Halswell, Somerset


Acquired: 2002
Architect: Caroe & Partners
Works instructed: October 2003
Available from: July 2004

It is sometimes surprising to find how far Robin Hood strayed from Sherwood Forest. In fact, the name of this beautiful little pavilion has less to do with the mediaeval hero than with ideas of liberty and mediaeval romance in the eighteenth century. In the 1740s Sir Charles Kemeys Tynte began to transform the landscape around Halswell House into one of the finest Georgian gardens in the south west of England. He built several follies within it; by 1767 he was writing to his steward about ‘the Building on the Hill of the Park,’ instructing that ‘the first room, which I call the hermit’s room, must have an earthen floor.’

By the time the Somerset Buildings Preservation Trust came upon Robin Hood’s Hut in 1997, it had no roof or windows and had lost much of its plasterwork. Its umbrello was almost gone. After an exemplary restoration of the exterior, the SBPT asked Landmark if we would provide a secure future use for the building. We were delighted to help.

Robin Hood’s Hut has two distinct faces and commands a breathtaking panorama. Approaching through a dark wood, you come upon an apparently rustic cottage, with thatched roof and bark-clad door. Once inside, the elegant interior provides a fitting antechamber to the umbrello (or stone canopy) from where you can see the Somerset Levels and Mendip Hills and on across the Bristol Channel to the mountains of South Wales.

We are most grateful to the many supporters who made a donation to this project through the Landmark Appeal as well as a generous donation from an anonymous benefactor. Robin Hood’s Hut is available for up to 2 people. For further information please see the 20th edition Handbook or contact the Booking Office.