Stylish countryside hotels & pubs for cosy getaways in the West Country & Cotswolds

I may be biased, but I reckon the West Country and Cotswolds are pretty hard to beat when it comes to relaxing rural breaks. My own corner of the UK has plenty of wonderful boutique hotels, countryside pubs and restaurants with rooms that are perfect for cosy stays, so I thought I’d share 10 of my favourites across Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, West Oxfordshire and Devon (I’ll cover Cornwall in a separate post). All combine great food and bags of character with the kind of understated, timeless interiors that I love, and they make excellent bases for long walks, visiting historic places or just curling up in comfort with a good book and a glass of wine.

HOLM, Somerset

HOLM, which is housed in a former bank in the pretty village of South Petherton, has long been one of my favourite restaurants – and now it has seven beautiful bedrooms that make it perfect for a restorative minibreak. The decor throughout is minimalist yet cosy, with layers of texture from lime-plaster walls, jute rugs and soft linen throws, plus a considered mix of vintage mid-century modern and bespoke wooden furniture. Contemporary art and handcrafted pieces by local makers are dotted here and there, and several of the rooms feature freestanding in-room tubs; there are family- and dog-friendly options, too. As for the food, it’s delicious – seasonal, locally sourced and inspired by HOLM’s stunning surroundings, with a choice of tasting menus and à la carte dishes served up at comfy fireside tables in the informal dining room or in front of the open kitchen at the intimate ‘chef’s counter’.

Book a stay at HOLM here. Rates start at £179 per room per night on a B&B basis; there are also various packages which include dinner.

Images courtesy of HOLM

The Bradley Hare, Wiltshire

This 19th-century coaching inn sits in Maiden Bradley on the Wiltshire-Somerset border, a short drive from Longleat Safari Park and the beautiful Stourhead estate (famed for its lake and follies, and used as a filming location for period dramas such as Pride & Prejudice). Much-loved by locals and visitors alike, it’s recently been saved from liquidation by the Beckford Group, who operate a small collection of characterful pubs and restaurants across the West Country. The 12 guest rooms are spread across the main building and the adjoining coach house, and some have decadent freestanding tubs that are large enough for two. The interiors are simple and elegant – think striped headboards, vintage rugs and antique dark wooden furniture against cream, grey-blue and sage-green walls, with a splattering of well-chosen abstract art. Unpretentious seasonal dishes are available in the fire-lit bar, restaurant and snug, and most of the ingredients are farmed, foraged or fished nearby. The drinks selection, meanwhile, includes cocktails, the homemade ‘Hare Ale’ and world-class wines from the group’s own Bath-based merchant, The Beckford Bottle Shop.

Make a booking at The Bradley Hare here. Rooms start at £150 per night on a B&B basis.

Images by Dave Watts, courtesy of The Bradley Hare

The Bull Charlbury, West Oxfordshire

Set in honey-hued Charlbury, one of the Cotswolds’ lesser-known towns and handily reachable by train, revamped inn The Bull exudes simple, rustic minimalism. Decorated in subdued beiges, greens and browns, the 10 bedrooms combine sleek metal four-poster beds with gnarled wooden furniture and snuggly woollen throws. Bare-plaster walls, exposed beams and old stone fireplaces celebrate the character of the 16th-century building, and most rooms have roll-top tubs. There’s also a self-contained two-bedroom cottage in a former bakery a couple of doors down, which unlike the rest of the accommodation is child- and dog-friendly. The pared-back yet cosy feel continues in the bar and restaurant, where you’ll find intimate wood-panelled booths and green leather banquettes lit by flickering candles. The menu descriptions give little away (‘celeriac, herbs’) so the dishes that arrive at your table are likely to be somewhat of a surprise, but expect innovative twists on comforting pub food, much of them cooked over an open fire using local and seasonal ingredients.

Reserve a room at The Bull Charlbury here. Rates start at £180 per night on a B&B basis.

Images courtesy of The Bull Charlbury

Fowlescombe Farm, Devon

Set near the wilds of Dartmoor National Park, this 450-acre regenerative farm pairs beautiful design with a true land-to-larder ethos. It’s the brainchild of Caitlin Owens and Paul Glade, who combined their hospitality and architectural backgrounds to create a rural retreat where guests are encouraged to reconnect with nature, the seasons and themselves. Their commitment to local provenance extends to everything from the food – much of it grown or reared on site – to the blankets, chairs and Naturalmat mattresses, crafted with wool and sheepskin from Fowlescombe’s own flock. Spread around the Victorian farmhouse and a cluster of barns, the 10 suites are a masterclass in cosy minimalism, with oak panelling and clean-lined contemporary furniture against stone quarried nearby. There are also laid-back lounges for fireside cocktails and board games, plus an open kitchen where Executive Chef Elly Wentworth serves up four-course set menus based around whatever’s available in the gardens and fields at the time. There are countryside walks straight from the door, and experiences such as yoga, bread-making, wild swimming and foraging are also on offer. 

Book a stay at Fowlescombe Farm here. Rates start at £530 per night, inclusive of all meals, daily activities and transfers to and from Totnes train station if required. 

Images by Jon Tonks, Laura Edwards, Shelley Hutcheon and Matt Hague, courtesy of Fowlescombe Farm

Hyll Hotel, Gloucestershire

Occupying a 14^th-century manor near the Cotswolds town of Chipping Camden, Hyll Hotel bills itself as a place to slow down and enjoy doing very little. The focus here is simple things done well, and the mood throughout is one of quiet, laid-back luxury. The 26 rooms are all different – some sit in the main house, others in cottages accessed off the courtyard – but all are beautifully understated, with contemporary pieces alongside medieval beams, tactile linen and honeyed stone. The muted, earthy colour palette is supremely relaxing, as are the rainfall showers, deep bathtubs, Verden toiletries and bucolic views. Communal areas include sofa-dotted gardens and three lounges designed for fireside naps, evening drinks and lazy afternoons listening to turntable tunes from a curated selection of LPs. There’s also a restaurant headed up by chef Mark Coleman, who works with local farms, mills and distilleries to create comfort food with a refined twist. And if, after all that, you still need help unwinding, you can book in-room massages and facials, order a picnic hamper to take into the grounds, or choose from a reading menu created in partnership with Borzoi Books. 

Make a booking at Hyll Hotel here. Rates start at £250 per room per night on a B&B basis. 

Images courtesy of Hyll Hotel

At The Chapel, Somerset

I’ve visited At The Chapel numerous times – for lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, networking sessions, cocktails with friends and, once, an overnight stay – and I’ve enjoyed it on every occasion. Located in the upscale town of Bruton (home to a Hauser & Wirth art gallery, a Piet Oudolf garden and a well-connected train station) and set, as the name suggests, in a converted chapel, it’s a hotel, restaurant, bar, bakery, wine shop and events venue all wrapped up into one. The nine bedrooms blend crisp white walls, minimalist oak furniture and the occasional mid-century modern icon with original stained-glass windows and stone lintels; particularly special are the marble-tiled ensuites, many of which have freestanding egg-shaped tubs. The showstopper, though, is the double-height dining room, set beneath a cascading glass chandelier with a nude sculpture called Faith where the altar once sat. Spiral stairs twist up to the mezzanine gallery, where there are quiet corners for coffee and reading, and down to a cosy ‘Clubroom’ that’s ideal for evening drinks. The food menu, which spans everything from brunch to pizza to Mediterranean-style meals, is excellent, too.

Book At The Chapel here, and read my full review here. Rates start at £135 per room per night on a B&B basis.

Images six and seven by Abi Dare; all others courtesy of At The Chapel

The Three Horseshoes Batcombe, Somerset

The creation of renowned New Zealand chef Margot Henderson, who also runs London’s Rochelle Canteen, The Three Horseshoes sits in the village of Batcombe, mid-way between Bruton and the similarly arty town of Frome. The focus is unfussy comfort, with a cosy flagstone’d bar and a fire-warmed dining room serving upscale yet hearty (and rather meat-heavy) food drawn from local orchards, fields and farms. Nestled under the eaves above are five beautiful bedrooms, decorated in a simple country style that encompasses soft pastel walls, subtle patterns, timeless antique furniture and exposed beams. All have bathrooms with tubs (some also have separate walk-in showers), and most can accommodate dogs, baby cots and extra beds for kids. The beds, handmade by Somerset company Relyon and covered in cloud-like duvets, are said to be a particular treat.

Make a reservation at The Three Horseshoes Batcombe here. Rates start at £220 per room per night on a B&B basis.

Images courtesy of The Three Horseshoes Batcombe

The Great Bustard, Wiltshire

Named after the once-extinct bird that now thrives in the surrounding countryside, The Great Bustard occupies the former village pub in Great Durnford, a 15-minute drive north of Salisbury. The 19th-century building has been rescued from boarded-up abandon and transformed into a minimalist boutique hotel, complete with 10 bedrooms, a restaurant and bar, a farm shop and a wellness space offering massages and holistic beauty treatments. The style throughout is uncluttered, calm and nature-inspired, with pale wooden furniture, oak flooring, sisal rugs and dark forest-green or burgundy accents against soft sage- or stone-coloured walls. Two of the rooms are located in the main building, the others in an annex across the courtyard, and one has a balcony looking out towards the River Avon. Most have space for a baby cot, and some are dog-friendly, too. The food, meanwhile, is a mix of pub classics and more gourmet dishes, served in a contemporary extension with floor-to-ceiling windows, inviting banquette seating and a stunning timber ceiling.

Book a stay at The Great Bustard here. Rooms start at £217 per night on a B&B basis.

Images courtesy of The Great Bustard

Wild Thyme & Honey, Gloucestershire

Located in the pretty village of Ampney Crucis, just outside Cirencester, boutique hotel Wild Thyme & Honey is attached to riverside pub The Crown. I’ve stayed myself, and behind the traditional Cotswolds exterior I found a relaxing haven with rustic-contemporary interiors and a laid-back feel. The 24 bedrooms share the same exposed stone walls, grey upholstered headboards, concrete pendant lamps, soft woollen blankets and Crittall-style doors with reeded glass panes. Some also have in-room roll-top tubs and views of the Ampney Brook and one, the apartment-like No 3 London Road, comes complete with a four-poster hewn from tree trunks, a separate living area and a waterside terrace with a hot tub. Next door in the pub, the main dining space sits beneath soaring rafters, with pale wooden panelling, potted plants and huge woven lights. There’s also a bar and lounge with cushion-strewn window seats, sink-into sofas and other cosy nooks, plus a trio of glass domes that you can hire for private meals. But my favourite spot was the covered courtyard, whose roaring fire and sheepskin-draped chairs will keep you toasty over alfresco drinks, no matter how cold the weather.

Read my full review of Wild Thyme & Honey here, and book a stay here. Rates start at £170 per room per night on a B&B basis.

Images two and five courtesy of Wild Thyme & Honey; all others by Abi Dare

Weeke Barton, Devon

Last but not least is Weeke Barton, another place that I’ve been lucky enough to experience for myself (twice, in fact). Set on the edge of rugged Dartmoor, this 500-year-old longhouse has been transformed into a stylish retreat by Jo and Sam, a former restaurant manager and graphic designer who swapped London life for Devon in 2007. There are six beautiful bedrooms, all with old beams, modern art, an appealing mix of vintage and contemporary furniture, pops of colour from cowhides and blankets, stone-tiled ensuites, and sheepskin-covered window seats where you can sit back and gaze over the countryside. Two come with in-room tubs, and one also has its own sitting area with a wood-burner; most are dog-friendly, and several can accommodate one or two baby cots or extra beds. Delicious home-cooked breakfasts and dinners are served by the fire in the dining room, and there’s also a cosy snug with leather armchairs, an honesty bar and books and board games to borrow. Pétanque, cricket and benches-with-views await in the garden, which stretches down a hillside to a pretty stream.

Rooms at Weeke Barton start at £165 per night on a B&B basis. Book a stay here, and read my full review here.

Images four and five by Abi Dare; all others courtesy of Weeke Barton