The Crown Inn Enstone – Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire

Set between Chipping Norton and Woodstock, in the pretty, peaceful village of Church Enstone, the sister pub to the Kingham Plough and The Hare, Milton-under-Wychwood, makes a brilliant base for exploring the Cotswolds. The market towns of Moreton in Marsh, Stow on the Wold and Stratford-upon-Avon are all nearby, as is Soho Farmhouse, while Bicester Village is 20-minutes’ drive away. Above the pub, owners Matt and Katie Beamish, offer five individually decorated ensuite rooms. Some have original oak beams and traditional wooden bed frames; others feel more contemporary, with colour palettes that complement the countryside views. There’s also a renovated, two-bedroom cottage next door. The Crown’s flagstone floor bar, is cosy in winter, while the sun-trap walled garden is lovely in summer. Monthly changing modern British dishes champion the best local produce available: for instance, lamb shank served with winter greens and garlic mash, confit duck leg with butterbean and smoked lardon cassoulet, and Guinness and cheddar pie. Keep an eye out for guest ales too, such as those from Hook Norton Brewery just down the road. 

Doubles from £130 

+44(0)1608 677262; crowninnenstone.co.uk

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