Oval House lies on the Fosse Way, the ancient Roman highway and in the shadow of Downside Abbey on the beautiful Mendip Hills in Somerset. With its two foot thick walls, central heating, log fire, Oval House is a warm winter hideaway and a cool summer country retreat all in one.

No-one can tell us how it acquired its name but it is patently not ‘oval’.  It traces its origins to the 17th Century when it was probably built as two or three dwellings to serve the nearby Mount Pleasant (later Downside) House.

Early photographs show it with a thatched roof when it was part of the Duchy of Cornwall estate and hence the Deeds of the house show a sale between HRH The Prince of Wales (who is also the Duke of Cornwall) and Mr Fry, a copy of which is in the vistors’ bedrooms.

Probably one of the oldest buildings in the village, it has also served as a blacksmith and a post office, but is now a five-bedroom family home with pretty garden with aspects of rural Somerset farmland, Downside parkland and a vista of Downside Abbey.

Marybell and Roddy Mellotte moved to Oval House in 1983 having lived in many places overseas, not least in Berlin, Hong Kong and Denmark.  The family have been looking after visitors for 25 years now and have made many friends among the large number of their overseas and British visitors.  They have four children, three girls and one boy, although they have now virtually flown the nest.  Most popular with the visitors is Daisy, the Cocker Spaniel, and newly arrived, Crumble, our yellow Labrador, but there is a definite no spoiling rule!