‘The best places to stay in Hampshire for a dreamy weekend getaway.’

When The Candover opens this spring in one of Hampshire’s prettiest patches, in the village of Preston Candover near Winchester, there will be pints of locally brewed Candover Best at the hand-crafted bar… But also 10 hotel-worthy bedrooms that defy any tired gastro pub tropes, each inspired by Jane Austen characters (Hampshire was Austen’s birthplace and creative haven). After what was The Purefoy Arms was sold for residential development, a drunken lunch in 2023 spiralled into three friends convincing themselves to rescue it. And with architect Rebecca Haines-Gadd at the helm of the overhaul, old doors have been restored, walls limewashed and antique furniture sourced, painstakingly bringing this local back to life.

‘Come for the food, stay for the hospitality.’

The rooms at the Candover are reason alone to book a weekend in the country – they’re charming in a sophisticated way. Antique furnishings, four-poster beds and curated artwork juxtapose sage and mustard colour palettes, eclectic patterns and glossy, ceramic bathroom tiles… I check in to Darcy, listed as a large room with a bathtub on site. The smaller alternatives are equally inviting, plenty big enough, and feature individual quirks like a reading nook that was built into the building's original architecture. Outside in the new extension, two garden rooms and two ground-floor family rooms with built-in bunk beds and private terraces leading to the garden. I’m told these have been designed as a place for parents to eat and drink after their children have gone to bed, in the comfort of a private space but with the hubbub of the pub in touching distance. Mentally, I’m making notes to bring my own tribe here next time we need a city escape.

‘Saved! The Hampshire village pub with chic rooms and affordable food’

If your pub’s in Hampshire you have to give a nod to the county’s beloved daughter, the author Jane Austen. Thankfully, the Candover hasn’t gone for the full-on Mrs Bennet’s bonnet theme. Instead, the ten rooms are named after dashing Austen characters and have been tastefully styled by Rebecca Haines-Gadd, whose CV includes Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire. There are hints of that property’s trendiness in the mid-century armchairs, art nouveau mirrors and limewashed walls, but contemporary four-poster and half-tester beds (all super-kingsize) and conker-brown antique armoires and cabinets add cosiness. All have cheerfully tiled bathrooms and sweet-smelling sustainable toiletries by Reia. The family rooms have private patios, cute bunk beds and baths. Otherwise only the two largest rooms, Bingley and Darcy, have tubs (the natural light in Bingley’s bathroom gives it the edge). Both have views over to the pretty flint and brick church of St Mary the Virgin.

‘The Candover: This Hampshire hotel hybrid could be the future of affordable mini breaks’

There’s an immediate sense of space and sophistication on entering the Candover. There is also an atmosphere of conviviality; a room stretches the length of the square brick, almost entirely reconstructed building with a long, hand-crafted bar in the centre and spacious seating areas either side.

It is hardly a surprise that this place, formerly the Purefoy Arms – a coaching inn dating from the 16th century – feels more cool hotel than village pub, since the architect is Rebecca Haines-Gadd. She is responsible, among others, for Soho -armhouse, Molly’s Diner and the Bell at Charlbury. She worked closely on this project with Andrew Dunn, one of the three owners, all of whom live locally.

This is an exciting new opening and I doubt it will be the only Candover – plans are afoot from an exceptional new hospitality team. I think it is onto something.

‘The best country pubs with rooms’

The Bell, Charlbury - Daylesford has a new sibling in town – a 17th-century pub with rooms in the charming village of Charlbury, which just opened after a three-year renovation project.

The Fox at Oddington, Gloucestershire - With all the private members’ clubs popping up like porcini in the Cotswolds, a mere pub with rooms is starting to look decidedly quaint. But this is Carole Bamford’s sequel to The Wild Rabbit down the road, part of her evergrowing Daylesford empire…

‘The best pubs in the Cotswolds’

The Bell, Charlbury The newest addition to the Daylesford group is this extremely stylish pub in the village of Charlbury, conveniently located on the train line to London. The 17th-century building is a charmer, and the interiors are spare but traditional in feel.

The Fox at Oddington A pub for centuries, this lovely countryside watering hole retains its old-world charm from its low-slung ceilings and flagstone floors to its open fires and antique timber furnishings.

‘The UK's best country pubs with rooms, from Cotswolds stalwarts to the new openings to know in 2026’

Best for Families: The Candover, Hampshire

Come for the food, stay for the hospitality.

Best in the Cotswolds: The Fox at Oddington

With all the private members’ clubs popping up like porcini in the Cotswolds, a mere pub with rooms is starting to look decidedly quaint. But this is Carole Bamford’s sequel to The Wild Rabbit down the road, part of her evergrowing Daylesford empire (yes, she’s also been busy opening The Club by Bamford), and so while it may be a little quaint, it’s also lovingly honed and deeply sustainable.

The Bell, Charlbury

Daylesford has a new sibling in town – a 17th-century pub with rooms in the charming village of Charlbury, which opened to applause after a three-year renovation project.

‘The Fox at Oddington in Gloucestershire — a chichi country pub with rooms’

A Grade II-listed property with parts dating back to the 1600s, it was an inn since the 19th century and latterly a straight-up country pub needing a bit of love and attention. During the extensive, yet sensitive, restoration project, the Daylesford team used original, sustainable and local materials where possible. Walls are insulated using sheep wool from the farm’s flock, flooring is from reclaimed timber, and metalwork is all done by local craftsmen. The leather seats are from the farm’s hides, treated by a local tannery with vegetable tans. A living roof on the dining-room extension has been planted with perennial herbs, wild flowers and succulents, all designed to attract pollinators. The whole building is powered by 100 per cent renewable energy thanks to a mix of solar, wind, hydro and biomass.

‘Soho House and Michaelis Boyd turn derelict farm into luxury members' hotel’

Soho House & Co's in-house design team and London architects Michaelis Boyd have overhauled a run-down farm in Oxfordshire to create Soho Farmhouse – a hotel that combines English countryside style with "upstate New York cabin culture"

Soho Farmhouse occupies a 40-acre site in Great Tew, near Soho House founder Nick Jones' own home. It provides guest accommodation across a series of cabins, a cottage, a farmhouse and tents.

‘The Fox at Oddington — in The Cotswolds — is a triumphant addition to the Daylesford empire’

‘We got a look inside Carole Bamford’s exclusive new club in the countryside’

…enjoyed while gazing out the windows at lounging cows and blossoming orchards. The main gym floor is a 340-square-meter (3,660-square-foot), light-filled space with Technogym equipment, Stages Smart Bikes for spin classes…

The building itself is awash in light-colored stone from the Cotswolds and locally sourced timber. It’s what the club calls “new modern sustainable” design.

‘Inside the cosy cottage of Soho House's principal architect’

Rebecca Haines-Gadd designed the slick Soho Farmhouse and Mollie’s Diner, but she took a different approach with her own home.

‘The 20 best spas in the UK’

18. The Club by Bamford, Gloucestershire

Best for: private downtime

The hum around Bamford’s new private members’ club, enclosed in 3,500 acres of organic farmland in Gloucestershire, is growing into a loud buzz. Part wellbeing hub, part high-end gym, fitness zone and café, The Club by Bamford might be tucked quietly behind the Daylesford organic farm shop, overlooking the gentle grazing of cattle, but this is no obscure outpost. The Club has all the trimmings of an on-point London wellness establishment (while bagging much more acreage to sprawl). Natural finishes are at the root of the design, with the softness of timber predominating, as befits the rural context, but there’s enough smart contemporary sharpness to please the original Cotswolds set.

‘Cosy Cotswolds Hospitality at The Bell at Charlbury’

The Bell at Charlbury has been painstakingly reimagined for the 21st century, while retaining its original heritage and charm. The restoration has created 12 cosy, comfortable bedrooms, beautifully kitted out with the best of Bamford, plus several snug areas, a courtyard for dining, an additional eating and gathering space in The Barn, and a garden that promises long, lazy summer afternoons.

‘AHEAD Europe hotel awards winners are "understated but rich’

The Hotel Newbuild category was won by Mollie's Motel & Diner, a new venture from Soho House that brings the classic American concept of the motel to a rural location in Oxfordshire, England, just off a major road that runs between Bristol and Oxford.

‘These are the prettiest countryside boozers for the ultimate slap-up Sunday roast for a post-stroll pint’

The Fox at Oddington offers plenty of signature Cotswold charm in the heart of a sleepy Gloucestershire village: inside its honey-coloured walls, guests gather around crackling log fires in bespoke wood and leather armchairs, tucking into dishes that proudly utilise ingredients farmed on the nearby Daylesford Organic estate. There’s always a buzz here.

‘Inside Carole Bamford’s new Cotswolds private members’ club’

… Tucked discreetly behind the Bamford Spa, the elegant new members’ club entrance features a walk-through retail space, pale oak floors and a black granite reception desk. Next to it sits The Nest, a calming space to sit and unwind. 

‘Pack away the Peloton — Daylesford owner launches luxury health club’