HOTELS
Inside The Rectory Hotel: The Grade II Listed Boutique Hotel
Once upon a time, a rector and his 14 children (14?!) had the original rectory all to themselves – these days, we can all rock up to The Rectory Hotel (praise be). Today, The Rectory is a contemporary, relaxed Cotswolds country house hotel & restaurant with 18 bedrooms, proper cocktails and hide-and-seek English gardens to explore. The Rectory is a classic, cosy and elegant home away from home, the perfect place for an autumn break.
BY ARCHIE CAWTHRA
18 September 2024
Photo by Rebecca Pearson for Cotswold Style
Items worth giving thanks for include: the romantic rooms with their field-and-village views, the excellent restaurant, the al fresco pool and the thoughtful extras, from the relaxed service to the just-baked cakes. Of course, the Cotswolds countryside (and its snug-as-a-bug pubs) isn’t half bad, either…
The Rectory is a quintessential hotel for a Cotswold escape. Tucked away in the charming village of Crudwell, the impressive country house is surrounded by perfectly landscaped gardens, boasting its own outdoor pool and a variety of delightful dining options to choose from - including the hard-to-beat Sunday roast. I took a sneak peak in a couple of the rooms which oozed luxury and relaxation. Ending the afternoon with a lovely stroll through the historic garden, with the beautiful backdrop of the changing season.
The hotel has 18 simply but beautifully furnished bedrooms – 15 in the main house and 3 in a separate cottage. From Victorian roll top baths to garden views, the rooms at The Rectory offer unmatched tranquility and is the ideal Cotswolds escape.
Photos by Rebecca Pearson for Cotswold Style
The restaurant at The Rectory offers classic food with a contemporary edge presented and served in the elegant dining room and striking glasshouse. Traditional but unstuffy – and decidedly delicious – British fare is served in the laid-back restaurant: sink your teeth into beef Wellington, wild-boar steak, local crayfish, clams with seaweed butter, Florentine doughnuts or dark-chocolate marquise with candied hazelnuts, for example. A cheese trolley adds a pleasingly theatrical flourish.
Photos by Rebecca Pearson for Cotswold Style
Post-breakfast at the Rectory, go for a ramble in the grounds and seek out the Grade II-listed dovecote, which dates back to the 13th century. Next, pootle around the dinky village of Crudwell, admiring All Saints Church and the village’s historic architecture. Back at the hotel, borrow a magazine and snuggle up by the fire with a slice of just-baked cake.
If you’re feeling like a pie or pint, head down to The Potting Shed pub, the sister pub to The Rectory. An award winning Cotswold country dining pub situated in the Cotswold triangle of Tetbury, Malmesbury and Cirencester: Wiltshire Dining Pub of the Year 2014, National Pub of the Year 2012, National Dining Pub of the Year 2011.
The philosophy of the Potting Shed is to focus on a creative, British seasonal menu accompanied by a selection of the finest quality British ales and an uncompromising and interesting choice of wine, champagne and port.