A Cotswold Gem
Looking for a weekend break in the country to celebrate a special birthday or anniversary? The Old Swan and Minster Mill is an upscale boutique hotel in a lovely little village just west of the Prime Minister’s constituency in Witney, Oxon. Popular with couples and families for short breaks and weekend visits, it offers a choice of accommodation, great gastro-pub meals, friendly service and a myriad of leisure amenities including a spa.
Set on a mile of the River Windrush within 65 acres of re-established gardens and water meadows, the hotel occupies two sister properties with shared facilities and leisure amenities: The Old Swan – a 600-year-old coaching inn, and Minster Mill, a former conference centre built on the site of an old working mill on the banks of the River Windrush
The historic Old Swan comprises 15 characterful guest rooms and suites, some with four-poster beds and oak beamed ceilings. All are luxuriously appointed with traditional furnishings, modern bathrooms and quality toiletries. Guests staying in the Old Swan have exclusive use of the Old Swan Snug.
The adjoining Minster Mill’s 44 well-appointed bedrooms are more contemporary but smaller in scale and budget. The choice includes rooms with private riverfront terraces and fire pits, family (interconnecting) rooms and several dog-friendly rooms. The Mill also has several reception rooms in the gardens alongside the river, ideal for private parties or business meetings.
Since becoming part of the de Savary hotel portfolio in 2010, this quintessential English hotel has been substantially refurbished to the five star standards of entrepreneur and yachtsman Peter de Savary’s previous properties , such as Skibo Castle in Scotland and Bovey Castle in Devon. Peter’s wife Lana is overseeing the hotel’s ambitious on-going improvements, which include a new £1 million spa and conversion of some of the Mill’s smaller bedrooms into guest suites.
The bespoke new Windrush Spa is due to open in June 2016 and will replace the present treatment rooms. It will be exclusively for guest use and feature five indoor treatment rooms and several gazebo tents on the terrace for treatments when the weather is good, indoor/outdoor swimming pools, sauna, steam room and relaxation areas.
Arriving at the Old Swan for our overnight stay, the entrance was resplendent with summer colour – borders of flowering perennials, hanging baskets overflowing with flowers and masses of glorious yellow roses in full bloom. Friendly staff directed us to the hotel reception at Minster Mill a two-minute walk away. We left our bags, crossed the road and walked down a lavender-lined path through the Mill’s cottage garden to obtain our key.
Our spacious oak beamed room in the Old Swan combined old-world charm with modern day luxury and comfort. We had a huge bed dressed with masses of cushions, plump pillows and a feather light duvet, comfortable armchairs, flat screened TV and quality oak furniture with plenty of storage. Access was via a steep creaky wooden staircase, which was fine for us but might be difficult for less able visitors.
After a reviving afternoon tea, the weather brightened up. We went out to explore our surroundings and ended up playing petanque with some other guests. The range of interesting things to see and do is quite amazing – friendly ducks, rescued chickens, a children’s activity area, a spa, fitness room and a mile of private fishing. There’s also tennis, croquet, badminton, giant outdoor chess, and petanque. Bicycle hire and horse riding can be arranged. The area is great for walking and the hotel’s useful little booklet has details and maps of selected local walks. The sleepy little village of Minster Lovell is conveniently close to local attractions like Blenheim Palace, Oxford and other pretty Cotswold towns, while Bicester Village, the popular designer shopping outlet is a short drive away.
The gastropub food was a highlight of our stay. Dinner was an appetising choice of starters and seasonal dishes featuring mainly local produce. Chef Kai’s pan-fried Oxfordshire rump of lamb was a triumph, served with dauphinoise potatoes and perfectly cooked green vegetables, accompanied by a chilled Marlborough sauvignon. The seven dessert options were irresistible. Waistlines and calories were forgotten as we tucked into favourites like sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream and crème brulee. A generous sized pot of coffee served with the chef’s homemade tablet fudge was the final pièce de résistance.
We slept soundly and late in our vast soft bed, but made it down the steep creaky stairs in time for coffee and a tasty buffet breakfast. Then I was off to the spa to have my feet pampered and polished while Alec (a professional engineer) was keen to view the hotel’s Archimedes screw turbine. The Old Swan and Minster Mill is the only UK hotel using this green and reliable energy source, which is powered solely by the River Windrush and provides a direct energy feed to all the Minster Mill buildings. Acting like a modern waterwheel, it harnesses the power of the river to rotate the screw and generate electricity.
Before leaving, we joined a short tour around Minster Lovell, led by Graham Kew, a local author and publisher. Graham regaled us with fascinating facts about the village and its past and current residents. We walked up the hill admiring the picture perfect thatched cottages and gardens to St Kenelm’s Church. Then we took the path through the old graveyard to a field with a ‘kissing gate’ leading down to the river and the ruins of Minster Lovell Hall, a 15th century manor house steeped in legends and haunted by ghosts.
Graham related the legend about Lord Francis Lovell, one of the hall’s owners. To escape capture by Henry VII’s agents, he lived in a secret room within the hall for a number of years. Only a trusted manservant knew the room’s location and secretly brought him food. When the manservant fell ill and died, Lovell was left to his fate and starved. Centuries later when repairs were being carried out within the manor house, the hidden chamber was discovered and in it the skeleton of a man sitting at a desk.
One of the hall’s most famous ghosts is the ‘White Lady’. Apparently, in the mid-1700s the wedding of a young William Lovell was held in the hall. After the ceremony, some of the guest suggested a game of Hide and Seek. The young bride climbed inside a large chest in an attic, which locked on entry. Her entombed corpse was only discovered years later.
Ghosts and gloomy legends aside, we thoroughly enjoyed our short stay in the lovely Coxwolds. We hope to return to the Old Swan and Minster Mill soon – perhaps in the winter, when we can enjoy the cosy interiors, satisfying meals and blazing log fires after an exhilarating walk or a trip to Bicester Village for some designer bargains.
The Old Swan and Minster Mill
Old Minster, Minster Lovell, Witney, Oxfordshire OX29 0RN
Tel: 01993 774441
Short break stays are available throughout the year.
Visit www.oldswanandminstermill.com for further details and latest offers.
An all-inclusive two night VIP Pre-Christmas Getaway, includes two nights of accommodation, breakfast and dinner, a complimentary gift wrapping service for all items purchased at Bicester and two complimentary massages after a day’s shopping.
Priced from £245 per person including VAT. Available until 23 December.
