The Fish Hotel, Farncombe Estate near Broadway

The-Fish-Hotel-Farncombe-Estate-building

The Accommodation

Turn off the quiet main road and take the lane that gently meanders through the lovely 400 acre Farncombe Estate, past the elegant, sister hotel, Foxhill Manor, down to The Fish Hotel, a boutique, village-style retreat.

Along the route, visitors are reminded of deer in these parts. Slow down and take in the fabulous views of Cotswold countryside that have not altered in hundreds of years. Sheep graze, wildlife abound, peace, relaxation and activities beckon. The Fish pretty much offers something for everyone. It’s great for couples or solo travellers; it’s also perfect for a get-away with children and the family dog.

Park up, and be welcomed in the main reception at The Lodge. Everything is warm, friendly, light and contemporary with a distinct Scandinavian feel about the place. Lanterns are lit throughout and the large wood burner in the bar draws visitors in. The ‘Restaurant at The Fish’ offers a seasonal, a la carte menu for residents and non-residents with views over the lake and a wrap-around terrace for dining alfresco on warm days and balmy evenings.

Sixty-seven stylish, ‘Scandi-style’ bedrooms include Cosy, Cosy Luxe, family-sized Compact Suites, and four Spacious rooms – one with its own cosy sitting room with woodburner. All are set out in The Stables, Brook House, The Farmhouse, and The Outhouse.

Bedrooms are kitted out with Smart TVs, Wi-Fi, bathrobes, king-size beds, Orly Kiely toiletries, tea and coffee tins with biscuits. Individual mini-bottles of milk from a local farm are stocked in a large retro-style fridge for guests to dip into.

Guests at The Fish are given a map to find their way about the private estate. Walking, jogging, and cycling maps follow a nature trail through woods and meadows, cross orchards and fields to the nearby village of Willersey, and follow the Cotswold Way to the lovely Broadway tower and onto the village of Broadway. If you feel like doing something you have never tried before there are other great outdoor activities on the Farncombe Estate to get stuck into: Segway safaris, quad biking, archery, tennis, and clay-pigeon shooting.

It’s all here, your own luxury bolt-hole, waiting for you!

The Village and Location

The family-owned Farncombe Estate sits in its own sweeping parkland setting in the Cotswolds with fabulous views overlooking the Vale of Evesham.

Just over a mile from Farncombe Estate is Broadway, an elegant village with bags of history. A lovely wide main street runs through with fine medieval stone houses that appear to glow in the sunshine, grassy verges and greens, horses grazing in fields, independent shops, and all kinds of places to stop and be revived.

Drawn by its natural light and beauty, Broadway has been home to quite a few artists and writers over the years including Elgar, John Singer Sargeant, J.M Barrie, Vaughan Williams and the American artist and writer Francis Davis Millet, who died in the sinking of the Titanic. In 1932 his son donated a sum of money for the lychgates to be built at the ancient St Eadburgha’s church in Broadway, in memory of his father – look up on its beams for a Latin inscription.

While here do take some time to visit the Ashmolean Museum which is based in Tudor House, a former 17th century coaching inn; and take off half-way down the main street by the Lygon Arms to visit the Gordon Russell Museum to see the work of the 20th century furniture maker.

For walkers, Broadway Hill overlooks the village and is the highest point in the northern Cotswolds and part of the Cotswold Way. Climb the 20m high Broadway Tower which sits on a hilltop site in the Broadway Country Park and take in some fabulous views. Not far also, at the other end of the village, take the road up to Snowshill Manor and Garden, a unique National Trust property with plenty of quirkiness and character.