Shipton-under-Wychwood sits quietly in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, and The Wychwood Inn sits just as quietly at its centre. It's a 17th-century coaching inn on an old coach route, family-run, and an authentic pub with rooms that has stayed true to its roots; a proper pub with good food, five rooms upstairs, and a garden that comes alive in the summer.
The building has been updated thoughtfully without losing its age. Inside, the bar spreads into four dining areas, from the lively pub rooms to a quieter restaurant and a private dining room for twelve. Head chef Joe McCarthy keeps the menus seasonal and locally sourced, changing dishes as the produce shifts through the year. The AA has recognised the kitchen with a Dinner Award every year since the inn joined in 2015.
The five en-suite rooms sit above the restaurant, each individually decorated with the 17th-century frame of the building still visible in the bones. Beds are Sealy, duvets are deep, and a homemade flapjack is served with the tea and coffee in the rooms. Dogs are welcome in the bar and in the bedrooms, creating a relaxed and cosy atmosphere.
Outside, the garden is generous, with a heated gazebo for the evenings when the temperature drops. The lovely town of Burford is a short drive away and it's worth visiting the fabulous garden centre there. The Forest of Wychwood, which gives the village and the inn their name, begins just beyond the edge of the village.
