Recently re-opened after a full refurbishment, this pretty 17th-century pub with rooms in Charlbury is now part of Daylesford Stays – a new name for the company’s growing collection of properties that includes The Wild Rabbit, The Fox and The Cottages (a fourth pub, The Three Horseshoes near Burford, will be revamped and added later this year).
Design notes
Craft is key, from four-poster beds built using wood from Daylesford Organic Farm to the handblock wallpaper made in Oxfordshire. Fabrics from Nila, a charitable organisation spearheaded by Carole Bamford which is dedicated to preserving natural dye and handloom traditions of rural India, have been used throughout. The pub itself is full of character: exposed stone walls, café style red-and-white striped linen curtains at the window, leather armchairs by the fire and, in the bar area, a display of 16th-century tankards and old butcher’s hooks.
Why stay here
For the food. In typical Daylesford fashion, you can be sure supper is going to be superb. As for the location, Charlbury is on the easternmost edge of the Cotswolds and a great base from which to explore the area's many villages and trails. Plus, the town has a train station so it’s easy to reach even without a car.
What’s around
Although at first it seems like a sleepy village, Charlbury has plenty going on, from the Saturday farmer’s market on the green to the annual Street Fair Egg Throwing challenge. There are four pubs (don’t get The Bull confused with The Bell) and plenty of country hikes from the doorstep (two short, circular options are marked with Gateway Route signs). The Cornbury Park estate has great cycling and walking paths and Blenheim Palace is a 15-minute drive away. Of the many nearby villages, Bourton-on-the-Water is especially lovely while Stow-on-the-Wold is excellent for antiques.
Don’t miss
Tapping into the full Daylesford experience. Nearby Daylesford Organic Farm has a shop, Michelin Green Star café, cookery school, Bamford Wellness Spa and The Old Spot restaurant. If you don’t have a car, ask about the complimentary Land Rover drop-off service.
Rooms and facilities
There are 12 individually decorated rooms (cosy, classic, spacious, and family), with eight above the pub and four upstairs in The Barn, which is used for private events and as an additional dining space at weekends. For drinks or eating outside in the summer, choose between the street-facing front (great for people watching) or high tree-trunk tables on the back terrace. Beyond the carpark, deckchairs are dotted around a lawn that slopes down to a stream at the bottom. Next year, the plan is to add an outdoor bar and pizza oven.
Food and drink
As you’d expect, the majority of produce on the menu comes from Daylesford Organic Farm (including fruit and vegetables picked from the 35-acre market garden) or its sister Wootton Estate in Staffordshire (such as the organic venison used for the carpaccio). Executive chef Alan Gleeson oversees food at both The Fox and here, where stand-outs include the sweetest heritage tomatoes, stracciatella and basil starter, moules marinière and, for dessert, roasted plums, mascarpone and crushed amaretti. Local beers and Daylesford cider can be found on the drinks menu. If you have room, the full English the next morning is delicious.
Family-friendly
Interconnecting Teasel and Cornflower (which has twin beds so ideal for teens) can be booked together. Cots can also be provided. In the restaurant, the children’s menu features a trio of favourites (penne with tomato sauce, bangers and mash, fish pie and peas), plus mini roasts on Sundays. All rooms are upstairs so not accessible for wheelchairs.
Booking essentials
Doubles from £194, B&B. 1 Church Street, Charlbury, Chipping Norton OX7 3PP
