Dog Friendly Stays

The Wild Rabbit, Kingham, Oxfordshire – A Dog-Friendly Cotswolds Hotel Review

Well our staycation planning for next year is in full waggy tail mode. It is November after all and we all need a paw-me-up when the nights get dark.  Last summer we went on a road trip to the Cotswolds.

It was our last staycation before the little rascal (my dog brother Dexter) arrived. After being in the car for what felt paw-ever, I’d never been happier to see the countryside, or to receive the furiendliest welcome at my new home for the weekend – The Wild Rabbit, Kingham.

Dylan the black Labrador in the boot of the car ready for a UK road trip adventure
Bags packed. Boot loaded. Dylan ready. Hoomans still looking for their keys.
Fox red Labrador puppy Dexter, Dylan's little brother
The Little Rascal, aka my little brother Dexter

Us doggies felt like Corgi royalty when shown to our room at The Wild Rabbit, which, complete with a dog bed, water bowl and treats, made us furlegged ones feel as important as the humans.

Dog-friendly Mole Room at The Wild Rabbit, Kingham
The doggy friendly ‘Mole Room’ at the Wild Rabbit
Dog-friendly Mole Room bathroom at The Wild Rabbit, Kingham
Dog-friendly Mole bathroom at The Wild Rabbit, Kingham
It’s a little cooler in the bathroom
Dog-friendly Mole Room at The Wild Rabbit, Kingham
The Mole bedroom

It was exceptionally hot during the height of summer in 2018 for us doggies, with only panting and sweating through our paws to cool down, the lack of air conditioned rooms, meant the nights were a little more uncomfortable for us larger dog breeds.

Black Labrador sleeping in a hot room at The Wild Rabbit on a summer night
The hot summer nights of July 2018

Next time the humans said we’ll stay in a one of the new doggy friendly cottages at The Wild Rabbit, which will be much more relaxing for everyone. Being a fur-legged friend, we like to guard our territory and our humans. So a room next to the entrance meant we tended to welcome too many guests with a good strong bark! Much to our pawrents annoyance in the early hours!

Black Labrador on a farm track at Daylesford Farm, Cotswolds
Adventures from the Wild Rabbit to find Daylesford Organic Farm
Map of Daylesford Organic Farm featuring The Wild Rabbit, Kingham
Daylesford Organic Farm map feating the Wild Rabbit, Kingham
Herd of cows at Daylesford organic farm, Cotswolds
Daylesford Organic Farm cows on the moo-ve
Black Labrador walking along a farm track on Daylesford Farm

Early Saturday morning we headed off on a pawventure to find Daylesford Organic Farm. We sniffed our way through the village onto a country farm track and then I was off, roaming my new streets, smelling what had crossed these tracks before me. We passed the market garden, then buildings labelled the ‘kitchens’ and finally stumbled across a herd of cows. They were on the moo-ve, heading out for the morning into the grassy fields. Fur-tunately they were behind a gate, or we’d have been taken out into the pasture with them. It was the pawfect walk discovering our new stomping ground.

Eventually the trail leads you to Daylesford Organic Farm shop and cottages.

Black Labrador sitting outside Cottages at Daylesford Organic Farm near Kingham
Checking out the cottages at Daylesford Organic Farm
Black Labrador sitting by a sign for The Wild Rabbit on Daylesford Farm
Daylesford Farm Walk

After an hour or so, back at the Wild Rabbit we ventured into the bar.  Everypawdy knows that a good bar is always rated by its doggy treats, and this bar gets several waggy tails and the biscuits are wooftastic. Dogs are allowed on the terraces and in the bar where the snug just feels like home.

Dog-friendly front terrace at The Wild Rabbit, Kingham
The Wild Rabbit front terrace
Dog-friendly front terrace at The Wild Rabbit, Kingham
The Wild Rabbit hotel terrace lit up at night
The Wild Rabbit terrace at night

Of course, we indulged in the Wild Rabbit breakfast (daily).  The highlight of my mornings was my greeting from Leslie.  She was a super friendly dog lover, I think she was French, and had dogs back in her home nation.  You could tell she just loved us four-legged creatures.

Breakfast table and menu for The Wild Rabbit, Kingham
Black Labrador eying up breakfast dish at The Wild Rabbit, Kingham
Probably the best modern British Inn breakfast in the world!
Poached eggs on toast breakfast at The Wild Rabbit, Kingham
Black Labrador sniffing around The Wild Rabbit's rabbit décor
Hunting for rabbits

On Saturday evening I got to try RABBIT!! Oh my dogness. Yep – the place lives up to its name.  Not only does it have rabbits attached to the walls, but it serves a very DROOLICIOUS wild rabbit…slobber…slobber…

Black Labrador looking at dinner menu at The Wild Rabbit
I’m ready to order!
Black Labrador looking at some dog treat at The Wild Rabbit
The Wild Rabbit bar dog treats are reBARKable!
Dinner in the bar at The Wild Rabbit
Wild rabbit dish served at The Wild Rabbit restaurant
Rabbit at The Wild Rabbit

We ventured back to Daylesford the following day, heading to the farm shop.

Farm shop at Daylesford Organic Farm, Cotswolds
Farm shop at Dalyesford Organic Farm
Cheese room at Daylesford Organic Farm
The cheese room at Daylesford Organic Farm
Bread selection at Daylesford Organic Farm
Artisan hand crafted breads at Daylesford Organic Farm
Flower shop at Daylesford Organic Farm
The flower school at Daylesford Organic Farm
The flower workshop at Daylesford Organic Farm
Inside the front of Daylesford Farm home store
The home store at Daylesford Farm

This place even has a thing called a Doggy Park – woohoo – playtime.  There was a black dog like me there already.  I was pawfectly polite. I introduced myself and gave the doogy play bow, enquiring ‘do you want to play’? – but I got nothing.  A stoney silence, no waggy tail… not even one hair moved. HOW RUDE I thought!!!  Turns out it was a statue and the dog park is a place for us dogs to wait for our HUMANS whilst they popped to the shop for some retail therapy and not a park to play in – Oh well!

The dog park at Daylesford Organic Farm
Playtime
ReTAIL therapy

Appawrently there is a wonderful wellness retreat on the premises that the pawrents were raving about…maybe by next year the Bamford Haybarn will have added a dog spa…now would that be a dog treat!

The Haybarn at Bamford Spa, Daylesford Farm, Kingham
The Haybarn Spa at Daylesford Organic Farm
The relaxation room at The Haybarn Spa, Daylesford Farm
Bamford Haybarn Wellness Retreat
Treatment rooms at The Haybarn
Treatment room atThe Haybarn Spa, Daylesford Farm
Bamford products at The Haybarn

What an adventure, I’m pawstively sure I’d like to return.

I think i’ve caught the bug for The Wild Rabbit …

Dylan

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