Bruern Cottages Chipping Norton, The Cotswolds

Can you park at Bruern Cottages?

Parking is complimenatry and EV charging is available

Can children stay at Bruern Cottages?

This is a paradise for children, with three playgrounds, a play cabin, a wendy house, toy cars and bicycles for every child and in every size – and above all other children. For teens (and maybe older-than-teens), there's a games room with pool, table tennis and table football.

The grounds

When you step outside into the gardens, you find a blend of formal and informal elements, featuring topiary, cutting gardens with box hedges, gazebos, little orchards, statuary, a wisteria tunnel, and a vast hundred yard herbaceous border. There is barely a square foot of the entire estate that has not been planned out with a passion for landscape and an eye for detail.

In 1999 Bruern's gardens were first awarded a marking of 100 out of 100 by VisitBritain, and although they clearly didn't think we had much room for improvement, we begged to differ – a couple of gazebos and two gardens have been added sin

History of the hotel

The stone plaque on the wall of Goodwood announces that the Bruern stables were finished in 1882, to accommodate the horses, carriages and grooms of Bruern Abbey, whose imposing entrance lies just across the road. The Abbey itself is a much earlier building: described by Pevsner as 'an attractive example of local Baroque', it was built for Sir John Cope in around 1720, twenty-five years before his resounding defeat by Bonnie Prince Charlie's army at the battle of Prestonpans – a defeat commemorated by a mocking ditty popular in Scotland beginning 'Hey, Johnny Cope…' The architect may have been William Townesend, who worked with Vanbrugh on Blenheim Palace.

E-Bike Hire

Located in the Cotswold countryside, Bruern Cottages provides the perfect setting for guests wishing to hire eBikes during their stay.

With endless quiet country lanes, picturesque towns, and charming villages to explore, guests can discover the beauty of the Cotswolds while enjoying the freedom of travelling on two wheels.

The eBikes make cycling and exploring the Cotswolds accessible for a range of fitness levels. Whether guests are looking for a leisurely ride through the countryside or a more energetic day out, the eBikes provide an extra helping hand when the terrain becomes more challenging.

eBike hire is available for guests aged 14 and over. Bikes can be hired daily from the office or pre-booked ahead of a stay, subject to availability.

Gardens and Wildlife

When VisitEngland, the national tourist board, awards its Gold Awards for Luxury Self-Catering in the UK, the appearance of the gardens is considered almost as important as the interiors. As a result, Bruern Cottages has placed great emphasis on creating exceptional gardens, which have been awarded a perfect 100% rating.

Guests often comment that there is little need to travel to renowned gardens such as Hidcote, Barnsley House, Broughton Castle, or Kiftsgate, all within an hour's drive of Bruern, when such beautiful surroundings can be enjoyed on the doorstep. The gardens at Bruern Cottages are cared for with the same passion and attention to detail as the interiors, with thousands of bulbs planted each winter to ensure that every spring is more spectacular than the last.

During the summer months, the gardens become a truly enchanting retreat. A stroll through the Stable Yard reveals a harmonious combination of symmetry, mellow stone, gravel pathways, and a striped green croquet lawn, softened by cascading roses and clematis, with lilies and euphorbias spilling from the borders. The atmosphere evokes the feeling of stepping into the peaceful courtyard of an Oxford college.

Passing through the archway into the old walled garden, guests discover a sense of space and grandeur. A wide lawn stretches to the right, bordered by the impressive Long Border, which measures twelve feet deep and 120 feet wide. On the opposite side of the lawn, an arched colonnade of yews leads along the pathway towards the swimming pool.

The Long Border is a breathtaking display of colour and scale, featuring a misty, opalescent blend of mauves, crimsons, pinks, and whites. Beyond it lies another garden highlight: a tunnel of wisteria and apple trees trained over arches, running the length of the garden. In spring, delicate apple blossom gives way to richly scented wisteria alive with bees. Summer brings vibrant displays of purple and crimson viticella clematis, while autumn sees the trees filled with rosy apples ready for picking.

Beyond the apple and wisteria tunnel lies the cutting garden, where flowers are grown for the holiday cottages. A formal parterre, centred around a wrought iron gazebo covered in rambler roses, features neatly edged beds, immaculate grass paths, and clipped box balls. This structured design provides a striking contrast to the vibrant displays of magenta, purple, scarlet, orange, brilliant blue, and lime green flowers within. The symmetry of the Irish yews, which mirror those bordering the Long Border, provides the only connection between the two sides of the tunnel.

In complete contrast, the walk beside the stream towards the Games Room offers a more natural style of planting. This lush, shaded area is filled with shade-loving plants including hellebores, sweet rocket, foxgloves, Solomon's seals, ferns, hostas, primulas, and daylilies. Larger statement plants such as gunneras, bamboo, giant rhubarb, and species roses add further interest, creating a tranquil and immersive garden experience for guests to enjoy.

The only luxury holiday cottages in the UK to be featured in Tatler's "101 Best Spas",