The Big Six: Cotswolds retreats

Farmhouse chic, original beams, serene furnishings, Chris Beardshaw gardens, and mounted antlers

Sophie Lam
Friday 25 October 2013 11:51 BST
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Dormy House, Broadway

Reopened last month after a multi-million pound refurbishment, this 17th-century farmhouse and family-owned hotel is now a grown-up country retreat. Interiors were overseen by the same design team as Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, while the gardens have been landscaped by Chelsea Flower Show gold-winner Chris Beardshaw. The action revolves around The Potting Shed "dining pub"; next door, the Garden Room serves a more refined menu by Michelin-starred chef John Wood. A spa will complete the package in 2014.

Dormy House, Willersey Hill, Broadway, Worcestershire WR12 7LF (01386 852711; dormyhouse.co.uk). Doubles from £180, B&B.

The Lion Inn, Winchcombe

This 15th-century coaching inn has featured not only in restaurant and hotel reviews, but also interiors pages since it reopened last year. Exposed Cotswolds stone and Farrow & Ball greys provide a backdrop for worn leather armchairs, Louis XVI-style chairs, mounted antlers, antique rocking horses and playful notes such as a vintage Mickey Mouse mural. Indulge in the restaurant's hearty menu then retire to the fireside, or up to bed.

The Lion Inn, North Street, Winchcombe, Gloucestershire GL54 5PS (01242 603 300; thelionwinchcombe.co.uk). Doubles from £90, B&B.

The Glove House, Woodstock

There are just two bedrooms at this new, bijou B&B: the Woodstock Suite, named after the village in which it's located; and the Bladon, named after the village on the other side of Blenheim Park. Inside, Fox Linton fabrics and lime white walls set a serene note, while free Wi-Fi, Nespresso machines, HD TV and mini bars bolster the luxury quotient. Downstairs in the Georgian townhouse, a wood-panelled drawing room with log fire beckons.

The Glove House, 24 Oxford Street, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1TS (01993 813 475; theglovehouse.co.uk). Doubles from £130, B&B.

Home Farm Cottage, Near Cirencester

Celebrated Cotswolds country retreat Barnsley House unveiled this self-catering cottage earlier this year. It replicates the hotel's elegant, country-contemporary furnishings but comes with the benefit of a private garden, two sitting rooms and high-spec kitchen, too. If you don't want to cook, the hotel's Potager restaurant is across the road and the Village Pub only a little further.

Home Farm Cottage, Barnsley, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 5EE (01285 740000; barnsleyhouse.com). Nightly rental from £550; sleeps six.

The Folly, Didmarton

A 16th-century Cotswolds-stone farmhouse has been transformed inside with whimsical colours and tactile fabrics by designer Joanna Berryman. Wooden floors are reclaimed railway sleepers, original beams have been painted in restful colours and the kitchen centrepiece is an evocatively wonky 1920s butcher's block. Forget notions of restrained rusticity, this is a riot of playfulness that makes the ideal base for a big get-together.

The Folly, Didmarton, Badminton, near Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL9 1DY (thefollyluxurycottage.com). Three-night breaks from £1,335; sleeps 10.

The Wild Rabbit, Kingham

Lady Bamford has perfected the art of farmhouse chic. With Daylesford Organic, she packaged up the Gloucestershire farm's delectable produce for discerning customers. With her Bamford line of fashion and beauty products, she made the earthy and organic, deluxe and desirable. Now she has turned her attention to making over this 18th-century pub, which has a dozen luxurious bedrooms, a log-fired pub and a restaurant.

The Wild Rabbit, Church Street, Kingham, Oxfordshire OX7 6YA (01608 658389; thewildrabbit.co.uk). Doubles from £105, B&B.

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