It is hard to imagine a more quintessentially English Hotel than the Old Ship Hotel in rural Mere, Wiltshire. Wonderfully situated for exploring the local area with the famous National Trust gardens of Stourhead House a short 5 minute drive away, Longleat Park just 15 minutes and Stonehenge just a 30 minute drive, the entire area is awash with chocolate box villages and places of historic interest. Mid-week or weekend breaks are very popular and any stay at the Old Ship Hotel, Mere promises something for everyone and a wonderful base to explore one of the most beautiful and unspoilt areas the UK has to offer.

With a wealth of untouched period features and a history exciting enough to keep any keen historian happy for days, this is one hotel that has thankfully escaped the “modernization” that has blighted so many. There is no doubt that is due in no small part to its status, from construction to the present day, as a privately owned establishment and Free House.

Its future as a quality 9 bedroom en-suite hotel, pub, restaurant and time capsule is guaranteed as the new owners Mike and Ann, ably assisted by Mike’s wife Georgie, are local people who are fully committed to maintaining its unique feel and character.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Mike, Georgie and Ann, literally live and breathe this fabulous location. In addition to working incredibly long hours to provide a quality experience for their visitors, they live at the Old Ship too. As such the welcome you receive when visiting the Old Ship hotel in Mere is more akin to visiting good friends who have a passion for their home and a desire to make you feel comfortable from the moment you cross the threshold. For the locals it’s a meeting place where fine ales and good food are always guaranteed. For the many visiting tourists it produces an unforgettable mix of culture, history and good old fashioned personal service.