You are spoilt for choice around places to eat, drink and relax. Here are a few that we recommend:
Daylesford Organic Farm
People come from far and wide to visit Daylesford Organic Farm shop and café which is just around the corner from Weaver’s Cottage. Lady Bamford runs Daylesford Organic, selling milk straight from her Friesians, as well as handmade cheeses, breads, fish and organic greens (not to mention providing holistic health treatments).
The Plough
Set besides the older village green, The Plough operates under Heston Blumenthal trained chef Emily Watkins. “The kitchen is a serious restaurant workplace. The bar menu is as fine as any I’ve seen…anyone thinking of opening a local pub restaurant should come here and see the gold standard.” - AA Gill writing in the Sunday Times
The Wild Rabbit
Formerly The Tollgate, The Wild Rabbit is part of Lady Carole Bamford's Daylesford Organic organisation. Executive Chef Tim Allen and his Michelin starred food has earned the The Wild Rabbit “Pub of the Year” in the Michelin Eating Out in Pubs guide.
Enjoy locally brewed beer propped at the bar with friends and family, or rustic dishes in the restaurant using the very best British ingredients in some well-loved classics like the Twice Baked Cheddar Soufflé, Bobby Battered Market Fish and unmissable steaks cooked to perfection in Josper ovens.
Walks
Kingham is a wonderful base for walking. You can set out and explore gorgeous countryside in any direction or you can plan your journey with help from the Cotswold Conservation Board recommendations for car-free circular walking routes:
Example – Kingham Short Circular (3.5 miles - 2 to 3 hours)
This walk takes you across the county boundary from Oxfordshire into Gloucestershire and along the stunning River Evenlode that runs through the Evenlode Valley.
You can download this walk here: www.oxfordshirecotswolds.org/dbimgs/Walk_AONBWalk1KinghamShortCircular.pdf
Example Two – Kingham Circular (9 miles – 4 to 5 hours)
This is a longer circular walk through Foxholes Nature Reserve, past Bruern Abbey, up onto the ridge at Idbury and Nether Westcote with views down to Bledington.
You can download this walk here: www.oxfordshirecotswolds.org/dbimgs/Walk_AONBwalk4KinghamStationCircular.pdf
Cycling
Kingham is famous for cycling with many routes ranging through easy, medium and difficult. Cycle hire is available as self-service, 24 hours a day 7 days a week from a number of hubs in the location. By simply using an app on the Bainton Bikes site and Bluetooth on your phone you can unlock and lock our bikes at your leisure:
Alternatively, visit www.cotswoldelectricbiketours.co.uk
“Our guided electric bike tours are the perfect way to discover the outstanding scenery and idyllic towns and villages of the North West Cotswolds. All equipment is provided and of course we can stop where you want for photos, with rests for coffee and a relaxing lunch.”
One of the most popular routes is the ‘easy’ circular route from Kingham Station:
Bruern to BBOWT Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve (14 miles 2-3 hours)
www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/from-bruern-to-bbowt.pdf
St Andrew’s ChurchSteeped in history, there has been a church on the site for at least 900 years. A place of quiet beauty, St Andrew’s with its gothic bell tower dates back to the 14th century and with an even older 13th century front.
Cotswold Wildlife Park
The Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens exhibits over 260 different species of animals and is the largest privately owned zoological collection in the UK. The park is set in 160 acres of landscaped parkland and gardens. It is situated 11 miles from Kingham and can also be reached by bus from Kingham station.
Horse Riding
Just eight minutes from the cottage, horse riding in the Cotswolds is provided by Durhams Farm. Whether trekking out on planned routes, enjoying parents and tots outings or going on pub rides, there is something for all ages and every level of experience.
Golf
The Cotswold Club in nearby Chipping Norton was chosen as one of the Top 3 Courses in Oxfordshire by National Club Golfer Magazine.
Why not enjoy a game followed by dinner at the wonderful Cotswold Hotel and Spa next to the course?
Chipping Norton
Four miles from Kingham, Chipping Norton is the highest town in Oxfordshire, situated on the western slopes of a hillside that was once the site of a Norman castle. The lively little town has a vibrancy about it. It is a real Cotswold town with real shops and fondly known as 'Chippy' to the locals. Chipping Norton offers the visitor plenty of retail therapy including several antique shops and a wide selection of restaurants, inns and pubs. It also has a theatre and a museum as well as the famous Cotswold Farmers Market locating there regularly.
Visit www.cotswolds.info/places/chipping-norton.shtml for more information on what Chippy offers, including Bliss Mill, St Mary’s Church and the curious historical practice of wife selling.
Stow-on-the-Wold
In the other direction, just 5 miles from Kingham, Stow-on-the-Wold is a delightful market town and along with Moreton-in-Marsh, perhaps the best known of the small Cotswolds towns. At one end of its vast market square stands an ancient cross and at the other the town stocks, shaded between an old elm tree. Around the square there is an elegant array of Cotswold town houses and shops. Stow is an important shopping centre and has many fine antique shops, art galleries, gifts and crafts and also a centre for walking the Cotswolds countryside.
Visit www.cotswolds.info/places/stow-on-the-wold.shtml for more information on what Stow offers, including a museum and falconry centre.
Bourton-on-the-Water
Eight miles from Kingham, located in a small valley amongst the gentle rolling hills of the Cotswolds, Bourton-on-the-Water is a must see for all visitors to the area. The village is often referred to as the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’ because of the attractive little bridges that cross the gently flowing River Windrush, which runs through the centre of the village.
There is so much to see and do in and around Kingham that we haven’t included. Please visit https://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/things-to-do/south-east-and-london/oxfordshire/kingham to see more (whether you have kids or not). From the fabulous Lido to the Batsford Arboretum, even camel rides and a Crocodiles of the World zoo.
And if all this feels like just too much activity, Weaver’s Cottage is an experience in itself that feels like stepping into another world even if you only go out to the local store.
