Foxhill Manor Hotel

Oxfordshire, UK

Make this Grade II-listed Cotswold country manor your home for the weekend, with food and drink when you want, a spa on your doorstep and more than 160ha of wildlife-rich woodlands to keep you busy

Words by Alex Mead.

Mealtimes can be annoying, especially when they’re not your own. After a walk in the Cotswold countryside has taken you an hour or three longer than expected due to a combination of beautiful photo opportunities and having taken a few wrong country paths too many, there’s nothing more soul destroying than a ‘kitchen closed’ message from where you’re staying. What you’d rather have is, ‘what do you want to eat? Why don’t I just grab the chef for you and he might have a few suggestions?’

Then, before you know it, you’ve got a sirloin steak sandwich delivered to your armchair in front of the roaring fire, having kicked off your shoes, your team revived with a glass or two of red wine – essentially leaving you feeling like a proper lord of the manor.

Which is the aim of Foxhill Manor. You take the long drive through the woodlands to the reassuringly crunchy gravel driveway of the Grade II-listed property, park up in front of its sandy- stoned entrance and then you pretty much step into a different life until you’re ready (or told) to leave. Staff are always on hand, yet somehow rarely seen, and food and drinks are served when you want, so no annoying restaurant booking times or set hours. Rhubarb and custard for breakfast, Coco Pops and G&Ts for lunch, bacon sandwiches for dinner? It’s your choice.

There are only eight bedrooms and more than 160ha of forest in what feels like your own personal playground. Throw in the eat/drink anytime concept and seeing fellow guests is a rarity.

Should you want to step away from all this being waited on hand and foot, then you can take the short drive to sister property Dormy House, which has the full shebang on the spa front and also gives you a few more restaurant options should you tire of all this get-away-from-it-all dining. Broadway is also nearby, so there’s plenty to keep you occupied, but when you’ve got the option of sipping champagne in twin claw-foot bathtubs with Cotswold views in your room, why would you want to leave?

DETAILS: Doubles from £417, including spa access. 01386 852711, foxhillmanor.com

Three more in the Cotswolds

Hidden down a farm track in nearby South Leigh, you’ll find eclectic retreat Artist Residence Oxfordshire. Enrobed in wheat fields, its bohemian rooms sprawl the estate’s old farmhouse and outbuildings. Coupled with a convivial, idiosyncratic on-site pub and proximity to all that Oxford has to offer, it makes for a great weekend getaway. Doubles from £135. 01993 656220. artistresidence.co.uk

The ethos at Southrop’s iconic country pile Thyme is in perfect alignment with its pastoral setting. Bedrooms feature botanical prints, scenic views and natural hues; the kitchen at the excellent new Ox Barn is driven by homegrown and local ingredients; products at the spa are natural, from seed to skin; and a pure springwater pool is filled direct from the estate. It’s a ‘village within a village’ that epitomises modern country living. Doubles from £196. 01367 850174, thyme.co.uk

Whatley Manor has been key in developing the area’s reputation as an epicurean hotspot. Last year its restaurant picked up two Michelin stars for its Asian-leaning cuisine, helmed by chef Niall Keating. The 23 luxurious bedrooms, cosy lounge areas and 26 gardens prove it’s no one-trick pony. Doubles from £304. 01666 822888, whatleymanor.com

This review was taken from the August/September 2020 issue of Food and Travel.

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