Things To Do & See
Merchant House Cotswolds is the perfect place to stay while you explore the Cotswolds. From country walks to fun-filled activities for the kids, the Cotswolds offers something for everyone.
Blenheim Palace
(20 mins away from Merchant House)
Discover the beauty of Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill and a world heritage site. Take an 'upstairs & downstairs' tour, giving you a glimpse into the lives of the illustrious guests and palace staff over the centuries. Climb on board the miniature train and explore the walled garden, a haven for children with its new adventure playground, butterfly house and hedge maze. Or simply relish exploring the stunning 2000 acres of parkland and formal gardens. Keep a look out for events too from medieval jousting to the Nocturne concerts held annually in June.
How to Get There
A scenic drive through the Cotswolds countryside, head south east and enjoy passing through the pretty village of Stonesfield. Follow signs for Blenheim Palace, and look out for the Harry Potter Tree!
Daylesford Farm Shop
(20 mins away from Merchant House)
A delicious slice of Cotswolds countryside, Daylesford is part working farm and part shop, cafe and spa. Having pioneered organic farming for over 3 decades, Daylesford produces a tantalising offering of seasonally produced goodies to enjoy in their cafe or to take home to cook up a storm in the kitchen. Whether you come to enjoy their renowned supper clubs, floristry and cookery courses, or the delights of their holistic Wellness Spa, Daylesford is always worth a visit.
How to Get There
Head North East of of Charlbury, passing the Bull Pub and Amarelo Bistro. Pass through Spelsbury and you will find Daylesford Farm Shop just after Churchill and Kingham, both pretty villages worth a stop on your way back!
Oxford
(15 mins away by train)
Famed for its 'dreaming spires', ancient university, spectacular architecture as well as providing the backdrop to films including Harry Potter and Brideshead Revisited, Oxford has attractions to amuse all the family. Explore the myriad of cobbled streets lined with ancient colleges, walk under the Bridge of Sighs on a student-led walking tour, take a punt down the river or explore many of the amazing museums including the Bodleian Library, Ashmolean and Pitt Rivers Museum.
How to Get There
Charlbury has its own train station so it couldn’t be simpler to get to Oxford. A ten minute walk from Merchant House will take you to the station, ready for your day out.
Cotswolds Villages
With so many honey hued villages to choose from, you will be spoilt for choice. Clustered close together, Snowshill and Stanton are linked together via a steep but beautiful walking trail. Snowshill is home to the National Trust owned Snowshill Manor and the Cotswolds lavender fields in the summer. The Slaughters (Lower and Upper) are connected by the tiny River Eye stream which flows beneath a series of stone bridges. Bourton-on-the-Water is known as the Venice of the Cotswolds, thanks to its 18th-century bridges that cross the River Windrush. For Downton Abbey fans, Bampton, doubled as fictionalised northern town Downton with many village locations used in the filming. Picturesque Burford is home to many independent and boutique shops and a treasure trove of goodies can be found by whiling away a few hours at the Burford Garden Company.
Charlbury
Merchant House rests in the centre of the rural town of Charlbury. Nestling in the picturesque Evenlode Valley, Charlbury offers a balance of town and country living at its finest. There are two cracking village pubs 100m from the house, The Bell, of Daylesford fame as well as The Bull, from the team behind the Pelican in Notting Hill. It also has two further drinking pubs (serving excellent ale), two wonderful bistros and the local deli/café which sells local produce. Charlbury is also home to the Riverside Festival and the famous Wilderness Music Festival which is held in the grounds of the stunning Cornbury Park.
Explore more of the Cotswolds
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For golf fanatics, there are courses at Burford
For a spot of clay pigeon shooting, head to Oxfordshire Shooting School in Enstone. Their state of the art shooting ground is open to all, catering for complete beginners to the experienced shot.
Fancy exploring the Cotswolds villages on horseback? Bourton Vale Equestrian offers hour-long circular horse rides around the beautiful Upper and Lower Slaughter.
The Cheltenham Festival kicks off the jump racing season in March with the excitement of the Gold Cup and the International Horse Trials at Cornbury House and Blenheim in early September are both fabulous day outs.
If horses aren’t your thing, Blenheim also hosts the annual Salon Prive, on the first weekend of September, showcasing some of the rarest classic cars.
An array of water pursuits and activities are available at the Cotswold Water Park. These include paddling boarding, sailing, water skiing, an inflatable obstacle course, kayaks, and lake swimming from the beach.
Cotswold Electric bike tour offer a relaxing way to explore the beautiful and surprisingly hilly Cotswold countryside! and for adventurous teens, Far Peak Climbing, offers fantastic indoor and outdoor climbing facilities.
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Bamford Wellness Spa at Daylesford Organic Farm, is a gorgeous luxury spa that’ll leave you feeling totally relaxed. The spa focuses on holistic therapies which ensure your body and mind are in the best state to relax, unwind, and repair.
The Meadow Spa at Thyme is a sheer haven of restorative calm and tranquillity. This botanical spa is a place of mindfulness and contemplation with a diverse menu of treatments and therapies.
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Burford Garden Company is a haven for homeware, plants and interiors with a bustling café serving delicious lunches and teas.
Stow-on-the-Wold has many lovely shops, galleries and a gluttony of antique shops to browse.
Fancy a tipple? The Cotswolds Distillery offers tours and tastings as well as a whisky or gin blending masterclass and is a lovely lunch spot too.
The traditional and historic market town of Woodstock is a lovely place to visit, with great independent shops and cafes, with Blenheim Palace just a 10-minute walk away and Bladon, the site of Winston Churchill’s grave, 1.5 miles from the town centre.
For serious shoppers, Bicester Village offers more than 150 luxury fashion and lifestyle boutiques along with lots of eateries including Soho House Farm Shop Cafe and Cecconi's.
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The Cotswolds Wildlife Park is always a fun-filled day out. Home to lions, giraffes, rhinos, limas as well as another 260 different animals, spend a day here in the stunning landscaped parklands and gardens.
Adam Henson’s Cotswolds Farm Park is a fabulous day out where your little ones can feed the farm animals, pedal on the tractors and enjoy the playground.
The Model Village in Bourton on the Water is a little gem and makes for great photos. The one-ninth scale replica is a charming and exquisitely detailed representation of the Cotswold town, and even has a model village within the model village! Birdland and Crocodiles of the Worldare close by if you fancy a visit whilst you’re there.
Cogges Manor Farm (20 mins) perhaps better known as Yew Tree Farm in Downton Abbey, hosts lots of events throughout the year, in the grounds of their Grade II listed manor building. Enjoy a gentle walk through the meadow and woodland areas, have a picnic in the gardens, explore the farm house and pet the farm animals, for an enjoyable day out.
Experience the joy of Giffords Circus as its red and white striped big top visits different Cotswold hotspots during the summer months. Young and old will love this magical village green circus and their fabulous troupe of performers.
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From fine dining, gastro pubs to fantastic private chefs who’ll cook up a treat at the house. These are some of our personal favourites:
Standing on the corner of Sheep Street since the early 1500s and in spitting distance from the house, The Bull is a fabulous pub, serving good beer and a menu centred around open fire cooking.
The Hare is a cosy pub with a beautiful interior, offering everything from cask ales to three-course suppers. Famous for their marine cuisine board, stuffed full of seafood, delivered daily from Devon and Cornwall.
Part of the Daylesford empire, The Wild Rabbit has an award-winning kitchen producing traditional British cooking with a contemporary twist, using seasonal ingredients from the market garden at Daylesford Farm. It’s more restaurant than pub for those who want a fine dining experience. Their sister pub, The Bell in our very own Charlbury is also very good.
Visit Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm Shop, in the next door village of Chadlington or why not visit his pub The Farmers Dog and try a pint of their Hawkstone beer.
With a wonderful 3 star rosette restaurant and an outdoor terrace with incredible views over the Evenlode Valley, The Feathered Nest offers fine dining at its best in the heart of the Cotswolds.
One of our favourites, The Swan Inn in Ascott under Wychwood, is stuffed full of character and has a fabulous garden terrace for summer dining. Their sister pubs The Chequers in Churchill and The Black Horse in Salford are also very good and worth visiting.
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Festival season comes to the Cotswolds with Charlbury hosting not one but three festivals! Kicking of the summer is the Charlbury Beer Festival followed swiftly with the Riverside Music Festival, a firm favourite attracting over 30 acts playing over three stages and is completely free.
August sees Wilderness come to town. Set in the idyllic grounds of Cornbury Park Estate, the Wilderness Festival spans music, the arts, food and wellbeing.
In late August, the Big Feastival at Alex James' farm in Kingham brings together music from the UK’s biggest artists to his farm alongside a smorgasbord of delicious food and an abundance of family friendly activities.
Blenheim is host to an array of brilliant summer events. Nocturne Live kicks off June with a sparkling line up of bands and musicians performing over five nights on the lawns in front of the Palace. July sees The Battle of the Proms Picnic Concert. Complete with spitfire flyovers, cannons and cavalry, it's one of the season’s highlights.
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Revel in the colourful Spring and Autumnal displays at Batsford Arboretum, head to Blenheim in July for their Annual Flower Show and marvel at the stunning grounds at Christmas when the house and gardens are transformed into an illuminated magical wonderland.
Summer is a great time to visit the many country houses and enjoy the colourful garden displays. Chastleton House, Rousham House, Hidcote Manor and Sudeley Castle are just a few you could visit.
Country Walks
Merchant House, Charlbury, is situated on the Oxfordshire way and is the ideal base for walking holidays. Charlbury is in the beautiful Evenlode Valley, surrounded by glorious country walks. Try the All Trails app to show where all the local footpaths in the area are or use the OS map in the hallway and the maps provided. These are a few of our favourites.
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Walk through the church yard and follow road down the hill towards the station. Take the footpath on the right before you reach the bottom of the hill. Follow the path over the river, and walk along the mill field, over the river again and then back along the fields on the other side of the field. Follow the footpath back through the graveyard into the town.
There is a lovely round walk through Spelsbury. Stop off at Banbury Hill Farm for a cuppa before walking back through the woods. Use the OS Maps app to guide you around the footpaths.
Take a walk eastwards from Charlbury along bridleways running alongside the River Evenlode to Ditchley Park Mansion.
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Walk through the ancient Wychwood Forest, part of which now makes up the Cornbury Park Estate. Park at Waterman's Lodge Farm and walk along the footpath, past the Saw Mill and Patch Hill gate to Finstock House, on the edge of Charlbury.
Bruen Woods are fantastic to walk through, go to Bruen and park up. Use the app to guide you around the footpaths.
We love a walk through the Barrington Estate. As you leave Taynton going towards Great Barrington there’s a lay-by to park in. Directly opposite is a track, where you can either go straight up and back or do a circuit up and into Great Barrington.
