Cities, towns, villages and scenery
Every way you turn the countryside is awash with stunning scenery and dotted with villages and towns to explore from the picturesque traditional ironstone including: Hook Norton, Deddington and Great Tew to the neighbouring Cotswolds with their pretty honey-coloured stone, including: Chipping Norton, Stow-on-the-Wold, Chipping Campden, Burford and Bourton-on-the-water.
Conveniently located Hook Norton Barn is a central location to explore Shakespeare's medieval market town of Stratford-upon-Avon, the spa town of Royal Leamington Spa or Oxford 'the city of dreaming spires' after the stunning architecture of the university buildings.
Or maybe jump on a train at Banbury to Birmingham or London - a rail journey time of less than hour.
Tourist attractions
Something for everyone, a holiday at Hook Norton Barn offers a wealth of nearby attractions. For local history visit Bloxham or Banbury museums, for motoring there's the Cotswold Motoring Museum, Bourton-on-the-Water or the The British Motor Museum, Gaydon, and for broader interest the libraries and museums of Oxford, including the oldest museum in the UK, the Ashmolean. See an extraordinary variety of self-playing musical instruments at the fascinating living Mechanical Music Museum at Northleach. Experience a trip on the steam Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway (GWR) at Toddington near Tewkesbury.
Castles, palaces and country houses abound including: Broughton Castle; Warwick Castle; Blenheim Palace at Woodstock, Broadway Tower; Sulgrave Manor on the outskirts of Banbury; Stanway House and fountain near Cheltenham and Waddesdon Manor, Aylesbury. National Trust properties are plentiful too, including: Upton House, Banbury; Chastleton House near Moreton-in-Marsh, Charlecote Park near Warwick, Snowshill Manor and Chedworth Roman Villa near Cheltenham.
Enjoy a tour and taste the award winning beers at the renowned Hook Norton Brewery or taste gin and whisky at one of the smallest and prettiest distilleries in Great Britain, the award winning Cotswolds Distillery near Shipston-on-Stour.
Kirtlington Park Polo, Kidlington and Beaufort Polo Club,Tetbury are both within easy reach. Enjoy a day at the races at Stratford-on-Avon racecourse, Warwick racecourse or Cheltenham Racecourse. Or, visit Silverstone, the home of British Motorsport with it's extensive calendar of events.
Beautiful wildlife, parks and gardens
Delight in visiting the plethora of beautiful gardens, parks and arboretums. Gardens open in support of the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) or the local Katharine House Hospice, or the outstanding Broughton Grange gardens and arboretum. A short drive to Batsford Arboretum, Moreton-in-Marsh or a little further to Westonbirt, the National Arboretum at Tetbury near Cirencester. Visit Broughton Castle gardens and park, or the park lands of Blenheim Palace, Woodstock - 2000 acres designed by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown. And not forgetting, the abundance of manicured University Parks in Oxford.
Overlooking the three counties of Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire, in a stunning location the National Herb Centre at Warmington, Banbury is interesting to visit. During the Summer, a must see, are the Cotswold Lavender fields in the stunning location of Snowshill near Broadway.
Wildlife can often be naturally seen from Hook Norton Barn, with regular sightings of deer, hare and birds of prey. In addition, for wildlife and farming conservation visit Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens, Burford; Adam Henson's Cotswold Farm Park, Kineton near Cheltenham; Birdland park and Gardens, Bourton-on-the-Water or the Cotswold Falconry Centre, Batsford Park, Moreton-in-Marsh.
Arts, crafts, music, theatre and festivals
Appreciate a wealth of culture whilst staying at Hook Norton Barn. Explore the many art galleries in Oxford; the contemporary Mead Gallery at the University of Warwick or Compton Verney an independent national art gallery with a 'Capability' Brown landscaped park. During the annual Oxfordshire Art weeks and Warwickshire Open Studios meet artists and discuss their work, in a huge range of creative medium from painting, photography, textiles, sculpture, ceramics, to furniture, glass, mosaics, jewellery, digital art and much more.
Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon and Chipping Norton have an extensive year-round calendar of music and theatre to enjoy. In addition, plan your stay to take in a popular local festival including: Cornbury at The Great Tew Park; Wilderness at Cornbury Park, Charlbury; The Big Feastival at Kingham, Beyond Words the Chipping Norton Literary Festival or the Hook Norton Beer Festival.
Leisure activities
Enjoy exploring the area on foot or by bicycle: bring your own bicycle to Hook Norton Barn or maybe book an electric bike tour from Kingham or hire a bike in Oxford. Horse rides can be organised with Turpins Lodge less than 2 miles away.
Delight in the waterways with punting, rowing or pedaloes from Magdalen Bridge Boathouse, Oxford; boat trips on the River Avon from Stratford-upon-Avon or to explore the Oxford canals, day hire a canal boat from Tooley's Boatyard or Twyford Wharf Narrow Boats, Banbury.
High quality golf is plentiful locally with Tadmarton Heath, Rye Hill, Feldon Valley and the Chipping Norton Cotswold Club all less than 5 miles. Clay shooting is on offer at The Oxfordshire Shooting School (6 miles) and Edgehill Shooting Ground (10 miles), or travel a little further to Ian Coley's at Andoversford in the Cotswolds.
Book a day fishing at Lemington lakes, Moreton-in-Marsh, or pre-arrange a game shoot for the season. Alternatively, take a helicopter lesson at Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield or book a cookery course at Daylesford.
Just a short drive to Soho Farmhouse, Great Tew and Diddly Squat Farmshop, Chadlington.
Delicious dining
Eating out is a pleasure, with dining to suit all tastes whether you prefer tea rooms and cafes, quintessential country pubs or exquisite restaurants. To name but a few, why not try, for something light at The Straw Kitchen at Whichford Pottery, The Still House cafe at Cotswold Distillery or the Malthouse Kitchen, Hook Norton Brewery; or for an enjoyable pub meal try The Red Lion at Long Compton, Norman Knight on Whichford Village Green or The Fuzzy Duck at Armscote; or one of the Hook Norton Brewery public houses such as The Cherington Arms, Cherington or Castle Inn, Edgehill or relax by the River Thames at The Trout, Wolvercote; exquisite restaurants abound too, including: Wild Thyme, Chipping Norton and the Wild Rabbit Inn, Kingham.
Luxury shopping
Indulge in a little shopping, it's easy to spoil yourself with such a wide choice available including: designer outlets at Bicester Village and boutiques in Cheltenham; the award winning Whichford Pottery and luxury garden products from the Chelsea Flower Show at The Burford Garden Company; and not forgetting plentiful antique shops wherever you choose to visit.
If self catering, a wonderful selection of fresh produce is available from local farm shops and farmers markets, including: Wyatts Farm Shop, Great Rollright; Daylesford Organic Farm, Kingham or the farmers markets held regularly in Deddington, Chipping Norton and Banbury. Browsing for day to day shopping, the nearby market towns of Banbury and Chipping Norton offer a wide choice of shops and supermarkets too.
