Roger Oats studio and workshop was the former Somers Arms. It offers a fascinating glimpse into life on a 19th-century rural estate. Built in the early 1800s, around the same time Eastnor Castle was rising above the surrounding parkland, the inn formed an important part of the village’s planned development under the Somers family. Its solid brick construction, sash windows and central pediment are all typical of the period, and much of this original character survives today.

For much of the 19th century the Somers Arms served as Eastnor’s village inn, providing refreshment for estate workers, travellers on the A438, and visitors to the castle. Like many estate pubs, it was shaped by the priorities of its owners—in this case the Somers-Cocks family, who influenced almost every aspect of village life. This influence became especially significant towards the end of the century, when Lady Henry Somerset emerged as a leading national figure in the Temperance movement.

Under her direction, several drinking houses on the Eastnor and Ledbury estates were reformed or closed altogether. The Somers Arms was one of them. By the late 19th century it had been transformed from a traditional public house into a temperance hotel—a place where food and lodging were offered, but alcohol was strictly absent. Old photographs and postcards from around 1900 still show the familiar frontage, but the building’s role within the community had changed.

During the 20th century the Somers Arms gradually ceased to function as any kind of public establishment and became a private residence. Its historic value, however, was officially recognised in 1968, when it was listed Grade II for its early-19th-century architecture and well-preserved exterior. Today it remains one of Eastnor’s most distinctive buildings: a reminder of the village’s close ties to the estate, the social reforms of the Victorian era, and the long history of hospitality—alcoholic or otherwise—within this quiet corner of Herefordshire.