Spotlight

Muddy Awards Winners' DrinksOne our favourite bits of the Muddy Awards is the Winners’ Drinks Party – and not just because of the chance to hang out At the Chapel in Bruton on work time
What's on in SeptemberSeptember is sizzling in Somerset & Dorset, with a smorgasbord of festivals, markets, comedy, drama, music and art all yours for the taking
New: Exmoor yoga retreatImmerse yourself in a weekend of yoga, relaxation and meditation this October – with gourmet dining, pampering and outdoor hot tub. Yes please!
65 paw-fect dog-friendly staysHave pooch, will travel? Here are 65 stays across the Muddy counties that are all Fido-friendly from stunning stately homes to rural cottage staycations.
Muddy drives: the new Fiat 500 La PrimaThe iconic Italian car re-imagined for the 21st century – all electric and with an impressive 199 mile range

Well, hello!

I'm Sue, editor of Muddy Dorset & Somerset, here to bring you the quirky, cool and downright unmissable in the area.

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Gotta Have It

Fancy a sparkling little number to style out your summer drinking? We've found an alternative to wine that makes a gorgeous gift for a friend... or save it just for you!

Thanks to everyone who took part this year, and helped celebrate the most awesome indie businesses across 25 counties.

View Our Winners

Eat View more
Review: The King’s Arms, Dorchester

Thomas Hardy was a regular. Queen Victoria stayed here. So did The Beatles. But would any of them recognise the place in its £5m reincarnation as laid-back hotel and foodie pub?
- Pinkies poised for afternoon tea
  
  Get your fix of diddy sandwiches, cakes and scones with our pinkies out pick of the best afternoon teas in Somerset & Dorset
- Eat and drink your way around eat:Festivals
  
  Street food, ice cream, cakes and cocktails – it's all on the menu at the popular West Country food and drink fests

Arts & Culture View more
Hot off the press

The Atkinson Gallery re-opens with an exhibition of work by members of the prestigious Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers
- Muddy meets celeb ventriloquist Paul Zerdin
  
  He won America's Got Talent and is finally back on tour. Muddy talks to ventriloquist Paul Zerdin about weird fan mail, dressing up as Maggie Thatcher and his beef with Barney the Dinosaur.
- New TV alert! 6 shiny things dropping this week
  
  We're getting into prime autumn telly season, with three — count them, three! — hotly-awaited series returns this week. Read all about them (as well as the other shiny new releases) here...

Little Black Book

Want to support local? Our curated pick of the most creative, unique and brilliant businesses near you.

Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford

Jordans Courtyard, nr Ilminster

Nesta Camping, near Frome

No.15 Great Pulteney, Bath

The Newt in Somerset, Bruton

MAKE Skincare

Lindsay Punch Styling

Annie Webb Interiors

Travel View more
Italy, Mr Bond? 24 hours in Matera

Make mine a martini, shaken not stirred while we tell you our insider tips on how to best experience the coolest city you’ve probably never heard of.
- 10 stunning secret gardens in Somerset & Dorset
  
  Fancy a snoop at someone else's dahlias? Then spend the day at one of these gorgeous gardens in Dorset and Somerset usually hidden away from the public.
- 65 paw-fect dog-friendly stays
  
  Have pooch, will travel? Here are 65 stays across the Muddy counties that are all Fido-friendly from stunning stately homes to rural cottage staycations.

Home View more
10 knockout farmhouses that are up for sale now

Fell in love with rural life on your staycay? Us too. Quick, before the market turns: check out these absolutely stunning farms to snap up across the Muddy counties (and beyond).
- Retro homeware must-haves
  
  Bright colours, bold shapes – the unapologetically brash 80s are back, at least in the world of interiors. Give your home a stylishly retro revamp with these statement pieces.
- Barbecue lemongrass and coconut white sauce chicken
  
  Conjour up the flavours and aromas of the American Deep South in your back garden, with this easy and super delicious Alabama-inspired recipe
Wellbeing
- New: Exmoor yoga retreat
  
  Immerse yourself in a weekend of yoga, relaxation and meditation this October – with gourmet dining, pampering and outdoor hot tub. Yes please!
- Your health questions answered!
  
  Don’t understand why the weight won’t shift? Have a back that’s reminiscent of Quasimodo? Muddy puts your questions to Healthily’s chief medical officer, Professor Maureen Baker

Life View more
Back in the office? We’re here to help!

Feeling unprepared to head back to the office after a year WFH? Muddy to the rescue with eight essential Do’s and Don’ts (and yes, you will have to change out of sweatpants).
Kids
- Clayesmore Senior School, near Blandford Forum
  
  Muddy says: Set in the most bucolic countryside and with a main building that is oh-so-pleasing to the eye, there's a lot more to Clayesmore than its setting – including its innovative LEX programme
- Royal High School Bath, GDST
  
  Muddy says: Inclusive, girl-centered education, strong on science, maths and languages, with chic facilities – and the only school in Bath offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

Instamuddy

Fashion View more
A new leaf: your 10 autumn wardrobe essentials

Bright knits, checks, big handbags, even bigger boots. We’ve got your autumn/winter 2021 fashion fix sorted.
- Rent your clothes like Carrie!
  
  Ethical, eco and everywhere - with Carrie Symonds showing us how to work a sustainable wardrobe, here's where you can rewear, repair and renew your clothes in style.
- Best swimwear for 2021
  
  Nothing says summer like new swimwear. Who cares if it's the Med or the back garden, it's time to splash out. Whether it's eco, floral, striped, shaping, nautical or sporty, we've found your perfect bikini or swimsuit.

Beauty View more
- Can Haringtons tame the Muddy mane?
  
  Fly-away hair with lots of grey? Not just me then... The challenge for award-winning hairdresser and colourist Barry was to create a style that will still look good a week later
- How to get that perfect sun-kissed glow
  
  Forget pale and interesting... we're channelling the St Tropez vibe, minus the orange tint. Here are some lotions and potions for a natural-looking tan without the UV damage

People View more
Muddy talks parenting with Lorraine Candy

“All teenage girls think their mums are a bit rubbish”. Journalist and mother of four Lorraine Candy talks parenting, moody teens and motherhood with Muddy.
- Meet Daniel Musselwhite
  
  The Frome-based jeweller is one of the sparkliest stars on BBC's new series All That Glitters
- Six lockdown heroines to celebrate IWD
  
  It’s been a bit of a year so to mark International Women’s Day 2021, we thought we’d big up six women who have impressed, delighted and inspired us over the past 12 months.