Name: The Ancient Gatehouse
Address: 20 Sadler St, Wells, BA5 2SE, United Kingdom, 20 Sadler St, Somerset, BA5 2SE, UK
Price range: Prices for upcoming dates start at £63 per night (We Price Match)
Rating: 8.3

Room info & price Facilities House rules The fine print Our guests’ experiences (521)

The Ancient Gatehouse

20 Sadler St, Wells, BA5 2SE, United Kingdom –

Traveller photo of Wells by Patricia

United Kingdom · 24 July 2016

Lock in a great price for The Ancient Gatehouse - rated 8.3 by recent guests.

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Amazing location! Just to sit in the dining room & stare at the cathedral!

Emma, United Kingdom

The Hotel was very quirky and all the staff I met during my stay were extremely friendly. I had dinner in the restaurant and the table I sat at had a great view of Wells Cathedral.

Sarah, United Kingdom

Friendliness of staff. Good good. Room quirky and nice.

Liz, United Kingdom

The bed was not the most comfortable one we have ever slept in but it was adequate, breakfast was very good lots of choices and friendly staff. We had lunch in the dining room and the food was first class and affordable.

William, United Kingdom

Location was idyllic The lack of parking wasn't really an issue. Staff were lovely

Louise, United Kingdom

I chose this hotel based on it's location and am very pleased with my choice. There is a bus stop about a minute's walk away and the bus station is an easy stroll, less than 10 minutes. The local High Street, restaurants, banks, shops and cash points are also just a couple of minutes walk away. Wells Cathedral and the Wells & Mendip Museum are, literally, across the square from it. Their in-house restaurant, Rugantino, is very good, serving both English and Italian. My breakfast selection was wide and their full English was huge. The evening that I dined there, I had the Shrimp Tempura and the Filleto de Maiale, both of which were excellent. The staff were all pleasant and helpful and the view of Wells Cathedral directly across from my bedroom was inspiring.

Roxane, United Kingdom

We really liked the room above the gate House was very quirky. Lots of character .

Sandra, United Kingdom

Quirky old building with a great view of the Cathedral and a yummy breakfast :)

Peter, United Kingdom

Interesting rooms with poster beds. Great location next to the cathedral. Good restaurant.

Björn, Sweden

A great place to stay right in the ancient walls of the Cathedral.

Diane, Australia

One of our top picks in Wells.

Set in a stunning location on Wells Cathedral Green, facing the West Front, the Ancient Gatehouse is well positioned for discovering Somerset's historic beauty spots.

Just yards away from the ancient market place, the hotel reflects authentic period charm with its centuries-old spiral stone staircase and quaint little passages.

The Ancient Gatehouse boasts the excellent Rugantino Restaurant, specialising in authentic Italian cuisine, with a welcoming ambience.

Rooms have been refurbished to a very high standard and retain their original features and character. Some rooms have a four-poster bed.

Bristol, Bath and Longleat are close by.

Couples particularly like the location — they rated it 9.3 for a two-person trip.

We speak your language!

The Ancient Gatehouse has been welcoming Booking.com guests since 1 Jun 2009.

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Most popular facilities

Parking

Pets allowed

Free WiFi

Restaurant

Non-smoking rooms

Guests love...

“location was great”
72 related reviews

“amazing views”
72 related reviews

“beautiful building”
65 related reviews

Top location: Highly rated by recent guests (9.4)

Breakfast info

Full English/Irish

Free WiFi
Guests consistently rate the WiFi as excellent

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Rooms

Adults

Children

Fits	Room type
	Twin Room 2 single beds	Show prices
Room size: 161 ft² This twin room has a electric kettle. Room facilities: TV, Telephone, Fax, Hairdryer, Iron, Desk, Ironing Facilities, Free toiletries, Toilet, Heating, Bath or Shower, Wake-up service, Alarm clock, Electric kettle, Wardrobe/Closet, Hypoallergenic, Towels, Clothes rack Free WiFi is available in all rooms. Check-in / / Check-in date Check-out / / Check-out date Rooms Adults Children
	Double Room with Four Poster Bed 1 double bed	Show prices
This double room features a shower room. Room facilities: Shower, Bath, TV, Telephone, Fax, Hairdryer, Iron, Bathrobe, Radio, Desk, Ironing Facilities, Toilet, Heating, Bath or Shower Free WiFi is available in all rooms. Check-in / / Check-in date Check-out / / Check-out date Rooms Adults Children
	Classic Double Room 1 double bed	Show prices
댴 Private bathroom This double room features a electric kettle. Room facilities: TV, Telephone, Hairdryer, Iron, Radio, Desk, Ironing Facilities, Free toiletries, Toilet, Bathroom, Heating, Bath or Shower, Carpeted, Interconnected room(s) available, View, Wake-up service, Alarm clock, Electric kettle, Wardrobe/Closet, Hypoallergenic, Towels, Clothes rack Free WiFi is available in all rooms. Check-in / / Check-in date Check-out / / Check-out date Rooms Adults Children
	Classic Single Room 1 single bed	Show prices
Room facilities: TV, Telephone, Hairdryer, Iron, Desk, Ironing Facilities, Toilet, Heating, Bath or Shower Free WiFi is available in all rooms. Check-in / / Check-in date Check-out / / Check-out date Rooms Adults Children
	Room with Four-Poster Bed 1 large double bed	Show prices
Room size: 215 ft² Includes an original 4-poster bed. Room facilities: Tea/Coffee Maker, Shower, Bath, TV, Telephone, Fax, Hairdryer, Wake Up Service/Alarm Clock, Iron, Bathrobe, Radio, Desk, Ironing Facilities, Toilet, Heating, Bath or Shower Free WiFi is available in all rooms. Check-in / / Check-in date Check-out / / Check-out date Rooms Adults Children
	Double Room 1 double bed	Show prices
댴 Private bathroom Room size: 215 ft² These rooms are individually decorated and are en suite with digital TV, whilst retaining original features and characteristics. Room facilities: TV, Telephone, Hairdryer, Iron, Bathrobe, Radio, Desk, Ironing Facilities, Free toiletries, Toilet, Bathroom, Heating, Satellite Channels, Bath or Shower, Carpeted, Interconnected room(s) available, View, Wake-up service, Alarm clock, Electric kettle, Wardrobe/Closet, Hypoallergenic, Towels Free WiFi is available in all rooms. Check-in / / Check-in date Check-out / / Check-out date Rooms Adults Children

The Ancient Gatehouse was just booked 4 times on our site. Reserve your spot now.

An inside look at The Ancient Gatehouse

The Ancient Gatehouse is a family run hotel and restaurant offering a blend of friendly and professional attention in relaxed yet stylish surroundings situated facing the famous west front of Wells Cathedral and the Cathedral Green. The Rossi family have run the hotel for over 40 years. We are constantly upgrading the bedrooms and bathrooms to reach a very high standard.

Want to send a special request to Jonathan & Nicholas Rossi? Add in the next step!

Property surroundings –

Closest landmarks

Wells Cathedral 0.4 miles
Wookey Hole Caves 1.3 miles
Cheddar Gorge Caves 7.2 miles
Cheddar Gorge Craft Village 7.3 miles
Chew Valley Lake 8.7 miles
Coombe Lodge 9.1 miles

Restaurants and markets

Wells Farmers Market Market 0 miles
Waitrose Supermarket 0.3 miles

Natural beauty

Chew Valley Lake Lake 10.1 miles

Closest airports

Bristol Airport 12.5 miles
Cardiff Airport 32.8 miles
Bournemouth Airport 45.8 miles

What travellers love about this location

“Location was idyllic The lack of parking wasn't really an issue. Staff were lovely ”

Louise

United Kingdom

“I chose this hotel based on it's location and am very pleased with my choice. There is a bus stop about a minute's walk away and the bus station is an easy stroll, less than 10 minutes. The local High Street, restaurants, banks, shops and cash points are also just a couple of minutes walk away. Wells Cathedral and the Wells & Mendip Museum are, literally, across the square from it. Their in-house restaurant, Rugantino, is very good, serving both English and Italian. My breakfast selection was wide and their full English was huge. The evening that I dined there, I had the Shrimp Tempura and the Filleto de Maiale, both of which were excellent. The staff were all pleasant and helpful and the view of Wells Cathedral directly across from my bedroom was inspiring.”

Roxane

United Kingdom

“Interesting rooms with poster beds. Great location next to the cathedral. Good restaurant.”

Björn

Sweden

Are you missing any information about this area? Yes / No

Brilliant!

1 restaurant on site

Rugantino

Menu: À la carte

Cuisine: Italian

Open for: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

6 reasons to choose The Ancient Gatehouse

Manage your bookings online

520 independent reviews

They speak 4 languages

Booking is safe

One of our top picks in Wells

Good to know

Check-in

From 14:00 hours

Check-out

Until 11:00 hours

Cancellation/
prepayment

Cancellation and prepayment policies vary according to room type. Please enter the dates of your stay and check the conditions of your required room.

Children and extra beds

Children cannot be accommodated at the hotel.

There is no capacity for extra beds in the room.

Pets

Pets are allowed on request. Charges may be applicable.

Cards accepted at this property

Hover over the cards for more info.

Or, take a look at these appealing alternatives:

The Kingsdon Inn has a review score of 9.6

See the 5 best hotels in Wells, based on 3,652 verified hotel reviews on Booking.com.

The fine print

If you plan to arrive later than 22:00, please contact reception using the contact details provided on your booking confirmation.

See all guest reviews for The Ancient Gatehouse

Newest reviews for The Ancient Gatehouse

17 August 2017

Emma
United Kingdom
8.8

“Amazing location!”
- • Leisure trip
- • Couple
- • Room with Four-Poster Bed
- • Stayed 1 night
- • Submitted via mobile
눉4 poster pretty but bed a little too hard
눇Amazing location! Just to sit in the dining room & stare at the cathedral!
16 August 2017

Gillian
United Kingdom
9.2

“Good value, lovely views of Wells Cathedral. Be prepared to park at Waitrose which is 10mins walk .”
- • Leisure trip
- • Group of friends
- • Twin Room
- • Stayed 1 night
눉Although the stairs were ok for us. They were very steep and windy, some people would find this a problem. And it doesn't mention this anywhere. But to compensate the evening meal was absolutely lovely.
15 August 2017

Michael
United Kingdom
10

“extremly pleasant”
- • Leisure trip
- • Couple
- • Double Room
- • Stayed 1 night
눇Staff,location and quality of the food
14 August 2017

Stephen
United Kingdom

3 helpful votes
10

“Friendly welcoming gorgeous setting x will definitely stay again”
- • Leisure trip
- • Couple
- • Classic Double Room
- • Stayed 2 nights
- • Submitted via mobile
눇Outstanding Italian food
14 August 2017

Sarah
United Kingdom
10

“Great weekend”
- • Leisure trip
- • Solo traveller
- • Twin Room
- • Stayed 2 nights
눇The Hotel was very quirky and all the staff I met during my stay were extremely friendly. I had dinner in the restaurant and the table I sat at had a great view of Wells Cathedral.
13 August 2017

Liz
United Kingdom
7.1

“Lovely position with great view of cathedral. Lovely friendly hotel with good food.”
- • Leisure trip
- • Solo traveller
- • Classic Double Room
- • Stayed 1 night
- • Submitted via mobile
눉Booking.com advised parking but none available so has to park in pay and display which added £10 to the cost of staying there.
눇Friendliness of staff. Good good. Room quirky and nice.
13 August 2017

William
United Kingdom
8.8

“Wells is well worth a visit.”
- • Leisure trip
- • Couple
- • Twin Room
- • Stayed 3 nights
- • Submitted via mobile
눉There is little chance of parking close to the hotel , we parked at Cathedral Green that was free until 10 am.
눇The bed was not the most comfortable one we have ever slept in but it was adequate, breakfast was very good lots of choices and friendly staff. We had lunch in the dining room and the food was first class and affordable.
10 August 2017

Louise
United Kingdom
9.2

Superb
- • Leisure trip
- • Couple
- • Classic Double Room
- • Stayed 4 nights
- • Submitted via mobile
눉Bit of a winding staircase to our room which wasn't always easy but expected as it was advised on the booking info Bathroom could have been cleaned more throughly (skirting and edges a little dusty and hair-y) Not a huge amount of space in the room but again quite quaint due to the nature of the building
눇Location was idyllic The lack of parking wasn't really an issue. Staff were lovely
9 August 2017

Roxane
United Kingdom
7.9

“Excellent location.”
- • Leisure trip
- • Solo traveller
- • Twin Room
- • Stayed 3 nights
눇I chose this hotel based on it's location and am very pleased with my choice. There is a bus stop about a minute's walk away and the bus station is an easy stroll, less than 10 minutes. The local High Street, restaurants, banks, shops and cash points are also just a couple of minutes walk away. Wells Cathedral and the Wells & Mendip Museum are, literally, across the square from it. Their in-house restaurant, Rugantino, is very good, serving both English and Italian. My breakfast selection was wide and their full English was huge. The evening that I dined there, I had the Shrimp Tempura and the Filleto de Maiale, both of which were excellent. The staff were all pleasant and helpful and the view of Wells Cathedral directly across from my bedroom was inspiring.
8 August 2017

Anonymous
United Kingdom
8.8

Fabulous
- • Leisure trip
- • Solo traveller
- • Classic Double Room
- • Stayed 1 night
눉Only to be expected with a building of this age, some of the stairs were quite uneven. A top-floor room, at least, not recommended for anyone with mobility problems.
눇Central location in a city full of history. Some of the rooms have views over the beautiful west front of the cathedral. A good breakfast to set me up for the day.
7 August 2017

Gary
United Kingdom
4.6

“Anniversary off to a bad start with poor room.”
- • Leisure trip
- • Couple
- • Room with Four-Poster Bed
- • Stayed 1 night
눉Room as booked was not available on arrival (email request on booking was ignored). Substitute room was very poor. Changed hotels. Management threatened to charge for the room anyway.
7 August 2017

Sandra
United Kingdom
8.8

“A return visit to Wells , where we got married in 2014 .”
- • Leisure trip
- • Couple
- • Double Room
- • Stayed 2 nights
- • Submitted via mobile
눉Overall there wasn't anything we didn't like . Food in Restaurent was excellent .
눇We really liked the room above the gate House was very quirky. Lots of character .
4 August 2017

Peter
United Kingdom
10

“Super place to stay in the centre of historic Wells.”
- • Leisure trip
- • Couple
- • Double Room
- • Stayed 1 night
눇Quirky old building with a great view of the Cathedral and a yummy breakfast :)
3 August 2017

Björn
Sweden

1 helpful vote
9.6

Exceptional
- • Leisure trip
- • Group of friends
- • Room with Four-Poster Bed
- • Stayed 1 night
눇Interesting rooms with poster beds. Great location next to the cathedral. Good restaurant.
3 August 2017

Kevin
United Kingdom
6.3

“Room with a view!”
- • Leisure trip
- • Couple
- • Room with Four-Poster Bed
- • Stayed 2 nights
- • Submitted via mobile
눉Lack of facilities in hotel! Restaurant good food but found plastic on starter which put me off a bit and staff did apologise but I felt not enough was done to compensate. Bedroom had fantastic view but difficult getting up very steep stairs
눇Wells was lively

The Ancient Gatehouse

Most popular facilities

Guests love...

Lock in a great price for your upcoming stay

Availability

See availability Property surroundings – Great location - show map

Closest landmarks

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Natural beauty

Closest airports

What travellers love about this location

Rugantino

6 reasons to choose The Ancient Gatehouse

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Newest reviews for The Ancient Gatehouse

Emma

Gillian

Michael

Stephen

Sarah

Liz

William

Louise

Roxane

Anonymous

Gary

Sandra

Peter

Björn

Kevin

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