Stay Here: The Feathers Hotel, WoodstockBy Emily Cole

There’s a particular kind of tiredness that only a proper English market town can fix. Not the collapse-on-a-beach kind, but the sort where you want cobbled streets, a fire in the grate, and walks with the dog.

The Feathers sits smack in the centre of Woodstock, on the same handsome stretch of stone buildings that makes the whole town look like it’s been styled for a period drama.

Inside, it’s everything a 17th-century townhouse should be: low beams but bright, thick stone walls, and a fire crackling in the reception room that had both of us gravitating towards it before we’d even checked in.  The welcome matched the setting – warm without being fussy, the kind of properly personal service where they clock who you are rather than just where you’re staying. Bags were whisked away, the dog was fussed over, and within minutes we had a glass of something and a spot by the fire.

We stayed in a room up under the eaves: a proper triangular pitch to the ceiling. Think sloped beams and cosy angles – with that slightly whimsical, tucked away feel.  Light poured in from the windows set into the roofline and the room was dressed elegantly with some Cotswolds cottagecore charm.

This room is dog-friendly so there was a proper dog bed waiting, plus a gourmet doggy lunch and a stash of treats that our dog took to immediately.   The dog bed got a cursory lay before our dog took up his rightful place in the middle of the big bed (he’s a sucker for 100% cotton and luxe furnishings).

Dinner was at The Nest, the hotel’s fine-dining restaurant and the more romantic of the two restaurants on offer – warm, inviting interiors, low lighting and smart.  Think modern European cooking built on proper British and local produce. We started with the egg yolk raviolo, wild garlic hollandaise and white asparagus, which was a small plate with big flavour (sorry).  The wild garlic gives it a nice sharp edge so it doesn’t feel too rich.

For mains we ordered the sirloin and the sea bass and swapped halfway through. The steak was a proper 10oz sirloin with peppercorn sauce and crispy potatoes – cooked exactly as ordered and the sauce had a good kick to it. The sea bass was lighter, and came with mussels and artichokes -overall really fresh, more of a summery plate.  For dessert we had the toasted almond meringue with Evesham strawberries and crème fraîche, and it was a really nice way to finish – a good crunch on the meringue, strawberries properly ripe and the crème fraîche stopped it all skewing too sweet.

The town itself is built for exactly the kind of trip we were after – coffee and cake, a couple of independent shops and a charming setting.  Blenheim Palace is the obvious pull, and the grounds are a proper morning’s walk in themselves. A nice touch: the hotel will point you towards the entrance locals use to get into the grounds without paying the full palace admission – useful if you just want the walk rather than the state rooms. Dogs need to stay on leads for most of it.

One note: if you’re after a big countryside there-and-back on foot straight from the hotel, we didn’t stumble across one. It’s there somewhere, but you may need to drive 5 minutes to a good spot.

Easier than you’d think for somewhere that feels this far removed from city life. We got the Great Western Railway train straight from London Paddington to Hanborough – just over an hour, no faff, no changes.  From there it’s a quick hop on the local bus into the centre of Woodstock, about ten minutes door to door, dropping you a short stroll from The Feathers‘ front door. Alternatively, it’s a 1.5 hour drive from London.

Perfect for a slow weekend reset, whether you’re there for Blenheim, the gorgeous Cotswold stone streets or just a stand out meal at The Nest. It’s got the fire, the food, the setting and the service all doing exactly what they should.