All Photos: Bryan Dearsley / LuxuryUK
When it comes to truly authentic English experiences, nothing can match spending a few days in a proper pub with rooms. Especially when that pub just so happens to be in the Cotswolds. And better still, when that pub is The Wychwood Inn.
Located in the village of Shipton-under-Wychwood in Oxfordshire, The Wychwood Inn is everything you’d expect from a classic Cotswold inn: roaring log fires, walls a yard thick, and some of the coziest (and quietest) accommodations you’ll ever have the pleasure to lay down in.
A former 17th-century coaching inn on the old route between Chipping Norton and Burford, The Wychwood has been welcoming travellers for centuries. Today, it operates as an award-winning restaurant, pub, and boutique-style hotel. And it’s one of the most charming places you’ll ever check into.
The Wychwood Inn, Oxfordshire
The Wychwood has just five guest rooms, each individually decorated in a style that manages to feel contemporary yet respectful of the historic building. Colour palettes are modern yet warm (and freshly applied), but the building’s defining characteristics are those thick stone walls and the nooks and crannies that only a nearly 400-year-old building can pull off.
The beds are a highlight. Each is fitted with a Sealy mattress and quality linens, and I can report that they deliver on their promise: I slept soundly, snugly, and without interruption.
Whichever of the five bedrooms you wind up in, you won’t be disappointed. I checked into Room 2, which overlooks the pub’s extensive garden and features a massive bathroom with both a shower (large) and bath (deep).
But what impressed me most was the quiet, the rooms’ thick stone walls serving as a serious sound barrier. Even opening the windows for some fresh Cotswold air, the road noise at the back of the building was negligible. Other in-room amenities include reading lights, plenty of hanging space, flat-screen TVs (though I bet you won’t watch them!), and a good Wi-Fi connection.
Food and Drink at the Wychwood Inn
The Wychwood’s kitchen consistently ranks among the top dining experiences in Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds, and for good reason. The food philosophy here is straightforward: hearty, traditional English food made with first-rate local ingredients that dictate seasonal menus.
My favourite dish? There were two. Chef Dylan’s asparagus with deep-fried egg, served with a dash of wild garlic mayo. Simple, tasty, and so moreish, I ordered this starter both nights of my stay (I’d have happily gone for a third). The second home run was a traditional English comfort dish, a delicious cottage pie.
There’s also no shortage of dining spaces. Choose from cozy traditional pub rooms, the quieter main restaurant, or a bright private dining room set in what was once the carriageway (it seats up to 12 guests). When the weather cooperates (and it will), the large garden allows for al fresco dining. And if it doesn’t, the heated gazebo can be quite snug on a cool evening.
A delicious breakfast is included with your stay and won’t disappoint. The full English is properly done and comes with sausages and bacon, and the cafetière coffee is excellent. Simpler breakfasts of pastries, porridge, and cereals are also on offer.
A Village Steeped in History
The village itself is reason enough to stop. Shipton is one of three communities named after the ancient Royal Forest of Wychwood, once a vast 120 square mile hunting ground that was included in the Domesday Book in 1086. Named after the Anglo-Saxon tribe that inhabited the area from the 6th century, only 500 acres of this once massive woodland survive.
The charming village church, St Mary the Virgin, dates to the 13th century, its tower making it easy to spot. Just a few minutes’ walk from the inn, be sure to pop inside. You’ll find marble monuments to the Reade family of Shipton Court, and a 15th-century font donated by the Earls of Warwick, who served as hereditary keepers of Wychwood Forest.
Nearby Shipton Court, though now a private residence, is notable as one of the finest Elizabethan manor houses in Oxfordshire. Built for the Lacy family in 1603, it was later acquired and remodeled by the Reade family in 1663, who held it until 1868. The estate was eventually broken up in the late 1940s, but the house survives as a private residence, and its ornamental gates on the High Street still catch the eye.
Directly opposite Shipton Court is the Wychwood Wild Garden, a wonderful place to spend an hour or two of your time. Laid out in the 1860s and now owned by a local charity, wrought-iron gates open onto Lime Avenue where a hundred lime trees, some over 250 years old, form a welcoming canopy. At the end of the avenue are two ponds and a magnificent old cedar tree planted in the mid-1700s. The garden is free to enter, though donations are appreciated. Dogs are welcome on leads.
A Base for Exploring the Cotswolds
The Wychwood Inn’s location makes it an excellent base for day trips across the Cotswolds and into Oxfordshire. Burford, dubbed the “Gateway to the Cotswolds,” is just a four-mile drive south. Its steep High Street, lined with honey-coloured Georgian and Tudor buildings, leads down to the River Windrush and is home to antique shops, tea rooms, and the 15th-century Church of St John the Baptist.
Traveling with kids? Then head to the Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens, where you can watch rhinos graze on the lawns of a Gothic manor house and walk among free-roaming lemurs (it’s only a 15-minute drive away).
Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill and the only non-royal country house in England to hold the title of “palace,” is 20 minutes east in the pretty town of Woodstock.
Serious walkers will want to hike the 37-mile circular Wychwood Way. This scenic trail passes directly through the village and through the heart of the old royal forest via river valleys, nature reserves, and Bronze Age settlements. The Oxfordshire Way also passes nearby.
The Wychwood Inn, Oxfordshire: Facts and FAQs
Having thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful two-night stay at The Wychwood Inn, Oxfordshire, I’d heartily recommend it to anyone looking for a superlative accommodations experience. Boasting superb food and drink options, it’s the perfect place for an authentic Cotswolds getaway.
Here’s what you need to know to make it happen:
- For reservations and more information, visit thewychwoodinn.com. Alternatively, email [email protected], or call +44 (0)1993 831185.
- The inn is open for lunch and dinner most days. Reservations for dinner are strongly recommended as tables fill quickly, particularly on weekends.
- The Wychwood Inn is located on the High Street in Shipton-under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire, OX7 6BA.
- Parking is plentiful.
- Coming by train? Shipton station is on the Cotswolds line with services to Oxford, from where connections run to London Paddington and north to Birmingham. A taxi from the station to the inn is a short ride, but advisable with luggage.
- Breakfast is served between 8:30 and 10 am daily, with a continental option available for early risers.
- Check-in is 3 pm, checkout is 11 am.
- Dogs are welcome for an additional charge.
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Travel and lifestyles writer Bryan Dearsley is Editor of LuxuryUK, a leading source of news and reviews relating to luxury lifestyles and travel in the United Kingdom.
