Gold winners in the 2022 Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards. Step back into the Middle Ages
Reviews
Take a look at our recent reviews for The Oval Dunster.
The Oval: “The perfect match of old-world charm with modern convenience…”
Carolyn, Judith, Bec and Marc and Mikkie the dog, May 2022
“The fact we have been staying at The Oval since 2015 says it all. We absolutely love it and wouldn’t change a thing. Despite being regular visitors, Lucy and the team always go that extra mile to make us feel really welcome. The tea try and selection of goodies are always just lovely! The weather has been very good to us this Easter (as always) which has made Dunster even more beautiful. We love Dunster Castle, the kids had a great time doing the Easter Egg Trail around the grounds. We all enjoyed cream teas in the sunshine at both Cobblestone and Tessa’s as well as picnics on Dunster Beach. The Foresters Arms remains out favourite with good pub grub and a friendly team. Walking the dog (who’s called Dunster!) is an absolute pleasure as there are so many lovely walks on your doorstep. The ‘Little Book of Walks’ written by Lucy and left in the cottage always comes in handy. We already booked for Easter 2023 but hope to squeeze in another visit in between. Many thanks Lucy and your wonderful team!”
Team Foster and Dunster the Dog, April 2022
“My husband and I spent five glorious days at The Oval. We thoroughly enjoyed visiting Dunster Castle as well as dinner and lunch at The Luttrell Arms and Reeves Restaurant in the village. The Oval is a truly lovely place to stay, we lacked for nothing. We were also blessed with beautiful sunny days. Roger and I will definitely return.”
Roger and Laura Phillips, March 2022
“What a privilege to have been able to stay in this beautiful and historic house…but it’s not really a ‘house’, it’s a home-from-home. Thank you for all the thought that you have put into it to make it so comfortable and welcoming – everything has been considered. We came mainly to rest, relax and perhaps do a bit of stargazing. We rested, we relaxed, and we even managed to squeeze in an hour of stargazing between the clouds – not bad for February/March! We loved the Tall Trees Trail at Nutcombe Bottom – such a peaceful area and good for a rainy day as the trees provide excellent shelter from the elements. We loved the food at The Luttrell Arms opposite the Yarn Market – a lovely atmosphere and there were lots of dogs to say hello to! Thank you so much for a lovely week away, we have loved being here!
Kirsty and Trevor, March 2022
“Our first stay at The Oval, what a great cosy cottage with loads of character, authentic oak timbers and uneven floors to add to its charm. Our four-year-old grandson loved exploring. It is well-equipped, clean and comfortable. Places we enjoyed were the Dunster Circular Walk, Minehead, the Valley of Rocks, Blue Anchor Beach, Watchet, Lynton and Lynmouth – and not forgetting Exmoor and the ponies! We had a lovely stay and thoroughly recommend The Oval. Thank you, Lucy and Gail, for your help and advice and the little extras.”
Jean and Tony Dyer, February 2022
“We were so looking forward to this trip as we had planned to visit for last New Year but it was cancelled due to Covid. Thanks to Lucy who made it really easy to move the booking to this year instead. We have had a great second visit and found the cottage to be as well-equipped and welcoming as before. Highlights have included visiting Dunkery Beacon, the tall trees trail at Nutcombe Bottom and Conygar Tower. The village looked beautiful with its Christmas decorations up and it has been lovely to spend another week in Dunster. Thank you so much to all the team.”
Stuart, Sarah, Sue, Maddie and Ewan, and Bella and Doris the dogs, January 2022
“Our first stay at The Oval cottage. What a fabulous place! Well-equipped and cost, such a great place to spend Christmas. Lots of picturesque walks right on our doorstep. The week has just flown by. Thank you, Lucy and the team, for making our stay so special. Wishing you all a Happy New Year.”
Jane, Ian and Brian, December 2021
“A wonderful week in a very special place to celebrate our ruby wedding anniversary. Time has flown by. Exploring many local walks with our two dogs Bella and Sam most mornings has been a joy, with fabulous views and landscape. We loved our visits to the Lockes Victorian Tea Rooms for spiced hot apple drinks and hot chocolate. There’s lovely food and atmosphere at Reeves Restaurant – and so welcoming. A cosy fire and sofas at The Foresters Arms. Best of all were the evenings in the cottage by the Christmas tree and log fire, a glass of wine and then comfy beds. A truly memorable week – thanks to Lucy and her team.”
Linda and John, Dave and Linda, December 2021
“This was our first visit to The Oval. It’s clear to see why so many people come back. A gorgeous cottage, spotlessly clean. Absolutely everything you could possibly need, including the most well-equipped kitchen of any holiday cottage. Actually – better than at home! We hope to come again.”
Elaine and Richard, November 2021
“This was our first trip to Somerset and it certainly won’t be our last! And we will be staying at The Oval next time too. Everything was so beautifully presented, comfortable and cosy that staying here felt more like being in a boutique hotel than self-catering! Unlike previous guests we didn’t get round to opening the toy chest – we were blessed with good weather so we were able to take advantage of all the sights around Dunster. Highlights included family-friendly walks to Bats Castle and Grabbist Hill (followed by tea at the Water Mill), and noodles by the sea at Porlock Weir. We would also recommend the Copper Kettle in Dulverton if you fancy venturing that far. Huge thanks to the team who have made us feel we were in the lap of luxury for the week. We will be back soon to carry on through the local ‘to do’ list including atrip on the train and a long stroll over Dunkery Hill. So not goodbye but ‘au revoir’.”
The Borrel family, October 2021
“Our fifth time at The Oval. Home-sweet-home! It’s been three years since we last visited The Oval. We spent our days exploring and our afternoons in Dunster at the park, then to the Chocolate Shop for sweets and ice cream. We visited Minehead several times, frequenting the arcade and won 2450 tokens!! These were exchanged for ‘tat’ (our kids’ favourite pass time!) We visited Dunster Castle, Porlock, Selworthy and Lynmouth, Selworthy has a wonderful thatched tea room where we had cake and tea and coffee. We took a Sunday stroll up Conygar Tower and came back through the woods where we came across some impressive stone archways. We also visited Dunster Beach for the first time which was lovely, and saw the steam train pass by. We had Sunday lunch in the Foresters Arms and said ‘hello’ to Nelson the swearing parrot. Thank you Lucy and team for making our stay special, best wishes team Rhead.”
Mandy, Jez, Ruby, Harry, Molly and Kinver the dog, October 2021
Angela, Lynsey and Ollie the Westie, October 2021
“This was our first visit to Dunster and we loved it! The cottage is beautiful – spotlessly clean, well-equipped and very comfortable, especially with the log burner alight! The village is gorgeous and the people are very friendly and welcoming. We had a wonderful meal at Hathaways, followed by a night cap at The Stag – so convenient! Thanks for making our stay so comfortable – we’ll be back!”
Steve and Vanessa Head, October 2021
“We have had a wonderful week at this gorgeous cottage, which is a pleasure being clean, cosy and comfortable. The whole area has been welcoming and lovely to explore and is especially doggy friendly. Places we have loved include Blue Anchor Beach and breakfast at the Driftwood Café. Winnie our dog especially loved the beach. Had a wonderful meal at Hathaways, what a gem. Also, the Luttrell Arms and Cobblestones and for fish and chips the Alcombe Fish Bar. On our last day we went to Selworthy village, beautiful view and the Periwinkle Tearooms with delicious scones and a lovely little gift shop. A wonderful week, we will definitely be back, thank you!”
John, Sandra and Winne, September 2021
“What a fabulous cottage! From the moment we walked in we felt at home. It was spotless and has everything we needed and more (hot water bottles were a welcomed surprise!). We explored somewhere different every day: Blue Anchor Bay, Lynmouth, Dulverton, Tarr Steps, Stogumber on the steam train (lovely cream tea at the station there), Minehead, Horner Woods and Selworthy. Had a lovely lunch at Born Appetite in Dunster one day and finished the week with a ‘pub grub’ meal at the Forresters Arms. We are so impressed with all the information we received prior to the holiday and then all the information left in the cottage. We loved ‘The Little Book of Walks’ which was so useful, and the yummy chocolate cake! Thank you, Lucy and team.”
Netta, Sue and Lulu, September 2021
“We have had an enjoyable stay here at The Oval. A very well-equipped cottage, comfy beds, great kitchen, good Wi-Fi! We enjoyed several days on Minehead beach with lunches at Café Cream and some crazy golf at the Jubilee Café. We did the Dunster circular walk and saw ponies by Bats Castle up on the moor. Visiting Dunster Castle was very interesting with lovely gardens and the watermill was working. We ventured further afield to Withypool, Winsford and the river walk at Tarr Steps, capped off with dinner at Woods in Dulverton. We also recommend Hathaways and Reeves in Dunster as well as China Garden in Alcombe for takeaway. There are still lots of places to visit to visit in the area so maybe we will be back one day!”
The Barnes Family, August 2021
“What a wonderful place Dunster is, and The Oval sums it up perfectly – we love the history, and this is living history. The walking has been wonderful. We have visited the Lake District on many occasions and the walking here is on a par – with more variety in terms of woodland, water and open moorland all on the same walks, with views of the sea too. We loved Dunkery Beacon, the highest spot-on Exmoor, the ridge walk across the Quantocks and the truly beautiful Doone Valley. If you want a real challenge, try reading Lorna Doone while you are staying here! For an Indian takeaway, The Alcombe Tandoori is excellent, and Dana’s Fish & Chip Shop in Minehead is also good. We loved the whole experience here – oh and try the cider at Torre Farm!
James, Maryam, Freddie and Walter the dog, August 2021
“We enjoyed our two weeks stay in the stunning village of Dunster and were very comfortable in this beautiful cottage. We were very blessed with the weather and were able to enjoy lots of walks with our two dogs. The Little Book of Walks was very handy to have and we managed most of them! The people of Dunster were so friendly and welcoming and we enjoyed many cream teas in the village – Cobblestones was our favourite! We highly recommend Reeves restaurant for food. The staff were so accommodating – managing to fit six of us in there times! Thank you to Lucy and the team!”
Lesley, Kenny, Lorraine, Ricky, Sophie and Jenny plus Poppy and Lucy the dogs, July 2021
“We had a lovely stay. Walked to the Castle, visited the local pubs, strolled around the village. Ate at Reeves restaurant, a great meal! Love the house – very well-equipped, and the terrace – I NEED some of those lovely coloured chairs! See you again Dunster.”
Chris, Leigh, Sam and Paul, July 2021
“Although we’ve stayed here a number of times, I cannot seem to find any evidence of any Guest Book entries – so these comments are covering many years of coming to The Oval during 30 years of visiting West Somerset. Of all the places we’ve stayed since the late 1980s, The Oval is the one that offers the fullest Somerset flavour! It’s welcoming, comfortable, beautiful – and just ‘shabby chic’ enough to allow you to relax completely in any of the rooms! Seriously, The Oval is a complete delight in a stunning village in the most beautiful countryside in England. We will be back again, and again.
Phil, Rebecca, Tilly and Bailey, July 2021
“Great to be back in The Oval. It was as comfortable as ever. Dunster is a good location from which to explore the beautiful Exmoor countryside. The weather was hot and sunny, so we enjoyed the local walks between archery competitions, plus our geocaching trips. We had a lovely meal at Reeves on our last evening. Looking forward to returning again next year for the GWAS Dunster Archery Week. Thanks to Lucy and her management team for a great stay.”
Val, Dave and Andy, June 2021
“Another lovely stay at The Oval. A trip down memory lane for my husband and his parents who used to stay here when my mother-in-law’s cousin Claire Hoare ran this house as a B&B back in the late 70s and 80s. We had a great Sunday lunch at Reeves in the village and returned for a fabulous evening meal. Lovely cake at Tessa’s Tearoom. Brilliant walks from Gallox Bridge. For days out, go to Bossington and have the best coffee at Kitnors Tearoom. The kids loved Minehead. Dunster Castle is good, and the gardens are amazing. We love the deck at the top of the garden. It was nice to have such lovely weather to enjoy the sundowners! We forgot our dog’s food bowls, but no matter, as there were some here. Thank you.”
Kate, Jon, Alan, Mel, Daisy, Matilda and Margot the dog, June 2021
“What a wonderful week we have had. The whole place was completely catered for and nothing was needed at all! Thank you for a lovely stay, we will definitely come back for more rest and relaxation.”
Mark, Sam, and Fudge the dog, May 2021
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