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To mark our original countryside retreat turning 25, we celebrate everything that makes Babington House so welly-stompingly special, from garden-to-table dining and baths in bedrooms to the many runaway weddings which have taken place in its historic halls

By Chloe Lawrance and Sagal Mohammed

y earliest memory of Babington House is driving down the driveway to this incredible Georgian manor and falling in love with it immediately. My first thought was, “I’m going to buy this.” at was around 27 years ago. At the time, didn’t have the money for it but just knew I had to make it happen somehow. Luckily, the people who were selling it were nice enough to give me nine months to raise the money – so got to work, and I did it. We had been thinking about opening a country House for a while, but as I feel with everything, I wanted ours to be done di erently. didn’t want to follow the rules and create a copy of something that already existed; to do it the way a country house had always been done. wanted Babington House to create a new rulebook: breakfast whenever you wanted it; feeling like home but being much nicer than your own home. When it came to designing it, didn’t want to get an interior designer.

I wanted someone who had seen design from ever y perspective to do it and create something unique. So, I got Ilse Crawford CBE, who was at Elle Decoration at the time, to help me design it – she’s since gone on to become a world-famous designer.

To me, Babington is the most beautiful House. I still look at it and think it’s got such soul. just knew that it would work well for our members, and not just on weekends but seven days a week. I envisioned people using it as a place to work,

Babington House: the timeline ere are such great stories from members about those early years, and till this day, Babington House continues to be a place where people create fond memories. We’ve had brilliant New Year’s Eve celebrations where some very well-known singers have led impromptu singalongs in the library or danced around in the bar. It’s the kind of place where you can’t help but feel the infectious energy when you’re there. It’s extra special to me because I got married there in 1999. My wedding day, and many other highlights, have been celebrated there since we opened our doors 25 years ago, and Babington House will continue to be a home for the best of times in the 25 years to come.

Ma place to relax or have dinner with friends and, of course, a great place for partying. And that’s exactly what it turned out to be – one big House party. Some of my favourite and most memorable parties have taken place at Babington over the years. When we first opened, we’d regularly host an event called Babington 24, a festival that lasted 24 hours with various performers and people creating campsites on the grounds. It was always such a great time – our bar was known to only ever close when there weren’t people there to drink from it, which in other words was never. You’d o en come down from breakfast and the bar was still busy from the night before. at was the spirit of Babington.

1698

1705

From garden to table

1939

BBC Radio broadcasts a concert from the grounds, spotlighting pianist, composer and Babington resident Dora Bright – widow of Wyndham Knatchbull, whose family owned the estate.

1968

Behind

the brilliance of Babington’s seasonal and sustainable approach to dining

At Babington, no two daily menus are ever the same. at’s because of the House’s garden-to-table ethos, which prioritises sustainability, high-quality local produce and a seasonal approach to dining. In part, this is driven by the Walled Garden, an acre-large Victorian garden nestled in the grounds of the House, in which an ever-evolving rotation of herbs, fruits and veggies are grown.

“It’s a chef’s dream,” says General Manager Neil Smith, who began his Soho House career as Babington’s commis chef, working his way up to head chef before taking on the role of leading the entire team. “We work closely with the gardener throughout the seasons. We don’t use any pesticides, so everything is organic, freshly picked each morning and used for that day’s service.”

For ingredients that can’t be grown in the Walled Garden, the team works closely with local suppliers to source the highest- quality meat, fish and cheese, leaning on seasonality to dictate what lands in the kitchen. “We buy the whole animal, break it down in-house and use every part of it. For example, we’ll buy the whole lamb and use the legs for one dinner and the shoulder the following night. We might use the o cuts to make a delicious ragu and the bones for stock,” he explains. “It’s more sustainable and also keeps the thrill alive for our chefs; they’re constantly learning, perfecting their cra .” With all this to consider, curating the daily menus is a creative and collaborative process: “Head Chef Dionas Frank and will walk through the garden and talk to suppliers to work out what’s coming in,” says Smith. “For me, it’s not about six or seven ingredients with foams and everything – it’s simple food, done really well, using the best produce. at’s the way it should be.”

Babington House is designated a Grade II* Listed Building, marking it “of special interest and worth investing in preservation”, along with the 18th century ice house in the grounds.

1998

In September, Nick Jones buys Babington House. A er much development, the doors open to Soho House’s second outpost, with 223 founding members.

Meet the members

Opposite, from le : Babington House members Danny Go ey, Angel Mackintosh with her dog, Tewkesbury, Pearl Lowe, Simon Morray-Jones, Donna May Lynch, Suzanne Bisset, Heidi, Dominic and Audrey Greensmith, and Ross Wilson with his dog, Suki behind the decks at some of Babington House’s most legendary parties. “ e post-pandemic Bonfire Night party was a particularly special one,” he says. “People were definitely down to party and the House just felt so alive.”

Pearl Lowe

For the fashion designer and lover of all things vintage, Babington House represents so much more than just a club. “It’s like one big happy family,” says Lowe. “I got married there in 2008 and I swim and steam there every day. I don’t think I would have stayed living in the country for so long if it wasn’t for Babington!”

Angel Mackintosh

The Artwork To Know

Soho House’s Global Art Director Kate Bryan gives us the lowdown on the pieces worth keeping an eye out for around the House

Simon Murray Jones

An architect by trade, Murray Jones was one of Babington’s original members - and in fact played a very large part in the design of the House you know and love today. From the first date with his now-wife (“a seriously extended lunch”) to his wedding day, Babington House has played host to some of Murray Jones’ biggest life milestones

Donna May Lynch

Based just up the road from Babington House, Studio Ashay – May Lynch’s fashion design studio – houses not only her own collection of readyto-wear designs but also a host of up-and-coming artists, including jewellers, po ers and interior designers. May Lynch has been a member of the House for two years. “It’s magical,” she says. “It brings city and country life together under one roof.”

Ross Wilson

DJ and brand consultant Wilson has been curating club nights and music events across Somerset since the mid-1990s. ese days, he’s o en found

1999 e Babington House Cricket Club o icially forms a er six matches against local teams. ese days, the club plays every Sunday throughout the summer months.

“Such is the power of Daisy Parris’ large oil painting, it is able to hold the entire Orangery wall. Somerset-based Parris is an artist whose work feels intimate yet demanding. ey cultivate an uneasy beauty, with aggressivelooking passages o set against an appealing colour pale e.”

Aged just 19, musician Mackintosh has been a Soho House member for about as long as she can remember. As someone who splits her time between London and Somerset, Babington House o ers a sanctuary: a workout followed by an ice bath and brunch make up her countryside mornings, while weekends are spent at the House with her family. "One of my most special memories was taking my 103-year-old grandma clay pigeon shooting,” says Mackintosh. “She shot a hat trick!”

BABINGTON HOUSE 1-20 (2020) BY TOM HOWSE

“In 2020, Tom Howse created a suite of drawings a er spending time at Babington House – a quiet love le er to the buildings and landscape in his characterful, undone style. Displayed as a full salon wall in the Library, they are an alternative take on British country house portraits."

1999

In August, Babington House hosts its very first wedding, with Zoe Ball and Norman Cook’s blessing ceremony taking place on the sun-drenched lawn in front of 200 guests.

SELF LOVE (2001) BY SAM TAYLOR-JOHNSON

“Sam Taylor-Johnson is an internationally recognised name in art and film, as well as a long-time neighbour of Babington. In this photographic work, displayed on the mirror in the main bar, she interrogates the relationship between authenticity and artifice.”

1999

Cowshed: the inside story s Babington House celebrates its 25th anniversary, so too does Cowshed. In fact, Cowshed was born at Babington, with the very first spa built in a renovated milking shed back in 1998. These day s, the Cowshed brand includes 13 spa locations worldwide, with an extensive range of expertly formulated products to bring a li le taste of the spa home, too.

Back when that first Cowshed spa opened its doors, it had one mission: to inject a li le country calm and cool into the busy lives of members visiting Babington House: a retreat within a retreat. At the time, spas had a reputation for being almost clinical. Founder Nick knew he wanted to do things a li le di erently. He created a space that was comfortable, relaxing and warm - an extension of everything members loved about the Houses. To this day, whether you're in Shoreditch or Chicago, when you step into a Cowshed spa, you’ll still find that same relaxed atmosphere, with therapists who are knowledgeable and friendly.

Our Cowshed treatment menus have been refined and perfected over the past 25 years, with each spa providing its own unique menu of permanent o erings and pop-up residencies. But there are a few treatments that have gained

2003

Groundskeeper Clive joins the Babington House team. In the years since, he has preened the grounds, cricket pitch, croquet lawn and iconic Victoria Walled Garden to perfection.

Aalmost legendary status among those in the know. e Ultimate Cowshed Manicure and Ultimate Cowshed Pedicure are more than just your average mani-pedis: think hydrating hand and foot masks and a tension-relieving scalp and shoulder massage to elevate the whole experience. Likewise, the Salt Scrub & Massage treatment pairs our Signature Massage with a full-body exfoliation for an impressively relaxing 90 minutes.

This year, our spas are also offering the 25 Years: Deep Tissue Massage with Hyperice to celebrate the milestone anniversary. And, exclusive to Babington House, members can also indulge in Babington’s Botanical Facial, which uses botanicals sourced directly from the Walled Garden. Each of Cowshed’s formulas take inspiration from ingredients grown in the garden and were developed by local perfumer Richard Howard. Upon launch, they were given names inspired by Cowshed’s roots: the Moody Cow, Grumpy Cow and Horny Cow formulas sat on the bathroom shelves and took pride of place in the spas. In 2019, it was a time for a brand refresh, with these cheeky names replaced with eight refined and modern moods, including Sleep and Relax. But a er 25 years, one thing remains the same: a range that combines quality, therapeutic value and carefully balanced fragrance harmonies.

2005

Babington House’s central dining room, e Orangery, opens. Seating around 70 members, it o ers a warm, cosy space overlooking the lake and cherry blossom tree.

2007

e greenhouse in the Walled Garden is removed to make way for an upgraded spa space, where members can enjoy luxurious Cowshed treatments.

2013 e House hosts its first Glastonbury Wind Down Party. Just 30 minutes from the site, guests can find sanctuary (and more partying) the Monday a er the festival.

The Babington need-to-knows

Fun facts and details to note in and around the House e House’s original bread oven can still be found in Room 11 in the Coach House. Don’t worry, it’s no longer in action. e refrigerated white wine cellar was converted from what was the property’s original gent’s toilets – a rather impressive example of turning water into wine.

Babington House was one of the first hotels across the globe to make a roll top bath a star a raction in the bedroom – not the bathroom.

2020 e largest-ever room service order on record actually didn't contain any food. It consisted of an impressive 47 Bloody Marys and a single glass of prosecco, delivered to Room 32 one Friday morning.

Babington is given a refresh, with a complete makeover. New paintwork, furniture and artwork marks the beginning of a new era at the House.

All of the Westcombe cheddar and rico a devoured by hungry Babington guests comes from the award-winning artisan fromager Tom Calver, who regularly hand-delivers our orders from his dairy, which is located just 9.8 miles away from the House.

2023

Babington House celebrates its 25th birthday, with a summer of wellness retreats, unmissable supper clubs and art events celebrating the local creative crowd.