Fallowfields Country Hotel, Oxfordshire

Fallowfields Hotel - Travel - Marie Claire

published 1 September 2009

Perfect for country stays, parties or a dream wedding reception

Nestled in the tranquil Vale of the White Horse is the picturesque 300-year-old Fallowfields Country House Hotel.

Located just 15 minutes from the beautiful city of Oxford and 20 minutes from the heart of the Cotswolds, this Grade II listed manor house is surrounded by stunning countryside, while boasting its own spectacular 12-acre grounds.

Once the home of Begum Aga Khan the hotel is now privately owned and offers luxury accommodation, spectacular views, fantastic food and exceptional hospitality.

The luxury hotel accommodation comes in the form of ten beautifully and individually designed bedrooms.

All bedrooms have a light and fresh atmosphere with plenty of room to spread out. The rooms are all tastefully decorated, with their own unique twist, whilst also having the all-important large, comfortable king-size beds, which may come in useful after a long day spent outdoors. In addition to a power shower, most rooms also have a jacuzzi spa bath, which I took full advantage of!

The beautiful and peaceful grounds include a stunning mixture of orchards, rose gardens, paddocks and meadows (with the odd grazing cow!).

With such spectacular outdoor space, a beautiful interior and an informal relaxed style, I can understand why the bride and groom of a wedding I attended last month had chosen Fallowfields for their reception.

Fallowfields not only provides the perfect romantic backdrop for your post-nuptials celebrations, with its gracious setting and old-world charm, along with the opportunity to enjoy Pimms served on the lawn while you play a round of croquet (playing in the rain is optional!), but you also know your wedding party will be feasting on a delicious menu.

Look forward to dining on locally sourced meat and fish, with vegetables, herbs and fruit straight from the kitchen garden, all stylishly, but simply presented. The breakfasts are also excellent with the choice ranging from a full English to scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and pancakes.

And the greatest thing of all about Fallowfields is it won’t cost you the earth! They offer competitive prices all year round for weekend breaks, house parties and wedding receptions.

So what would I change? Well, the weather could be improved, although I must admit I’ve developed a penchant for playing croquet in the rain!

Fallowfields Country House Hotel & Restaurant Ltd Faringdon Road Kingston Bagpuize Oxfordshire OX13 5BH

For more information go to www.fallowfields.com or call 01865 820416

Natalia is a health journalist with 14 years experience in the publishing industry. She has worked for a number of well known magazines and websites including Marie Claire, Woman&Home, Top Sante, Boots and The Telegraph. She likes to think she practices what she preaches when it comes to health and fitness. Her athletic prowess began early. A keen fencer for 13 years, she wielded an epée for Olympic Team GB during her teenage years. She likes to think she made sword-fighting cool before Game of Thrones came along! While working on her sporting performance with the team, she also participated in a lot of nutrition and psychology training, When it comes to time off, you’ll most likely find her up a mountain somewhere. It seems holidays have become a time for climbing several thousand feet, rather than chilling out. She’s now hiked eight of the major mountain ranges across four continents – including the Appalachians, the Smokies, the Sierra Nevadas (she spent her honeymoon hiking to the top of Half Dome), as well as hitting the summits of Snowdon, Pen-Y-Fan (Brecon Beacons), Table Mountain in South Africa, the Blue Mountains in Australia and the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. She’s also passionate about all things health, particularly vaccinations, and will happily jump on her soap box at any given opportunity to talk about their benefits to anyone who will listen!

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