Koos Bekker’s The Newt reshapes life near Castle Cary town UK

Castle Cary is a small market town in Somerset, a rural county in southwest England, about 115 miles southwest of London by rail. It is the kind of place many international readers may not know, but in recent years it has become tied to one of Britain’s most visible countryside luxury projects.

That project is The Newt in Somerset, a large country estate developed by South African billionaire Koos Bekker and his wife, Karen Roos. The estate sits near Castle Cary and Bruton and has grown into a major hospitality and tourism destination that now helps define how outsiders see this part of England.

Bekker is best known in African business circles for helping build Naspers into a global media and technology group. In Somerset, his footprint is different. It is physical, local and highly visible, centered on gardens, farmland, hotels, restaurants and a visitor experience built around a working estate.

What The Newt is and why it matters

The Newt is not just a hotel. It is a large working country estate in Somerset with gardens, woodland, farmland and cider orchards, plus restaurants, shops, spa facilities and membership based day access for visitors. Its public materials describe it as a place built around food, farming and the landscape, with tourism wrapped into that model.

That matters because it changes the local economy in ways a single hotel does not. The Newt brings overnight guests, day visitors and event traffic. It also creates a steady flow of spending on hospitality, food and transport in the surrounding area.

Castle Cary has become part of that story because it is one of the nearest rail gateways. The station is on major lines linking the region to London and the wider West Country, which makes it a practical arrival point for visitors heading to local destinations.

Where Castle Cary sits in England

Castle Cary is in southeast Somerset, a largely rural part of England known for small towns, farmland and market centers. The town itself has a traditional high street and a long market town history, while the railway station sits about a mile north of the town center.

To readers outside the UK, the easiest way to think about it is this: Castle Cary is a small English town that functions as both a local community and a transport node for nearby high profile destinations, including The Newt and seasonal events in the region.

That dual role has increased its visibility. It is no longer only a local town on a regional map. It is now part of a wider tourism circuit that attracts domestic and international visitors.

Bekker’s influence on the area

Bekker and Roos have helped create one of the most recognizable private hospitality investments in rural Britain. The Newt is often described as a luxury countryside destination, but its scale and design mean it also acts as a land, food and tourism business with a long term strategy.

That has brought jobs, business activity and attention, while also raising familiar questions seen around major rural developments, including pressure on local housing, traffic and the balance between tourism growth and community identity.

Castle Cary remains a working town with its own daily rhythm, not just a stop for visitors. Still, its rising profile now owes a lot to proximity. In practical terms, one of Africa’s best known billionaires has helped put this small corner of Somerset on a much larger stage.