The story of
Dunkery Beacon
Country House
Seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients, an exclusive wine list, beautiful moorland views and luxury home from home comforts.
Our accommodation epitomises the best in British country house sophistication. As hands-on owners Andy and Tanya Downes will greet you on arrival and oversee every aspect of your stay from housekeeping to breakfast service to advice on walks, as well as recommended places to vist and eat.
Andy & Tanya
The current owners Andy and Tanya Downes purchased Dunkery Beacon Country House in November 2022 with a focus on offering high quality bed & breakfast accommodation in a wonderful part of West Somerset. For almost thirty years Andy worked in London as an analyst and investment consultant before taking redundancy in 2021. Tanya had a career in human resource management before focusing on the upbringing of our two children who are now focused on their own careers. It was therefore an appropriate time for us to embark on a change of direction and fulfil our aspiration of owning and managing a guest house.
Recent awards
Our most recent award-wins include picking up Bronze in both the Small Hotel/Boutique Accommodation of the Year 2019/20 category and Restaurant/Bistro of the Year 2019/20 category at the Bath, Bristol & Somerset Tourism Excellence Awards held in Bristol last November.
Our garden
We’re committed to supporting as many local suppliers as possible and source vegetables and fruit from the back gardens and plots of various villagers wishing to share their spare crops. We grow our own too and have two large raised beds in our garden for vegetables and salads.
Our food ethos
We’re passionate about using quality local suppliers, in addition to our own produce, to create an imaginative food offer, while also providing a consistently high standard of accommodation with a focus on attention to detail and continually working to enhance our guests overall experience.
Coleridge Restaurant
Our former public bar was refurbished and re-launched in March 2014 as the award-winning Coleridge Restaurant, which offers modern English and international dishes, Wednesday to Saturday evening and lunch on Sundays. The restaurant is open to both non-residents and residents.
[Closed as of November 2022]
Renovations
Since taking over in March 2012, John and Jane have moved through the public rooms to the eight double and twin bedrooms and bathrooms, updating both the décor and furnishings, while retaining the character of the property and its period features.
John & Jane
John and Jane Bradley purchased the hotel in March 2012, with John having been a leading chef for nearly 30 years and Jane previously working at leading London wine merchants Berry Bros. & Rudd for 15 years.
Spy hideaway
In the 1960s, our hotel was supposedly a safe house and training centre for intelligence staff. We’ve been told people were sent by MI6 to learn survival techniques on the moor. Colonel Purvis Smythe, who ran the hotel at the time, reputedly also worked for MI6.
History
Built originally around 1900 as a hunting lodge with 20 single rooms for male guests only, our hotel is quintessentially a British country abode. Those who visited in the Edwardian era went shooting, hunting and fishing and would have bagged prey that was then cooked for their supper.