found our way out, then across another field we lost the route and didn’t really know where we were. So we headed back along the road and finally got back to where we would have been if we had jumped the fence. We then headed for South Cadbury, which is apparently not the home of chocolate, but of King Arthur’s Camelot.
We climbed the hill to Camelot and found ourselves at the top, of a hill, with no castle. There was a plaque shaped like a well, which we climbed on.
Back down after the disappointment of the legendary Camelot (to be honest we sort of knew there would be nothing there, and after all Camelot is “such a silly place” ), we were met with disappointment squared then cubed. They had only closed the only pub for miles. We got there and it didn’t really look open, so we went in anyway, as there was noise, and the new landlord told us he was shut. The previous landlord had left the night before, and he was not opening until the 1st. Bugger. The next nearest pub was in the next village, but was closed on a Monday, as was the “coffee shop”. Bugger. So parched and cross we were told the only other pub was “The Queens Arms” – the pub we had left some hours before. Bugger. We walked the road – 3 miles back. Not happy bunnies.
The pub was pretty full when we got there so we headed off into Sherborne, which is supposed to be the prettiest town in the world or something, but isn’t (I thought I had blogged this before – but it appears I didn’t?) they were filming there, and we went to the White Hart pub and had a weird toasted sandwich. Then back to the pub now that the lunch rush was over. Opened my presents, I was very spoilt yet again, and down for a couple of beers and ready for our taster at seven.
Supper was fan-tast-ic. We have had a couple of tasting menus and they have all been not great, this one was.
Started off with slices of fried Chorizo and scallops – not alot but tasty. Then A thing like a scotch egg, but with black pudding inside, that was ace, and the sause and even the tiny peas – lovely. Then we had Risotto which was shit, mainly because it reminds me of sick and I just cannot swallow it. It was a wild mushroom one, so I ate them. Then the most tasteful sorbet I have ever had, it tasty exactly like a strawberry opal fruit – a bit much but really good. Then we had duck with onion puree and straw potatoes – great, great, great – oh and a carrot, which I left. Then we had cheese, which was small and sufficient, and the cheddar was fabulous. Then to finish some Panacotta, three of them, each with a topping, the blackcurrant was the most intense blackcurrant taste <clarkson> in the world </clarkson>, the apple was light and nice and the mango was a bit mongo, but the underneath was okay.
It was really, really good and I enjoyed it all, expect for the nobly sick. Great value, great place, very nice people – wonderful. I would recommend it to anyone – and that doesn’t happen very often.
Place – 8/10
Food – 9/10