Bennett Arms in Wiltshire

Visit the Benett Arms fairly regularly for lunch and have never been disappointed with the food or service or range of well kept beers. Excellent place for a proper country pub outing.

Stay here for a few days during the week the rooms were clean and and the staff were very friendly and helpful. Good sections on the food menu.

What a lovely place - friendly, welcoming and good beer and in a gorgeous location with plenty of benches on the village green

Great beer, great food, and lovely staff.

This out of the way restaurant and hotel was recommended to me by a local. We dropped in for a quick lunch break and were very impressed. The staff were welcoming and engaged with us, the home made Potato and Leek soup was sensational. The real ale was good too. Made my shortlist!

Love it! We've eaten here twice on our holiday, plus a couple of drinks, and had a warm welcome and fantastic service every time. The food is wonderful.

We had 3 meals at the Benett arms over our weeks stay in the area. All were top-notch. The food was lovely and plenty of it. The chips were double cooked. The staff were very friendly and very welcoming. A must if you are in the area.

Fabulous real home cooked food. Steak n kidney pie with actual meat in it. Chips were not oven chips which we both were happy about as fed up with cheap bought oven rubbish and for the 1st time in three years i didnt have to send them back because they came without salt on 🙂🙂 ( i dislike salt on my food ) ... highly recommend. If we lived 240 miles closer this would be our local 🙂🙂

Landlady looked like she'd rather be somewhere else. Good location, clean and comfortable room. We felt like We were an inconvenience. We wouldn't return.

A lovely friendly village pub serving nice food. We stayed while on a family trip to show my daughter where I grew up. The room was comfortable a nicely decorated, the staffwere friendly and the location was lovely. The breakfast which was included was nicely cooked and great quality ingredients. We also had evening meals both nights which were nice too. It's a very quiet village but there is a lovely village shop selling all sorts from toiletries amd sandwiches to cards and gifts plus the local farm has a milk dispenser just along from the pub which was really fun. Would definitely stay again.

We had a fabulous welcome meals were lovely I was able to have gluten free. Rooms were spacious very clean. Staff were brilliant and couldn't do enough for us. Would certainly recommend. Stayed 26 to 29 Aug breakfast was lovely too great choice

Family gathering at this pub which was prebooked. When we phoned upto book we received a friendly welcome. This continued when we arrived. It was busy inside and out, which is a great sign. Food menu was excellent with lots of fish dishes. Reasonably priced, tasty and hot. We will certainly be returning!

We recently stayed at the The Benett Arms for four nights to attend a family wedding in Semley. We booked three rooms and had multiple meals and everything was perfect. The rooms were comfortable, clean and quiet, the breakfasts were good and the service was excellent. The Benett Arms is a proper traditional village inn with hearty food and great beer. I'm delighted to be able to recommend a stay here.

Lovely old pub, stayed one night as wanted to visit Shaftesbury. Easy parking, great breakfast, friendly staff and really nice landlady. Pub bar has a good vibe. Would definitely stay again if in the area.

My sister and I were in Semley for the Music Festival in July but visited the pub on a couple of occasions while we were there. Michelle, Mathew and Mel made us feel very welcome and the real ale was great too. I would highly recommend this village pub to anyone who is looking to have a decent pint in a homely, traditional pub with a great atmosphere and lovely staff!

Not child friendly so if you are visiting with children I’d suggest sitting outside or visiting elsewhere. Very unimpressed

This lovely pub/ b&b is run / owned by such accommodating owners and staff. Nothing too much trouble. So friendly. We are coming back very soon. The only thing I would say is a few toiletry’s would be good. Other than that brilliant. Thankyou.

Stayed one night which was lovely in a beautiful little village. Room was clean, we was made to feel welcome and our dogs too! Really nice friendly staff and we had the pizza on the Sunday night which was yummy!!! Me, my friend and of course the dogs will definitely go back. Oh and forgot to mention breakfast was lovely x

Needs investment staff were nice

We stayed the night here in our van. The Inn is very historic, beautiful and the staff are great. They have a great menu, lovely ales and provided a full English in the morning. The beer garden are large and very well kept and there is also an additional ‘outside:inn’ room with a log burner and heat lamps. Recommended!

Absolutely amazing lunch time meal great flavours and brilliant service worth the detour to revisit.

The Sunday roast was distinctly average. We had roast beef - there was not much meat (and it was cold in places which suggested it was heated up in a microwave) but the plate was swimming in gravy - vegetables were decent but a little overcooked. The Yorkshire puddings were not freshly made. The barman was also taking orders so on a busy day not that attentive. Disappointing overall.

Dogfriendly. Nice room. Good dinner & breaksfast. Friendly people.

Nice atmosphere & service, would return to drink but potentially not as wild about the food.

Great pub, with good traditional pub food at reasonable prices.

Good real ales are on the bar, but the star is the food. I had Venison pie from the special board. The pastry was fantastic, and the filling superb, the taste of juniper, was present but not overpowering. A great meal, great value for money.

3 of us stayed there for 3 nights B & B. The guest rooms are in a separate wig behing the pub. Our rooms were a good size & comfortable with ensuites One door lock was a bit stiff & the windows are single glaze. only real criticism was the lack of a 2nd chair & no hooks in the bathroom, but this is a failing of most B & Bs. Breakfast served in a part of the pub was full & freshly cooked. Ample parking acroos road from pub. Nice little village with large church for its size. Its yard has the graves of the policewoman shot outside Iranian Embassy (also a beautiful stained glass window in her honour), & of Jululian Bream, world famous classical guitarist.

Had a lovely evening sat on the green with a cool drink in the sun. Really enjoyed the Friday fish menu and the fish cakes with Brie and bacon. Staff very friendly.

Love the pub, good location and good food. Really object to automatic addition of 10% tip. That should be my choice not theirs.

I have eaten and drunk here several times since I moved into the area at Easter 2022. The beers are well kept and the, mainly, home cooked food is excellent and is good value for money. I have never had to wait a long time for my food to arrive and the staff have always been cheerful and friendly. It's a nice rural pub with lots of atmosphere. I believe that the pub has changed hands since the previous negative reviews were posted.

An absolute delight the food is superb. Ale is excellent and the wines are well worth the price for the quality. The waitress is a joy. Great experience.

What a disappointment. We were looking forward to a family meal to celebrate a birthday and this was a disaster. Our order was taken and we then waited an hour and a half for the meal to be served, during which no-one came to the table to apologise or to ask if we would like more drinks. After enquiring how much longer we would have to wait, the food finally arrived. Three of the party had ordered the steak pie with new potatoes and seasonal vegetables. The pie itself, although meaty, was very dry, the potatoes, which were sliced, were barely cooked and the only vegetables were frozen peas. The gravy, which was served separately in a small jug, was very thick and unappetising. Two more of us chose beef lasagna which although passable, was obviously not home-made. The other meal was a burger which was also not up to the mark. Being an old pub we expected pleasant and comfortable surroundings, but the room to which we were directed was neither. Painted a very dark green and with bare wooden tables which weren't 'dressed' in any way, no flowers anywhere and a wood floor, it was quite gloomy and depressing on what was a wet and cloudy evening. Altogether an experience we would definitely not repeat.

Great service and food, we stopped off here on the way to Weymouth. Food and drink was fabulous and at a reasonable price. We had the suet pudding and chicken burger

Honest food well cooked. Lots of kidney in the very tasty pie. A rather limited menu but not surprising after lockdown. Good friendly service.

After waiting over an hour for a pre ordered meal, having chosen sausage and mash, I thought nothing could go wrong. A mistake, sausages were tasteless other than a back kick. They left an aftertaste. Meal went back and they had the audacity to charge for it. Never again. Also got accused of making the waitress cry, I only asked her to take it away.

THE WORST. Turned up but was told to leave. All we wanted was to have supper - but turned away for NO reason. Would have had better hopes for a public house. Despicable and absolutely disgusting treatment of clients or prospective guest. Never again will I go there.

I can only assume that other reviewers went to a different Bennett Arms in Semley than the one we went to. The food, while reasonably priced, was very disappointing. I chose the steak and kidney pie, which took me straight back to the motorway services of the 1970s: dried out meat, bullet proof pastry and vegetables boiled to destruction. Chips were leathery, badly needed proximity to heat and had been awaiting our arrival for some hours. My wife’s steak was advertised as ribeye. While it tasted OK it certainly did not look like any ribeye I have seen and was very sinewy. Chefs might be hard to come by in this beautiful rural area but if our meal was the norm then despite the difficulties I would be actively seeking a new one. The only saving grace was the excellent waiter, who was very friendly, cheerful and helpful.

Stopped by chance on way back from visiting Old Wardour Castle (english heritage). Lovely meal at reasonable price with real ales on tap. Excellent friendly service. Would thoroughly recommend. Will be back as we live near and will recommend to our friends.

We ate here four times whilst on holiday close by. Very good pub grub and well kept real ales. The staff and local regulars made us feel very welcome.

A warm welcome from everyone working in the pub. Correct adherence to new covid rules, good to see. Our meals were freshly cooked and really good quality, special mentions for haddock & mozzarella fish cakes and sirloin steak cooked to a medium rare perfection, plus divine chips. Thoroughly recommended. We will return!

Nice friendly atmosphere on arrival good range of ales staff attentive small menu great salt and pepper squid starter, ribeye steak overcooked when asked for rare it came as well done - still very tasty when asked how the meal was pointed out the about the steak being overdone - went back with more friends the following week they asked for steak and had the same rare/well done experience - a shame as a nice pub with great outdoor space - need to listen how people want their steak

Quirky free house with good beer, excellent food and B&B. Woodburner, large outdoor seating area, lots of parking

We were lost and hungry. I rang the Bennett Arms and they said they would stay open until we arrived. And they did!!! Above and beyond the call of duty. Thank you so much Bennett Arms!! Great food and some excellent cask beers. Highly recommended.

well looked after ever changing selection of real ale with a friendly welcome good ample parking and accomodation

Delightful country pub. Cosy bar area usually full of friendly locals, where there is often a roaring fire and comfortable sofas.

We came for lunch and had the pheasant which we enjoyed.Service was excellent and the beer was good.An excellent local pub.

We popped in for a light lunch on a windy wet Saturday lunchtime and what a welcome. Stepping into a cosy snug full of chatter, a log fire burning brightly and a large well behaved dog lying in front of it. We had to eat in the upper part which was the only downside but we had a lovely time and a hearty lunch. Everyone was very friendly and my Dad mentioned more than once how marvellous the gents’ loos were!! Highly recommend this place, it’s friendly, warm, popular and unpretentious.

We called in for a pint after a lovely day visiting the amazing Old Wardour Castle (which I thoroughly recommend!). So very many pubs seem to be totally "up themselves" nowadays, pretending to be fancy restaurants, and charging ridiculous prices. The Benett Arms (and I believe it is one 'n', not two in the middle of the word!) is what it is. The main bar is small and cosy, warmed by a proper blazing stove. This evening it was full of people chattering away. I complimented the barman on the absence of TV screens, music and slot machines, and he was clear that that was very much the management's choice. I know it's not to everyone's taste, but we loved the place. It's just a pity that we're going home to Devon tomorrow. If this pub were near our home, it would be a regular haunt I'm sure.

Very comfortable accommodation attached to very old pub in a village consisting of general store, school & church. All the meals were very good and the hosts very obliging and helped with guides for Slovak sight seeing. The hotel in located outside Shaftesbury in a quiet village

We ordered the ham and pheasant pie and the aubergine parmigiana. Both were exceedingly good. The pub is quaint and characterful. Clean, well fitted out bathrooms. On site off road parking.

A pub that has accomadation but sadly is not up to the pictures.I really don't like giving poor ratings however the Benett Arms really needs to have money spent on it is it is going to be successful.Like all establishments I suggest that you check out the food hygene rating. I did after i had stayed there and wasn't surprised.

Lovely local community pub super atmosphere food was good staff very helpful and pleasant would recommend a visit if in the locality

Arrived on a lovely sunny day in beautiful country side and found this great pub-The Bennett Arms

Lovely location with a great area on the common opposite the pub with tables. Inside simple, relaxed bar area.

As ever, the welcome, food and service at the Bennett Arms are really good! It’s such a lovely place to while away a chilled lunch time or evening. A good traditional C17 local in a pretty rural setting too! My family enjoyed a very comfortable stay there too. Thank you!

Visited for an evening meal - a very quiet location, traditional pub with resturant. Food all local - not a wide selection - yet everything was well cooked, served with decent portions, once in the eating area well paced food delivery and not rushed in any way - so could enjoy the evening.

The food is very good here, they have long had a good reputation despite a change of ownership. Chef made us wait a while as she was cooking for regulars and we had not booked. I thought this was nice actually

Friendly staff. Inspected rooms for future and all looked clean, well equipped and comfortable. Had vegetarian option for quick lunch which was tasty and freshly prepared. Will be going back.

What a shocker. Advertising a 4 star rating when only a 1 !!!!!!! Not good. Food bland uninteresting, bar staff uninterested. Dirty in many places, you can see cobwebs all over, and they have been there a good while. Shame really good village pubs are hard to find this place was recommended by a friend. But very unimpressed

We came across this by chance when looking for a stopover on the way from London to Cornwall. Great little traditional pub with an excellent beer selection. This is confirmed by the fact they'd won the Camra regional pub of the year award. Tiny bar, very cosy, 4 ales on tap when we were in. We ate in the pub that night, whitebait starter, followed by delicious steak and kidney pie. My pal had the burger which was also fresh and delicous. We stayed in one of the rooms which was comfy, and had bottles of water and tea/coffee facilities in the room. The breakfast was all locally sourced produce, and Lee (the propietor) walked up the road to get the milk from an adjacent farm. In essence, great landlord, excellent beer and food, fine accomodation and a top breakfast. The perfect country pub. So reassuring to see they still exist.

Quick detour from the nearby main road and found this rather lovely pub in the small village of Semley, near Old Wardour Castle. Ordered a half each of bomber to drink while we waited for the short time for them to take orders for evening meal. Mine was a steak, and my friend the courgette cheese dish.

Set in a delightful village, I was thrilled with this B&B;, not only are the owners Lee & Lena friendly and helpful, but they also run a truly comfortable and clean establishment.

We were on our way to Bristol and I love the drive though the Donheads and Semley before hitting the main road up to Warminster. The Bennett Arms at Semley is the perfect spot to stop at for lunch on the way. A delightful small bar down some stairs and a warm welcome. An excellent pint of beer and very good food. Bridie settled on the whitebait. They came with chips and salad. Tim and I had the smoked mackerel pate. Obviously homemade and very good too. All in all a very good light lunch.

My father lives nearby but hadn't been for years so we decided to make a visit for one of our occasional suppers out.

The staff, in particular the owner, were stressed, unfriendly (to the point of rudeness) & not just with us - we witnessed this with several different customers in the hour that we were there! Very unhelpful service - unwillingness to discuss the food menu options - which appeared decidedly adequate on the plates being served around us - the entire ethos to the pub was rushed & unloved - very poor.

Rooms are drab and dark and very basic.... no glasses for the water and just one towel each.....

Visited at lunch-time for a quick light bite and found it really nice. They close mid-afternoon until the evening, which is the only downside but if there is no business to be had then we suppose it is reasonable. It was recommended to us and the food was no disappointment

Stayed overnight last night with my teenage daughter in the twin room, number two. Everything was spotless and the beds were comfy. Tea and coffee facilities, biscuits, mineral water, clean fluffy towels.

Stayed at this pub for work in a local village & it was picture postcard perfect on arrival. Car park for the three rooms is at the side of the pub & there’s spaces across the road for pub users. The rooms were basic but clean. Had tea/coffee making facilities, bottled water, hairdryer, TV & bath with shower overhead in bathroom.

So I'm used to writing good reviews but not this time! But let's start with a positive and the reason it has two stars and not one - its location. It's found in a beautiful unspoilt village in South West Wiltshire across the road from the village pond and with views if the church. A country idyll. It's a nice area and well heeled. However, all the locals recommend the Beckford Arms a couple of miles up the road and with good reason. It's miserable inside - much smaller than it appears with bright lights and a dingy atmosphere. You could say it's a traditional pub which in some ways is a welcome break from all the gastro pubs everywhere; but it just doesn't make anything of itself. Under invested and under patronised it is. But that isn't why I've marked it down. Quite simply it's unfriendly with rubbish selection of beers etc. Actually that's not quite fair - there was a young woman working who was quite nice but it is the man of the house that was the problem. Rude and grumpy sums it up. It was 10.30 when he made his first appearance to state 'in locking the doors now' or in other words 'bugger off'! So we did. Obviously he wanted to close early because of a lack of custom - which isn't uncommon in these sleepy village pubs but most are much more friendly. So the moral of the story is listen to the local people in the village and heed their advice. This place could be so much nicer - like the Beckford Arms which was recommended - it has a lovely location and nice looking building from the outside but step inside and you'll wish you bought a £10 bottle of wine from Waitrose and stayed at homeof which the homes in this area are so nice why pay to sit drinking Carlsberg in this place!

There is ample parking opposite the pub and if you enter from the side you go through a very modern entrance down some steps into the main bar which is very small with limited seating.

A real gem of a pub in the beautiful Semley. Run by family team Lee and Lena not forgetting their two adorable little girls, I spent 2 nights and loved every minute! Rooms stylishly decorated, food exceptional (especially the game pie - yum!) and I enjoyed a few glasses of wine in the cosy bar. By day I loved exploring the local fields and nature trails - Very muddy so take wellies! Looking forward to returning.

We stayed for 5 nights at the Bennett arms and we had a great time. Lee, Lena and their family, who own the place were so warm, welcoming, friendly and nothing was too much trouble. The rooms are comfy and clean. The breakfasts every morning were delicious, freshly cooked, high quality produce plenty of choice. The evening pub meals were again so tasty, piping hot and a good choice. The bar area had a lovely atmosphere, with banter from the locals, a wood fire, comfy sofa, real character to it. It was an ideal location for longleat safari park, shopping in Salisbury, Shaftesbury and an easy run down to Southampton too. Highly recommend

Yet another area and pub close to my families heart, going back so many many years. Had lunch in what must be the smallest bar area in the world, great big harth. Several folks came in with their dogs, which were welcomed.

Very good pub grub , large portions of well cooked dishes at reasonable prices in a quaint dining room

A two day stay in the Bennett arms while attending a wedding,,, Great atmosphere and very comfortable accommodation ,,, The...

We went with a big party for supper without booking. They said they had to look after their regulars first...

The only reason I have given a rating of 4 rather than 5 is that the accommodation involved a few...

Friendly atmosphere and a quieter dining room away from the bar. Good choice of food. Had a perfectly cooked Lamb Steak off the specials board. Value for money as was the very adequate bedroom in an annexe.

We had dinner in the Pub we staid in, our appetite increased by the smells coming out of the kitchen. We chose good plain dishes after a day out and were not disappointed having a great meal.

Lovely range of lunches small or large, great country location, peacefull, booked to early inside but such a lovely day sat outside, food lovely, quaint little bar, bright dinning room or dinning in the pub. Definitely worth a visit.

Really lovely old country pub with so much charm and character. Very friendly staff and excellent service. Would really recommend the homemade pies too!

We booked to stay at this pub overnight whilst on our way down to Devon.We had a very nice warm and lovely welcome from Lena.We were shown to our room which was very clean indeed and tastefully decorated.We also chose to eat in the pub that evening and the food was reasonably priced presented very well and tasted very good.After dinner we chose to sit in the bar and have a few drinks in a very friendly atmosphere we even got chatting to some of the locals and had a lot of laughs (not one of those clicky country pubs) and the drinks very reasonably priced as well.The following morning a lovely choice of cooked to order breakfast.Checking out was nice and easy and it was nice to speak to Lee (lenas husband) and hear his story so far of taking over the pub.Well worth the visit.

stopped for a drink on a Friday evening after afternoon of walking. Pimms was lovely, well stocked with fruit and mint. had a pop up pizza that seemed to be popular. friendly staff and locals.

I have been for numerous shoot breakfasts - bacon rolls, coffee etc. and always found the Bennet Arms excellent over a number of years.

Lovely little pub off the beaten track. The food was excellent and very good value for money, the staff were friendly and polite and overall the service was excellent. If we are back in the area we will definitely eat here again.

We were heading down to Poole from the Midlands and took a punt stopping at The Bennett Arms. The staff were lovely, we chatted to the owner for a while who was very nice. Food was very good and reasonably priced and the local ale was just what I needed en route. We'll stop again the next time we are travelling down to the coast.

For diners, walkers and cyclists alike this pub has stood the ravages of time and economy to continue serving guest ales, great cider, fine wines and free doggie chews for man's best friendThere's a log fire in the bar that has steamed many a pooch and sodden traveller in the past and a restaurant for those seeking more intimate dining arrangements To try to sum up the Bennett Arms is like painting a picture, you'll all look at the subject though your results will differ, I love the food, the ambiance and the warm greeting you get A hidden treasure of rural Wiltshire that hopefully will continue for centuries to come

My own fault thought I'd go back. Served by young man who really needs to learn to pour a pint and how to talk to a customer ! Gave up trying to order food no one wanted to know !! Then to top it off as it was a sunny sat outside on the common just before 3 both me and my partner ordered drinks, yes served no worries if you like a hell of a lot of head on your ale ! But next thing you know doors locked. Can't even pee. Glasses we left on the table and drove past the next morning glasses still there !!!!!!! Never ever again give up such a shame as it WAS a lovely pub.

Some of the more rec nt reviews have not been good, but when we visited recently, both the food and service was very good. The pub is small and in the village of Semley, a couple of miles off the A350 on the Wiltshire/Devon border.We were a party of four and had the crab, the steak and kidney pie and the ploughmans. The food was good as was the service from the young lady on the bar.

Stopped off en route to the coast on the basis of the CAMRA rating. Beer was great! A proper pub in a lovely village.

Under new management. Stay clear! Long gone is the friendly welcome, the trust. New owner rude not interested unless it's about him!! No return for me !!

Lovely pub and very friendly and helpful staff but food was disappointing. Yorkshire pudding was burnt, beef was tough and the fish and chips not very good at all. Such a shame

We found this place by accident and now it is on our list to revisit. A great pub in a lovely village setting. Great and varied menu and the food was great. The staff and locals were very friendly and made us feel welcome.

A lovely welcome by attentive staff, we regularly visit and always find the staff, food and drink to be superb.

As a visiting party of four, we ordered our lunch here one Friday afternoon. I ordered the beefburger, as I'm a little partial. When the burger was brought out, I noticed two things. Firstly, the bun had mould on it, and secondly there was an odd smell to the meat. We summoned the waitress who apologised profusely and took the dish back to the kitchen with a promise of a new burger. She returned 10 minutes or so later with the burger, and apologised again. HOWEVER, upon closer inspection it became obvious that this was the exact same burger as I had originally rejected. The mould had been scraped off, and the bun was now toasted, whereas it previously hadn't been. As time was ticking on, we didn't have the patience to send it back a second time, but rather declined to consume the item and raised this when it came to settling the bill. The staff were once again gracious and apologetic, deducting the value of the dish from the total due. My observation would be that there are serious issues in the kitchen, and the poor staff are oblivious to it or can't do anything about it. Certainly won't be back.

Really good pub food that's well priced and generous portions is a truly wonderful thing. The Bennet really offers that! Walking in, the atmosphere is really local-pub-like, in a cosy and chatty way. Through to the dining area and it's all been done up really nicely, a lovely shift in atmosphere.I really very highly recommend it!

Great food, home cooked at an excellent price, not silly inflated gastro pub prices and excellent, award winning, real ales. Dog friendly with a lovely bit of common to enjoy your drink in the sun and toasty fire in the winter. Great rooms too if you need a place to stay. Quintessential English pub, well worth a visit to the beautiful Wiltshire countryside.

Fantastic real ale great staff food was great , what a beautiful pub ,cracking location . a great little pub with a stunning atmosphere ,real magical find

Not Weatherspoons, nor Ricki Steins. But good food, good portions and very accommodating with allergies. Good beer. Small but friendly pub. Loads of locals attend it. Will return.