Buckland Manor – A Relais & Chateaux Hotel

First Impressions

Walking up to Buckland Manor – A Relais & Chateaux Hotel, you get that immediate sense this isn’t your typical countryside hotel. The 13th-century honey-colored stone practically glows in the Cotswolds light, and honestly, it feels like stepping into a period drama. I mean, this place has been welcoming guests since way before hotels were even a thing – it started as a manor house and you can feel that history in every creaking floorboard.

The Cotswolds Setting

You’re perfectly positioned here between Broadway (the “Jewel of the Cotswolds”) and about a dozen picture-perfect villages that look like they haven’t changed in centuries. What I love is how the hotel sits in its own ten acres – you get that proper English countryside feel without being completely isolated. The four-star property has riding trails that connect to the broader Cotswolds bridleway network, which means you can literally saddle up and explore some of England’s most beautiful landscape right from your doorstep.

The Equestrian Experience

Actually, the riding here is what sets Buckland Manor apart from other Cotswolds hotels. They work with local stables that know these ancient tracks like the back of their hand – you’ll canter through beech woods and across hilltops that overlook the Vale of Evesham. The guides are proper horsemen (not just hotel staff who happen to know about horses), and they’ll match you with the right mount whether you’re a nervous beginner or someone who’s been riding since childhood.

Staying Here

Each room has its own personality – some with four-poster beds, others tucked under the eaves with views across the gardens. My room had this massive window seat where I’d sit with morning coffee watching deer wander across the grounds. The restaurant serves what you’d call refined British cooking, though they’re not precious about it – think excellent local lamb and seasonal vegetables from their own kitchen garden. There’s also a proper English afternoon tea that actually lives up to the hype, served in the oak-paneled drawing room with a fire crackling away.

Why Guests Love It

What really works here is how they’ve kept the manor house feel while adding modern comforts that matter. The staff know their stuff about the area – they’ll send you to the right pub in Chipping Campden or tell you which footpath leads to the best viewpoint. Parking is never an issue (you’re in the countryside after all), and honestly, with that 8.6 rating, you know other guests are having the same experience I did. It’s one of those places where the riding is excellent, the setting is genuinely special, and you leave feeling like you’ve had a proper English country weekend.