[Disclosure: We were invited for a complimentary stay and dinner at The Crown Inn to review for this blog]
Somehow, having lived an hour-ish from the Cotswolds for most of my life, I seem to be late to the party in joining pretty much everyone in thinking it’s great. Quintessential English countryside, historic pubs with cosy rooms and good food, a slower pace and yet a cosmopolitan feel that so many of us pretend to loathe but deep down realise is responsible for all the aforementioned loveliness.
There are the well-known places you’ve probably heard of. The likes of Daylesford Farm, Soho Farmhouse, Chipping Norton, Stow-on-the-Wold and Kingham – home of the Wild Rabbit and the Kingham Plough. But in between you’ll find a cute village with a stone-built pub transformed into a great restaurant, many with rooms, somehow around every corner.
We found plenty in summer – enough to make a little round-up for you. But most recently, we found ourselves just outside Chipping Norton at the tiny hamlet of Church Enstone – home to the recently-reopened Crown Inn.
The Crown Inn has been in Church Enstone for over 300 years, and is now owned by Matt and Katie Beamish who are no beginners when it comes to creating a great Cotswold spot, given that they’re the people behind The Kingham Plough and The Hare at Milton-under-Wychwood.
At The Crown they’ve created a great blend of cosy village pub, restaurant, and boutique hotel thanks to the five en-suite rooms upstairs that go far beyond your average pub b and b.
We arrive late afternoon at the start of December when you still haven’t quite come to terms with the fact it gets dark at what feels way too early. Luckily, The Crown is just the tonic for that feeling of impending darkness that comes with winter.
The stone-flagged hallway is lit up by a glorious Christmas tree, while the bar area is home to the obligatory open fire, reclaimed timber furniture and a clearly newish bar just waiting for many a pint, cocktail or drink to be parked on for years to come.
Our first port of call is the window seat by the fire, where we and the dogs (yes, they’re dog friendly – and some of the rooms too) stay slightly longer than planned because it’s so blimin cosy. In summer we might be sat out in the garden but in winter this is definitely the place to be.
The Rooms
Unless of course, you’re staying over. In which case you might find it hard to leave your room. Ours is up a narrow staircase, but the room deceptively large. A narrow passage that houses a hanging space for clothes and dressing table with tea and coffee-making facilities opens out into a big enough space for a huge super king size bed (possibly bigger actually), and enough space around it for our two large dogs to curl up and have a snooze.
The floors are wooden, again perfect for dogs, but that doesn’t detract from an overall cosy Cotswold feel, from the leather chair in the corner for a quiet moment reading to the period-style radiator and timber windows.
That cosiness doesn’t mean you’re short on mod cons or all the touches you’d expect from a decent hotel. USB sockets by the bed, a TV for those early nights and lazy mornings. The mobile signal is pants in the village, but decent WiFi seems to be aplenty.
The bathroom is finished beautifully and unlike some older buildings, there’s decent water pressure and plenty of hot water. In the collection of toiletries there’s bubble bath as well as shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. Sound silly? Tell me that the next time you stay in a hotel and run what you plan to be a luxurious bubble bath only to realise there are no bubbles…
Another manageable-without-yet-so-lovely-to-have element is the provision of robes – for when you get out of said bubble bath, and the fact the towels are soft, not crisp and crunchy. The signs are everywhere, that whoever designed and kitted out these rooms knows what they’re doing and what their guests want.
Bubbled bathed, robe snuggled, and rested, we head down to dinner. It could be taken in the dining room or conservatory, that are simply laid, showing off more of that homely timber but instead we return to our spot by the fire. We could be about to sink a pint and a packet of crisps, but a quick glance at the menu reminds us that this isn’t just a village local – but a restaurant where the food takes pride of place.
Dinner at The Crown Inn
We order everything, but we’re the Mannings and have zero self-control. Sourdough with pesto and top-notch butter should be the only ‘nibble’ we need from that section of the menu, but for some reason we add fat, fruity Gordal olives and a couple of West Mersea oysters, served simply with lemon and tabasco.
They’re a prelude to some rather delightful wild mushroom and Gorgonzola arancini that are well made, but perhaps lacking in enough Gorgonzola to stand out in what is a lovely savoury, earthy flavour courtesy of the mushroom.
My Jerusalem artichoke soup is hearty and warming, perhaps slightly lacking in depth but truffle cream and herb oil is its redemption, lifting it and ensuring the Cotswold crunch roll it’s served with is used to mop up every last slurp.
The starters prove to be a warm-up act for what are two impressive main courses. My rolled lamb shoulder is a thing of beauty. A sizeable chunk of meat, slow-cooked into eyebrow-raising tenderness with just the right crunch of fat in certain parts that’s balanced by a zingy mint jusy.
There’s a crunchy green biscuit thing on top that I’m not sure it needs, but what it definitely does need is the dauphinoise potato underneath that’s great in its own right but even better when bathed in the juice from the meat perched on top of it.
In an unprecedented turn of events, Jamie is tempted away from his usual choice of ribeye steak by 24-hour slow-cooked beef cheek. Again, it’s had the necessary time and effort put in to ensure it’s fall-apart, full of flavour and moreish as hell, despite being another mammoth portion.
The sweet potato puree with it is smooth and silky, fulfilling the job title when it comes to sweetness, and prevented from being too rich by the red wine sauce it’s bathed in. French beans add a welcome crunch to an otherwise yielding, tender dish that is perfect for a cold night in the Cotswolds.
They’ve somehow escaped a picture, but a side of buttered greens are a triumph. The garlic isn’t too harsh, the greens aren’t overdone. A bit like the bubble bath, it’s a small thing that reminds you how often these small things are forgotten, and how they may not be noticed when they’re there or correct, but you sure as hell notice their absence or poor execution.
The Breakfast
We skip dessert, opting for some cheese washed down with far too much wine, still by the fire, before wobbling up the welcomingly short stairs to bed where we sleep like babies, soothed by the silence that only village life and thick stone walls can bring.
The next morning brings sunshine, beautiful views, and the promise of another hearty feed. Tea and coffee is forthcoming as soon as we’re ensconced back in our corner by the fire – this time enjoying the heat of the winter sun through the window rather than from the fire.
Eggs Benedict for me, though apparently there’s no ham, so bacon it is. It’s not a problem when the eggs are this fresh – this photo doesn’t quite show off their sunshine orange, creamy yolks. It’s also not a problem when the hollandaise is decent and clearly made in the kitchen and not in a factory before it’s popped in a jar. Yes, it had fallen victim to the lights and heat of the place in places but that didn’t detract from what was a great breakfast.
For Jamie, a full English that more than passes muster. The Crown prides itself on quality ingredients, many of which are locally sourced, and the bacon, sausage and black pudding all live up to the promise. There are more of those golden-yolked eggs, simply cooked, clean tasting mushroom and tomato, and while I personally would have loved some baked beans to mop up with as much toast as he wants, I’m told I’m just being greedy.
Since the early sunset robbed us of the chance to explore the local area, we use the morning after breakfast to take the pooches for one of the many walks in the local area – yet another reason why the Cotswolds has won our heart. Walk completed, we head home, marvelling at how much better one can feel with the world in less than 24 hours thanks to good food, a log fire, and a great night’s sleep in a hotel room that can somehow feel like home from home as well as a special treat.
Maybe I’m biased, maybe my love affair with the Cotswolds is still in its infancy. But this area, and places like The Crown Inn, really do tick all the boxes for me. They might not be the highest-profile places to visit in this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, but they’re the ones that have retained the understated charm that makes this area so stand-out
[Disclosure: We were invited for a complimentary stay and dinner at The Crown Inn to review for this blog]
