Halula Hills is fun all over, but it’s at its ticklish best in the garden, a fenced quarter of an acre in a peaceful sleepy village, with a view over the marshes and moors of the Levels that’ll make you king or queen of all you survey. Let the kids loose on the adventure play area and trampoline while you lounge on the sun chairs and stare at the scenery.
This is a multi-hued, astroturfed haven for families, made for making memories. Grab a bar stool for a gin, eat from the coal barbie beneath the big sky, pick a chair and point yourself at the sun. As dusk descends, dig out the marshmallows and cosy up around the firepit in the sunken pergola with the fairy lights speckling the night sky.
The Great Outdoors in the shape of the Somerset Levels looms large from the windows, but the Great Indoors is a winner here, too. Invade the indoor swimming pool and watch a few hours disappear. Then sizzle away a few more in the 12-person hot tub. Welcome to the memory-maker.
If you can extract yourself from the pool and hot tub, it only gets better dry-side. How about an evening in the cinema room with 90” projector TV and comfy sofas? Don’t skimp on the prosecco or popcorn. Pick from the movie library or raid the listings on Sky Q, Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.
Choice of viewing required? You’ve another wall TV in the living room. Stream the superfast BT Wi-Fi. Set up your soundtrack on the Bose sound system. Make your own music on the banana-flavoured piano. Or simply escape to the book nook to uncork and unwind.
The dining table, with its views over the balcony to the moors and marshes beyond, seems to require its own postcode. You’ll get all 20 of you around it. From there, it’s just a short stagger to the comfy sofas and living-room TV, where you’ll go to loosen your belt and sip a well-earned Nespresso.
Cook on the fan oven with electric hob, microwave and toaster, or fire up the coal barbie and sit out on the terrace among the wild birds with the levels spread below like nature’s most bountiful banquet. Top up the fridge/freezers and the outdoor fridge with goodies from Pip’s Farm Shop and wash them down with fizz from Tim’s Wines.
Is there an Indian in nearby Curry Rivel? No, but Cardamom in Langport will sort you out with a shashlik. Curry’s the place for the Somerset Firehouse, though, with its weekend bottomless brunch and all the prosecco you can drink for under £30. Or maybe you’d prefer the Eat Your Heart Out Beefburger or beetroot and bean burger.
Wind your way south down twisting country lanes to emerge in Hambridge and tuck into butterflied chicken breast or 8oz gammon steak at The Lamb and Lion. Or maybe call in the pros, with restaurant-quality private dining from the expert chefs at Full-Flavour Events, or pig out with tasty rustic food from the Hog Roast of Gloucestershire.
Plenty room and flexibility here to invite the whole extended family, up to a maximum of 20 in seven delightful bedrooms, many with far-reaching views from private balconies.
Bedroom one (Bee) is a king-size offering an en-suite shower room, while two (Safari) is a double en-suite with shower. En-suite bedroom three (Pineapple) is heaven for six kids who want to make mischief all night, in, on and around three bunks.
On the first floor, family-friendly bedroom four (Cloud) sleeps three in a super-king and single and offers an en-suite with bath and shower.
Bedroom five (Mermaid) is a king-size that shares a Jack and Jill bathroom with bedroom six (Unicorn), also a king-size. En-suite bedroom seven (Dinosaur Suite) provides a king-size and single.
Bring your kids’ childhoods alive on a theatrical, vibrant, multi-coloured stage that’ll live on in their memories forever. How vibrant? Purple and orange grass, anyone? Okay, so it’s astroturf, but that means the weather won’t spoil the party and four-legged family members can come, too.
Stay outside for as much fun as you can handle. The giant trampoline comes with views over the levels and there’s a basketball net for any budding Michael Jordans. Burn a bit more energy in the adventure play area. Then recover on the luridly bright beanbags with a mocktail from the bar of mum and dad.
Stay out as darkness drops to put away bangers and burgers in the country air from the coal barbie, then sit beneath the pergola’s fairy lights to roast marshmallows in the firepit and swap stories. Want to hang loose a while? There’s a hanging chair for anyone serious about chillaxing.
Inside? Things just get better. Splash away a few lazy hours in the indoor swimming pool. Bigger kids can chill and sizzle in the 12-person hot tub. Towel off and stream the BT Wi-Fi, zone out in the book nook, or tune in to blockbuster movies and big matches on the cinema room’s 90” projector TV. Memories are made of this.
