Yarlington Lodge: The Newt in Somerset unveils Regency rectory restoration

The Newt in Somerset, owned by South African businessman Koos Bekker and Karen Roos, has opened Yarlington Lodge, a restored Regency rectory within the 18th-century Hadspen House estate. The multi-year restoration by Roos and Richard Parr Associates reimagines the rectory, surrounding cottages, walled garden, formal lawns, and historic woodland. The interior design blends British, French, Dutch, Italian, and South African influences, described as 'Regency meets Empire.' Yarlington Lodge accommodates 32 guests across a main house and two cottages, featuring eight bedrooms named after literary characters like Natalya Rostova and Jane Bennet, with green marble bathrooms, pale pink walls, vintage Fendi chairs, and Hay furniture. The Coach House has four rustic bedrooms referencing its equestrian past, and Cottage in the Wall is a four-bedroom hideaway. The estate includes Patrice Taravella-designed gardens and a 2,000-acre working farm. The Newt opened in 2019.