Clad in mellow Cotswold stone, Grade II-listed Dunford Barn dates back to the 17th-century. Converted from barn to home 40 years ago, a further makeover in 2018 created a spacious living area with wood burning stove, a snug with foosball, two smart bathrooms, plus a useful utility room. Plenty of character details remain, such as flagstone flooring in the hall and exposed beams in the four comfortable bedrooms, each with its own bright colour scheme. In the living room,opposite a huge stone hearth, a floor-to-ceiling mullion window looks onto gardens. Overall, it's a winning blend of cosiness and comfort.
You're in the pretty stone village of Langford, on the eastern edge of the Cotswolds near the Oxfordshire-Gloucestershire border. The lovely market towns of Burford and Lechlade are close by, as are the lakes and riverside walks of the upper Thames valley: it's all very scenic in a quintessentially English way. Families will appreciate having the Cotswold Wildlife Park just 8 minutes' drive away; and we found it a joy to return to the barn's leafy, enclosed gardens, complete with loungers and private hot tub for six. Best of all, it's only 2 minutes' walk to Langford's pub, the Bell Inn, which does mighty fine grub should you tire of self-catering. And let's face it, we all deserve a break.
Highs
- Flexible bedrooms (super kingsize doubles, twins or triples) make it equally suitable for a group of friends or for families
- For the kids, there's a lawn to play on, a snug with foosball, games, books and Smart TVs
- We loved the south-facing flowering garden, with its dining terrace, parasol and barbecue for lazy sunny afternoons; soaking in the al fresco hot tub after a day's walking was a lovely indulgence
- It's great value for money
Lows
- The vibe here is country cosy rather than contemporary chic (the quality of finish in a couple of areas could be improved eg mis-matching coat hangers)
- The kitchen-diner isn't huge, but its table seats eight easily (extra seating available)
- You'll need a car to make the most of the area
- If coming with friends, be aware there are only two bathrooms (none ensuite)
Best time to go
The house is available year-round and the Cotswolds are an attractive destination at any time. You'll need to book ahead for school holidays.
Our top tips
There's no shortage of gentle countryside walks here: a favourite of ours is the riverside path between Buscot Weir (great for wild swimming) and Kelmscott Manor (William Morris' historic retreat, but closed for rebuild until 2022).
- Boutique Cottage
- 4 bedrooms
- Self-catering; pub nearby
- All ages welcome
- Open all year
- Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach nearby
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Car recommended
- Parking
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Daily Maid Service
- Towels & Bedlinen
Rooms
Dunford Barn has four double bedrooms on the first floor. The owners have arranged these for maximum flexibility: each can be a twin on request, and the three largest come with superking beds, plus space for an extra bed in each if needed. There are two bathrooms - one with walk-in shower, one with a bathtub – but no ensuites.
The Master Teal Bedroom has a delightful arched stone mullion window facing the lovely garden, as well as built-in wardrobes with mirrored doors. Spacious Sage Green Bedroom is two steps down, and overlooks the back garden and courtyard below. This is adjacent to the main bathroom which comes with a tub.
The Sky Blue Bedroom has a wardrobe enclave, while the bright Yellow Bedroom, the smallest, has wall hooks instead of the chest of drawers seen in all the other rooms. The second bathroom next door has a large walk-in shower.
All bedrooms have exposed wooden beams and woollen throws, comfy mattresses dressed with Egyptian cotton, useful plug adaptors, and fluffy towels.
Eating
The country-style kitchen-diner comes with a plethora of appliances from microwave to Nespresso coffee machine. There's an assortment of crockery, cutlery, glassware and cookware, plus essentials such as foil and clingfilm, tea and coffee, spices and condiments, as well as the bakery selection for booking through i-escape. The table seats 8 comfortably; additional chairs can be squeezed alongside if you're a bigger group. There's a useful pantry area, plus a utility room housing the washing machine and tumble dryer, as well as a butler sink and American-style fridge-freezer.
In the sunny garden is a dining terrace with a large wooden table, additional bistro table, parasol and seating for eleven guests, along with the charcoal barbecue.
If you need a break from cooking, a private chef can be hired for dinner parties and can cater for all dietary requests. Alternatively, the Cotswolds are positively brimming with excellent gastropubs for lunch and dinner, including The Bell in the village, a short stroll away, which is highly recommended. You're given extensive other suggestions as well as lists of food shops and supermarkets once your booking is confirmed. The nearest shop and cafe are in Filkins, a mile away, note that there isn't a shop in the village itself.
Features include:
- Restaurants nearby
Activities
- Picturesque market towns nearby include Burford, Chipping Norton, Stow-on-the-Wold, Lechlade and Bampton (where Downton Abbey is filmed)
- Blenheim Palace, Buscot Park and Westonbirt Arboretum are among the stately homes, manor houses and gardens worth seeing within a half-an-hour drive
- Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens, just 8 minutes' drive away, has unexpectedly exotic animals (giraffe, rhino, lions, lemurs) in 160 acres of landscaped parkland
- Cirencester boasts a Roman Amphitheatre as well as the UK's oldest open air swimming pool
- Further afield, the Cotswolds Country Park near Cirencester has a wide range of activities from angling to horse-riding, plus swimming lakes with watersports
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Fishing
- Horse riding
- Shopping / markets
- Wildlife
Kids
The barn is great for families. There's a safe enclosed garden to play in, the Snug has table football and a multichannel TV, and the house doesn't feel so dauntingly smart that you worry the whole time about damages.
Best for:
All ages
Family friendly accommodation:
All four bedrooms can be set up as twins on request, the three largest can also take an extra bed or baby cot. Teal and Yellow bedrooms are next door to each other, Sage Green is the most spacious
Cots Available, Extra Beds Available
Baby equipment:
- Two baby cots
- Two high chairs
Remember baby and child equipment may be limited or need pre-booking
Kids Activities on site:
- Multichannel Smart TV in the Snug and Living Room
- Table football
- Self-contained garden
- Kids DVDs, books & toys
- Games gear to borrow including cricket, tennis and rounders bats
Kids Activities nearby:
- Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens (8 mins) has over 260 different species of animals and is the largest privately-owned zoological collection in the UK, plus there's an excellent adventure playground for children
- Wild swimming in the Thames at Buscot (10 mins)
- Lake swimming and sailing at Bowmoor Lake (15 mins)
- Cotswold Farm Park (30 mins) has 50 collections of British rare breed animals, with games and activities
- Rugrats and Half-pints (50 mins) is a large soft play and sensory play area in Cirencester
Families Should Know:
Unfenced hot tub, stone steps next to the patio, hard paved areas
Distances:
- Airport: 1 hour (Heathrow)
- Hospital: 30 minutes (Swindon)
- Shops: 2 minutes
For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection
Location
Dunford Barn is in the pretty village of Langford, on the Oxfordshire-Gloucestershire border, close to the historic towns of Burford, the Gateway to the Cotswolds, Lechlade and Bampton.
By Car:
It's most easily reached by car - about 1 hr 30 mins from London, Birmingham or Bristol.
By Train:
The nearest stations are Long Hanborough or Charlbury (both 30 mins), with regular services to London Paddington in just over one hour. You can pre-book a taxi from the station to Dunford Barn.
By Air
If coming from further afield, Heathrow is the nearest London airport (1 hour 15 mins); Birmingham is also an option (also 1 hr 15 mins).
Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.
Airports:
- London Heathrow 102.0 km LHR
- Birmingham 98.0 km BHX
Other:
- Beach 110.0 km
- Shops 1.6 km
- Restaurant 0.1 km
Our guests' ratings...
Based on 1 independent review from i-escape guests
Feedback is only from guests who have booked and stayed through i-escape