Beggars’ Barn

Beggars’ Barn is tucked in a ravishing valley in North Oxfordshire, and is reached by a winding country lane.  The house has been extensively renovated and has an Annex and a Summer House, both of which have bedrooms. The property has a total of 10 bedrooms, sleeping up to 30 comfortably.  (Beds can be added for children, or sofa beds can be used.)

The main house has 6 bedrooms, two of which are en-suite. The beds can be arranged as doubles or twins. There is an upstairs family bathroom, and a downstairs loo. 

The Annex has two en-suite bedrooms and a Games Room with two sofa beds. 

The self-contained Summer House has a double room, a twin room and a family bathroom. 

The main house has a lovely big kitchen diner (seating up to 24 guests), and a small dining room (that seats up to 16), with a piano. There is also a comfortable drawing room, and the large Games Room (with pool table and table tennis) in the Annex. There’s a well-appointed gym in the main house. 

Outside, there is an outdoor heated swimming pool (from mid-April to mid-October), and a hot tub which can be used all year round. There’s also a terrace, with BBQ, and an Arctic cabin, with its own BBQ inside (seats up to 16). There’s plenty of lawn space for games, and a peaceful pond, for watching dragonflies.

Edmund’s Choice of Extraordinary Feature

“Beggars’ Barn is a great house for a party; it’s beautifully presented, easy for anyone to get to, and the space is flexible and works all year round.”

About The Location

Beggars’ Barn is in North Oxfordshire, within easy reach of Banbury (about 10 minutes’ drive) with its main-line station (Marylebone is an hour from Banbury). Stratford-Upon-Avon is about twenty minutes’ drive, as are the Cotswolds (Chipping Norton’s also about 20 minutes away).

Things To Do

North Oxfordshire is thick with gorgeous little pubs, serving great food (The Bell, at Shennington, is hugely popular with locals), and there are some beautiful country walks that can be done from the house (including one along a Roman Way).  

Should you long for a little culture, there’s the theatre at both Stratford and Chipping Norton, and several National Trust properties in the area, including Upton House, which caters very well for children. Blenheim Palace is great for all ages and interests (and most perfect for a Pimms’ Picnic). Oxford is best reached by train (about 12 minutes’ ride from Banbury).

Larger groups can do an array of activities locally, including clay-shooting at Edgehill, go-karting outside Banbury, and horse-racing at Stratford. The nightlife in Banbury is lively and popular with hen parties.