LONG HAZEL PARK
Adult Only Touring Caravan Park & Camping
Self-catering Holiday Lodge Accommodation For hire
Sparkford Somerset
TOURING CARAVAN PARK AND CAMPSITE NEAR THE NEWT IN SOMERSET
The Newt in Somerset is a Georgian country estate with 900 acres of formal gardens, woodlands, farmland and gardens. Open in all seasons - and all weathers - you could easily spend a whole week visiting The Newt and still find things to do! It is an absolute must for gardening fans, as well as those who like walking, and great food.
We are just 4 miles away from The Newt in Somerset, which is part-way between Castle Cary and Bruton, and an easy drive - or many of our guests use their electric bikes to ride there. There is parking for cars, bikes, motorcycles and motorhomes.
Formerly known as Hadspen House, the manor house is built from local golden Cary stone. The house itself dates back to the 18th Century. Whilst the house has been listed on many historical surveys of the area, it is arguably the gardens which are the most important part of the estate.
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The gardens were created a la française, with geometric planting and fountains, as well as panoramic views towards South Somerset. In the 1960s, the gardens were redesigned by Penelope Hobhouse in an Arts and Crafts style, with many anemones, hellebores and hostas still bearing the Hadspen name.
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From 1998 to 2005, the garden was redesigned by Nori and Sanda Pope, to create more than a kilometre of coloured borders with many rare plants. This became the inspiration behind a very influential book, "Colour by Design" and made Hadspen one of the most talked about gardens in the country.
The Newt's Parabola style garden features 330 varieties of apple, which are mostly Old English varities assigned in order of English counties. The area is set out in a formal maze style.
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The Produce Garden has more than 350 varities of edible plants, fruits and vegetables and supply their restaurants and farm shop.
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The Winter Garden is situated in a Victorian greenhouse and is kept at 20-25ºC all year round to houses a display of orchids, ferns, succulents and tropical trees.
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The Four Seasons Garden has been planted to display interest all year round, along with a newt-shaped pond.
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The Japanese Garden features an array of Bonsai trees and rhododendrons.
The Newt holds a variety of events throughout the year, which often co-incide with the Bank Holiday weekends.
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Spring: Easter Weekend
Garden Day Weekend (Early May Bank Holiday)
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Summer: Garden Lates - join The Newt for an after hours picnic in the grounds
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Autumn: Apple Day - celebrate Somerset's heritage apples with food, cider and live music
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Winter: Christmas Showcase - pick up your Christmas gifts grown on the estate and enjoy carol singers
In the mid-19th Century, remains of a Roman villa were found in the grounds of Hadspen house. The remains were covered up again, until a full excavation could take place in 2015.
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The Newt have built a museum including the remains, with ruins dating back to 315 CE. Alongside the museum, there is a full-scale recreation of the original villa, the Villa Ventorum. The museum contains a vast amount of relics found at points of interest throughout the county of Somerset, including the Iron Age Hillfort of Ham Hill.
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The Roman villa museum is set in traditional Roman themed gardens and a vineyard. Self-guided tours of the villa are conducted using virtual reality headsets and there is also the opportunity to try Roman food.​​​​
For RHS members, The Newt is a Partner Garden and offers free entry on Tuesdays.
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An annual membership to The Newt entitles you to entry to any of their partner gardens, including The Lost Gardens of Heligan, the Eden Project, Kew Gardens, Blenheim Palace and their South African sister garden, Babylonstoren.
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The Newt are also sponsors of the Chelsea Flower Show from 2021 to 2025, providing their rosé wine and cider as the official drinks of the event. Small versions of areas of The Newt have been recreated at the Chelsea Flower Show, including the Beezantium and the Roman villa.