There’s a whole load of lovely spots worth visiting if you happen to be in the Cotswolds, and Kingham should absolutely be one of them. The village is nestled in an almost unbelievably picturesque patch of Oxfordshire, and is an ideal spot for a wintery weekend away.
Why? Well it’s got food rustled up by a Michelin-starred chef, scenic guided bike-rides and maybe the bougiest farm shop in the country. Oh, then there’s the lovely walks, pretty rows of cottages and all the fun to be had at the Cotswold Farm Park. Don your wellies and take note: these are the best things to do in Kingham.
RECOMMENDED:
🍻The best things to do in the Cotswolds
🏩The best Airbnbs in the Cotswolds
🌤️The best hikes in the UK
🏔️The best places to visit in the UK
At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.
Work up an appetite with a brisk stroll, taking in Kingham’s Norman church and its seventeenth-century rectory. There are plenty of gorgeous stone houses with pastel-painted doors to covet. Even the local shop, Kingham Village Stores, is ridiculously good-looking.
The Wild Rabbit is a place of foodie pilgrimage, thanks to Michelin-starred chef Alyn Williams. It’s also a proper community hub with an unstuffy vibe and crackling log fires. Visiting on a Sunday? Snack from bowls of the crispiest roast potatoes on the bar while you decide what to order.
Make some new four-legged friends, and watch live milking and shearing, at the Cotswold Farm Park in nearby Guiting Power. Run by Adam Henson (of ‘Countryfile’ fame), it’s home to a Noah’s ark’s worth of rare-breed cattle, sheep, goats and pigs.
Join a guided 28-mile loop around Kingham with Cotswold Electric Bike Tours, which take you through the idyllic Windrush and Evenlode Valleys. You’ll pass historic houses and take in classic Cotswold views.
Warm your cockles with a couple of pints in The Kingham Plough, an award-winning boozer opposite the village green with ace handmade bar snacks (Tamworth pork pie, anyone?). The Cotswolds Distillery in Stourton is the place to go for a tot of English single-malt whisky. Take a tour – it’s more like a cosy country house than a corporate outfit.
If you go nuts for farm-fresh produce, Daylesford will be your foodie Disneyland. You only get lambing tours in the spring, but the ultra-chic shop is open all year round. You can admire organic veg picked just a welly’s throw from the tills, have a nose around the cheese room then sit yourself down with a slice of lemon drizzle cake.
Just over the road from The Wild Rabbit, the pub has its own row of two-bed cottages equipped with squishy sofas, woollen blankets and proper log-burning fires. It’s perfect if there’s a group of you – they’ll even lend you wellies and bikes. Just going as a couple? Bed down in one of the plush rooms above the pub, all of which are named after country critters. Bonus: you’ll be steps away from the best breakfast in the Cotswolds – a feast of locally sourced sausages, eggs, bacon, cheeses and cured meats.
Discover Time Out original video