HOTELS

Inside The Pig in The Cotswolds: The Newly Opened Boutique Hotel

After months of waiting, the much anticipated hotel, The Pig in The Cotswolds, is now open. The hotel has been the talk of The Cotswolds since The PIG announced they’d be taking over Barnsley House at the start of this year. THE PIG-in the Cotswolds is tucked away in picture-perfect Barnsley, just four miles from Cirencester and within striking distance of the cobbled-street towns of Bibury, Burford and Bourton-on-the-water. A little further away is the spa town of Cheltenham; home to much-loved festivals of literature, jazz and the Cheltenham Races.

BY ARCHIE CAWTHRA

24 October 2024

The Pig in The Cotswolds, Photo by Jake Eastham

THE PIG-in the Cotswolds is a honey-hued 17th century Grade II gem, with original listed gardens designed by renowned gardener Rosemary Verey. Beyond the back of the house you'll find the Kitchen Garden – it’s the beating heart of our restaurant’s 25 mile menu. Unlike the other PIGs, this Kitchen Garden is not walled and instead has some of the longest beds and largest fruit cages. It also has one of the longest native foraging hedges in the litter, made up of plants that all produce edible nuts or berries.

The PIG gardening team have taken inspiration from the surroundings and the history of the land to grow the delicious homegrown produce that make up their seasonal dishes here in the Cotswolds.

Heading into the ornamental gardens, these were Rosemary Verey’s first ever creation - the true essence of quintessential English beauty filled with listed archways, potager gardens and a lush Laburnum walkway. Additionally, there are Simon Verity sculptures and a listed Gothick Summerhouse plus hidden rooms, secret gardens and a small but perfectly formed spa, the Field Spa. Tucked away in the gardens, the spa has treatment rooms, a sauna and a sunny outdoor terrace.

The Grounds, Photos by Jake Eastham

This genuinely unspoilt, elegant building has been sensitively restored to keep the character and original features of this beautiful house while still being classically PIG; rooms that feel lived-in with rich fabrics, reclaimed pieces and cosy corners you can really relax in. Plus, there are very large characterful bedrooms with spacious showers and big bathtubs, either in the room or in a separate, large bathroom. Each bedroom has all the comfy, familiar furnishings that are classically PIG, with many rooms overlooking the original arts and crafts style gardens.

Stepping into this special house feels like coming to visit your great Aunt Rosemary. It’s cosy, homely and filled with lots of nooks and crannies – the kind of rooms you can hunker down and lose an afternoon in.

The Secret Garden Room, Photos by Jake Eastham

The Kitchen Garden is the beating heart of the operation at THE PIG-in the Cotswolds. Everything is driven by the gardening team who work hand-in-hand with the chefs to sow, grow and create the seasonal 25 mile menu, brimming with uncomplicated, simple British garden produce. Anything they cannot grow themselves they source from their local supplier friends here in the Cotswolds – so they can be 100% honest about the provenance of the ingredients. Relaxed eating in the heart of the house, overlooking the art and crafts style gardens. Tuck into the 25 mile menu, with a real focus on simple and fresh flavours.  

Over the road, just a few paces away, lays The Village Pub, the first pub in The Pig’s collection. The Village Pub is a classic English country inn, with oak-beamed ceilings, dimly lit corners and roaring open fireplaces. Whether you’re stopping for supper, pulling up a stool for a pint or would like to rest up in one of their 6 gorgeous bedrooms, there’ll always be a warm welcome from behind the bar!

The pub started life as 3 cottages which were converted in the early 18th century into The Greyhound Inn, until the 1920s when the pub changed its name to The Village Inn. Ownership passed to the Cirencester Brewery on the 6th September 1935, and in 1952 it became Grade II listed. About half a century later The Village Inn swapped “inn” for “pub”, and after a brief 2-year stint as The Boot, it reopened in the Summer of 2024 as The Village Pub.

The Village Pub, Photos by Jake Eastham

Rooms at The Pig start from £250 per night for an Extremely Small, to £775 per night for the real showstoppers tucked away in the historic gardens. For more information head to The PIG-in the Cotswolds.