The Blurb
The quintessential Cotswolds experience, all cosy nooks, creaking beams and crackling fires. The Lygon Arms is impressively steeped in history: guests have been lying down to rest here since the Elizabethan era when it served as a highway coaching inn, and Oliver Cromwell reportedly stayed the night before the Battle of Worcester. A sprawling and handsome edifice hewn from hallmark Cotswolds honey-coloured stone, the Lygon Arms combines the conviviality of a watering hole with the elegance of a stately home – all high gables, intricate finials and mullioned windows. For a boutique property, it has a lot to offer, including a choice of dining options, manicured gardens and a spa. A collaboration with James Martin – the former presenter of Saturday Kitchen – adds pizzazz to the culinary experiences.
Sleep
This is not your standard pub with rooms. The hotel has a range of room options to suit varying budgets and circumstances, from romantic getaways to family get-togethers. Even the entry-level rooms in the main house have charisma, blending antique features such as mullioned windows and slanting ceilings with plush tartan bed-heads and snazzy prints by the eponymous British designer, the late Gordon Russell. The modern bathrooms have Noble Isle products, laced with the likes of Scots pine and rhubarb. I stayed in one of the Courtyard rooms, which are particularly large with their own private terraces in the front – ideal for an al fresco morning tea while listening to birdsong, or an evening aperitivo as the sun melts into the Cotswolds hills. I appreciated the extra space, which could accommodate a squishy sofa to sprawl onto after a long day exploring the village and surrounding countryside; so too the elegant bathroom, complete with bath tubs and a separate rainshower. There is also a four-poster cottage suite a little away from the hotel, which is ideal for lovebirds and a duplex cottage unit with a sofa bed that is suitable for families.
Our & About
While the Lygon Arms is a boutique pad, there are still plenty of ways to while away a lazy day as if you were staying at a country house or larger resort. Locals and visitors alike love to spend time in the public spaces; as an ancient coaching inn, there are plenty of private nooks and corners to enjoy a coffee or glass of champagne in privacy, while snuggling into blue velvet sofa and enjoying the historic ambience, all dark wood cladding, rug-draped stone hallways and Elizabethan door frames. Unsurprisingly, in colder months, the sofas by the stupendous original fireplaces are the most coveted. In summer, guests spill out onto the immaculate three-acre ‘secret’ walled garden, which is lined with olive trees and blooms with wisteria.
I highly enjoyed the petite but tranquil and well-appointed spa. The pool – topped by a glass roof that is retractable in summer – is perfect for a few pre-treatment laps, and there is a hot tub attached, as well as a steam room. Both the male and female changing rooms have their own saunas, which are nice and hot. My dry and dull skin felt soft and luminous after a relaxing Elemis facial, which also included a delectable head and shoulder massage.
The inn is conveniently located on the High Street of Chipping Camden – an ideal excuse to explore the well-heeled area’s bougie shops, whether it be for artisan greengage jam or hair bands made from pheasant feathers.
Dine
The Grill, with its menu by acclaimed television chef James Martin, has become a Cotswolds institution – and with good reason. The dining hall drips with history, but is slickly finished, with caramel banquets and marble-topped tables twinkling underneath a huge barrelled ceiling and original minstrels’ gallery. The food is British with a light-touch creative twist – think asparagus in chardonnay vinaigrette and tika cauliflower. Unsurprisingly given the name, red meat is the speciality, with people making the pilgrimage for the 30-day dry-aged steaks smothered with beef tallow and served with chunky chips in particular. That said, my West Country lamb with mint and feta melted in the mouth, and my cheese soufflé was like devouring a creamy cloud. The nostalgic and Instagrammable knickerbocker glory is the showstopper of the pudding menu.
There is also a tavern where you can grab a local cider and snack on charcuterie, and the hotel also holds champagne afternoon teas with scones, cakes and sandwiches in the lounge. Breakfast is a generous continental buffet, with fruit, bircher muesli and patisseries, and guests can also order hot dishes including a full English.
The Details
Rooms from £213 including breakfast
High St, Broadway WR12 7DU
