The soul of this 16th-century coaching inn are the gathering spaces. Cozy sitting rooms invite you to linger with friends or a lover. In the colder months, I imagine lounging in the worn leather chairs by the open fire. Approaching the inn, red-striped umbrellas reveal a flirty side, setting this establishment apart from the otherwise plethora of charming English architecture.
FIRST IMPRESSION 5/5
Step through the front door and on one side there’s a series of small, interconnecting sitting rooms with wood paneling, fireplaces, and shelves of books. On the other side is another interconnecting set of rooms forming the dining and drinking area: a large, more formal room complete with exposed beams, a wine room, and a bar area under an atrium that blends with the back of the house.
The warm spaces of crushed red-velvet chairs and candlelight wooden tables set the mood. I loved the light-filled bar and garden room layered with textures and colors, all at once both open and intimate. The hardest decision is which nook to settle into.
FOOD & DRINK: 5/5
Dinner was an affair to remember. To start, I had the warm flatbread with local sheep’s cheese, honey, and fresh herbs. I could have stopped there. It had that salt-fat-acid-heat experience going on. But this was only a preview. The main course arrived: a crispy-skin-roasted half chicken served with a silky Madeira sauce. For sides, I decided on smashed Royal Jersey potatoes and salad green dressed in a citrusy vinaigrette and flaky sea salt. Perfection. All of this was accompanied by a glass of red. The grapes were flown in from Italy and grown in central London. I wish I could remember the name of it now.. of course, they tempted me with the dessert menu. I wanted to but I couldn’t. So I compromised. They had an option of small sweet: chocolate caramels.
COMFORT & SERVICE 5/5
Finally the rooms. A designer’s dream. Each room seems to be a nod to the Arts & Craft movement. Colorful, tasteful interiors using William Morris-inspired wallpapers and a tea & coffee station complete with homemade cookies. I appreciate that my room included a fan for the warmer nights. The star of the room is definitely the bed. Pure heaven. One of the best beds I’ve slept in. Overall one of the best hotels stays I’ve experienced in a long time.
All rooms are equipped with Roberts radios. Most bathrooms have walk-in showers, and some rooms have rolltop baths; all are stocked with beautifully pungent 100 Acres products (an all-natural brand founded by Georgie Pearman).
From the Garden Room to the panelled reception area, staff were emanating enjoyment when I visited – it would be difficult not to tune into their sense of enthusiasm. There's an open-air bar to the front of the hotel, and a little spa, set in a shepherd’s hut in the gaden, offers a small range of treatments based on aromatic 100 Acres products.
Breakfast is eaten in the Garden Room; you help yourself from a buffet of sourdough breads, yogurt, fruit and cereals spread over the kitchen counter. Hot options, not covered in the B&B rate, include devilled kidneys, and porridge and whisky.
Double rooms from £120. Continental breakfast included. Free Wi-Fi.
Family-Friendly?
Children are welcome. There are three family rooms variously with bunk beds, an extra, long single bed, and a single cabin bed. Dogs are also welcome in several rooms (£25 per night).
Double Red Duke
Bourton Rd, Clanfield, Bampton, Oxfordshire, OX18 2RB, England.
01 367 810 222