Summer had been wonderfully busy. So busy, in fact, that somehow we never managed to actually get away.
By September, I was ready for a change of scene.
I love being at home, but every now and then I find it helpful to step outside our usual routine, even if it is only for an overnight stay. There is something about waking up somewhere different, slowing down and simply having nowhere in particular to be.
So we joined our friends Fiona and Missy and finally went somewhere that had been sitting on our list for quite some time: The Double Red Duke, Cotswolds in the little Oxfordshire village of Clanfield.
And it is darling.
There is something so quintessentially English about these wonderful old pub inns. Honey-coloured stone, low ceilings, beams, fireplaces, cosy corners and that unmistakable warmth of a proper country pub. They aren’t simply places to eat or sleep; they carry the history of the people who have passed through their doors.
The Double Red Duke certainly has plenty of that. The building dates back to around 1660 and later became an inn; for many years it was known as The Plough. Today it has been beautifully reinvented as a 19-bedroom country pub with rooms, while retaining much of the character of the original building.
Even the wonderfully curious name comes with a story. The Double Red Duke is named after a character from local folklore. One version of the legend tells of a local figure who grew “double red” corn and gave much of it away to the villagers although, as with the best old English tales, exactly where fact ends and folklore begins has rather disappeared into history.
Today, the inn is part of Country Creatures, the collection created by Sam and Georgie Pearman, whose approach is very much about breathing new life into old country pubs while preserving their sense of place. The Double Red Duke combines that heritage with beautifully considered interiors, open-fire cooking and the sort of rooms that make you want to settle in and stay awhile.
Perhaps that was exactly what we needed.
Not a grand journey. Not a day away.
Just good friends, our dogs, an old English inn and a little change of scene.
