This 1,000-year-old inn is in an idyllic Cotswolds town beloved by American tourists and affluent down-from-Londoners, but it makes an effort to add excellent food and service to its perfect setting
There has been an inn on this site in Stow-on-the-Wold since 947AD, which allows the Porch House to call itself the oldest hotel in Britain. And although you can feel the history as soon as you walk in – it’s all wonky ceilings and head-banging door frames – this pub-hotel is a great example of how period properties can be reimagined for the 21st century.
About 18 months ago, the place was done up by Henley-based Brakspear brewery, which added herringbone carpets, freestanding Victorian-style baths and plenty of Fired Earth paints but left enough alone to make the rooms feel individual. Ours, number one, has a bathroom (no shower) tucked up among the ancient beams, which have been partially removed to make a double-height sleeping area. It’s one of the biggest rooms, though somewhat marred by its proximity to the kitchen extractor fan.
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