SPOTLIGHT ON

www.gettyimages.co.uk Spotlight on... OXFORD AND AROUND

We reveal what’s new for weddings and staycations in this famous city

THE FEATHERED NEST, NETHER WESTCOTE

This charming gourmet country pub built from traditional Cotswold stone provides some of the best views in the Cotswolds of the surrounding valley and beautifully landscaped gardens. Dating back to the 15th century, the interiors are brimming with rustic charm, combining contemporary and traditional pieces with cool muted tones, eclectic furniture and exposed wooden beams.

The Feathered Nest is the ideal location for an intimate celebration or grander affair. The gardens are the perfect location where a canopy provides shelter and bespoke art sculptures and firepits are dotted around the grounds.

Ceremonies take place in the main restaurant or garden room where up to 65 guests can be seated either inside or outside the building on the covered terrace. The restaurant and bar allow for smaller celebrations, with diners enjoying 3 AA Rosette cuisine and for larger events, a marquee or tipi can be erected on the grounds.

The property has recently launched a new cottage to add to its bespoke room collection. The cosy accommodation combines period charm and modern elegance with original features including flagstone flooring, an exposed fire mantle and wooden beams. The sitting room and modern kitchenette feature a comfy sofa and dining area. On the middle floor is a modern bathroom and on the top floor is a luxurious double bedroom home to a super king-size bed. The cottage is offered free for the couple on the night of the wedding as well as a six-course tasting menu (with wine) on their first anniversary.

Ceremony licence? Yes Contact: 01993 833 030 https://thefeatherednestinn.co.uk

HEYTHROP PARK, CHIPPING NORTON

Warner Leisure Hotels has opened bookings for Heythrop Park, a 440-acre country hotel that’s reopening its doors in time for summer staycations and mini-moons after undergoing a £40m investment. While this Oxfordshire bolthole doesn’t host weddings, guests can now snap up one of its 337 meticulously designed bedrooms, and it’s a great choice for the first-night stay for those marrying nearby.

Heythrop Park has undergone a complete renovation since being purchased in 2018, to become the 15th property in the adult-only hotel group, Warner Leisure Hotels’ portfolio. Days can be spent enjoying a host of activities from archery to laser clay shooting, or a round of golf on the Bainbridge Championship Golf Course. Those looking for some pre-wedding pampering can unwind with a treatment in the spa complete with a brand-new thermal and sensory suite and outdoor hot tubs.

The 300-year-old Grade II listed property offers loft-inspired lounges, sweeping staircases and a trio of restaurants plus two large theatres hosting daily shows, bands, music festivals and comedy nights.

The opulent manor’s extensive grounds provide the perfect setting for romantic parkland walks and bike rides, with little gems such as the whale cave and a hidden waterfall to discover.

Surrounding the hotel are many wonderful sights, such as the famous Blenheim Palace, just a quarter of an hour’s drive away and Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm Shop which sells local produce and merchandise. Other highlights include the shopping outlet, Bicester Village, and Heythrop Zoological Gardens, a private zoo specialising in exotic animal training and positive reinforcement which is just next door.

Simon Thompson, managing director of Warner Leisure Hotels, says, “We’ve seen first-hand that the rise in demand for domestic breaks is here to stay as people recognise the treasures we have on our doorstep.”

COGGES MANOR FARM, WITNEY, OXFORDSHIRE

This beautiful family-run farm set on 17 acres boasts more than 1000 years of history and is an integral part of the local area, plus a popular filming location. It’s conveniently located close to Oxford in the heart of Witney and is less than a two-hour drive from London.

It’s home to two adjacent 18th-century barns providing a wonderful wedding setting and a blank canvas for couples to personalise their day. The pretty outdoor grounds reveal a manicured walled garden, perfect for a drinks reception, and the manor lawn can be used for croquet and garden games. This versatile venue suits an outdoor barbecue, hog roast and street food-style vans and there’s a firepit for toasting marshmallows. Music can be enjoyed outside and everything is set against a beautiful rural backdrop ideal for photographs that the resident farm animals love to be included in! There’s a covered canopy in case of rain and wedding parties can enjoy exclusive use after 5 pm.

Ceremonies take place in a choice of two Cotswold stone barns adjacent to one another. The Wheat Barn – the more spacious of the two – can seat up to 250 guests while Barley Barn, the smaller adjacent one, can accomodate up to 100 loved ones. There’s also St Mary’s Cogges Witney parish church located next door.

The wedding breakfast and reception can be held in one (or both) of the barns and spill outside on to the lawn. The Wheat Barn can seat up to 200 guests banqueting-style or host up to 130 loved ones at round tables. The Barley Barn is home to a dancefloor and bar and can also provide a quiet space for children.

Ceremony licence? Yes Contact: 01993 772 602, www.cogges.org.uk

COTSWOLDS CAMPING, NEAR COGGES MANOR FARM

As Downton Abbey returns to the big screen, and season two of Bridgerton drops on Netflix, wedding guests can visit and stay close to the locations that made these epic period dramas famous with Cotswolds Camping that’s located a few miles from Cogges Manor Farm, the setting for Yew Tree Farm, the quaint farmhouse home to the Drewe Family in Downton Abbey. Historic houses, museums and market towns are all within close proximity to the site, ensuring visitors have the full Downton Abbey experience.

Options range from a grass tent pitch (electric optional) which starts from £17 per night for up to three people, going up to a Gypsy Caravan from £80 per night.

Contact: www.pitchup.com

Staycation ideas

LUXURY COTSWOLD RENTALS HAND-PICKS ESCAPES FOR THE PLATINUM JUBILEE

Where better to celebrate the historic Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year than in the heart of Britain’s most idyllic countryside. Whether it’s celebrating in privacy with loved ones or indulging in one of the summer’s hottest tickets, Luxury Cotswold Rentals is delighted to highlight some of its finest properties including Greenwich Lane Farm in Oxfordshire, located close to Soho Farmhouse. It’s a 17th-century Cotswold farmhouse with extensive mature grounds home to a vegetable garden, treehouse and children’s play area; and is within walking distance of the village and its pub.

There are five bedrooms in the main house, and three situated in the stylish self-contained cottage just a few metres away. In the main house, there’s a large but cosy and comfortable sitting room that doubles up as a tv room, a library that’s also a study, a bar, a garden sitting room, a separate laundry room, boot room and a downstairs cloakroom. The first floor is home to a master bedroom featuring a large en-suite, double bedroom, two attic bedrooms each with two single beds sharing a family bathroom, and a single bedded nursery. At Greenwich Lane, you’ll find indoor games, a sound system, working fireplaces, a barbecue and bicycles.

Contact: www.luxurycotswoldrentals.co.uk/properties/greenwich-lane-farm

GREYFRIARS HIDEAWAY, OXFORD

The team behind Waternook in the Lake District bring you two luxurious, historic and exclusive-use properties in the heart of Oxford’s vibrant city centre, providing the perfect base to enjoy the city this summer. Both properties, The Master’s Lodgings and Cloisters are now available for two-night minimum stays and welcome dogs. They’re set within an unrivalled location, tucked behind high walls just steps from Westgate Oxford and Oxford Castle. They can be taken separately, or together and are booked on a self-catering basis as standard, but guests can choose in advance of their stay from a menu of optional concierge services including arrival by helicopter, private chefs, bespoke sightseeing tours, beauty, wellness, yoga and nutrition services, personal trainers and even close protection security teams.

The two properties have been lovingly and painstakingly restored, retaining many of their original 17th-century features and they sit within a pretty gated courtyard of trees, plants and a trickling fountain, each with their own outdoor seating area – ideal for al fresco breakfasts and sunset cocktails.

The Masters Lodgings sleeps up to four people over two suites that take up the entire floor. Each is furnished with its own natural stone and porcelain bathroom plus hand-made, super king-sized beds complete with made-to-order mattresses. A Listed 17th-century wood-panelled staircase links the bedrooms with the ground floor where there’s a fully equipped kitchen, a cosy period wood-panelled sitting room furnished with Harris Tweed sofa and chairs and a more formal dining area. French doors lead from the Drawing Room into the courtyard garden with seating beneath the arbour.

Cloisters sleep up to eight people in four suites, one boasting a beautiful Grade II listed ornate plaster ceiling dating back to the early 17th century. Two suites overlook the garden while the other two face towards Oxford Castle, a fantastic sight when illuminated at night. Each is complemented with a dressing area, a hand-made super king-size bed and bathrooms with freestanding baths and monsoon or rain showers.