Post-lockdown R&R at The Kingham Plough

I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels like every day is on repeat at the moment. Days blend into one and it can take a good few seconds to remember which month it even is.

At the start of the pandemic daily walks and the occasional take-away coffee were treats and a break from the routine, but as the time went on, even these outings have become mere silhouettes in the 2020 groundhog day mosaic.

So when I was offered the opportunity of a break from the routine in the great British countryside for a night, I jumped for joy.

My partner and I were lucky we managed to squeeze in this little country getaway just before the second lockdown was announced, and as it turned out it was a perfect and much needed break to reset and re-energise, and to bring back some sense of ‘normal’ again. We have all realised this year that normal is actually a very precious commodity, which we’ve taken for granted too often in the past.  

We boarded a train at Paddington and less than 90 minutes later, disembarked at Kingham train station in the Cotswolds.

The Kingham Plough is a traditional country gastro pub with accommodation, located in the picturesque village of Kingham, a quaint and quintessentially English spot, a stone’s throw away from the site of annual foodie festival The Big Feastival.

Built from traditional Cotswolds stone, The Kingham Plough sits on the central village road among houses of similar style.

We arrived on a busy Saturday lunchtime, with staff hurrying back and forth serving their hungry clientele. Despite the busyness, we received a warm welcome and were greeted by manager Matt who checked us in.

Our room was located one floor up, accessible from the outside courtyard and beautifully decorated with soothing shades of green, blue and grey. The bed was a super king-size with cosy pillows and bedding, bordered by antique bedside tables.

Our bathroom was large with a huge bath as well as a separate shower, equipped with Bramley toiletries and soft robes.

As is typical in England, it rained almost the whole weekend, which was a great excuse to be unapologetic about our relaxed itinerary and our indulgence. After a long lunch followed by an afternoon snooze it was soon time for dinner. We had a cosy table in the main pub, a nice little corner with a view of the fireplace.

Our starters of Caesar Salad and Sailors Creek Rock Oysters gave us a great taste of things to come, and our mains of Cornish moules mariniere and fries – a portion large enough for two I bravely tackled alone – and a chargrilled aged 8oz Longhorn Rib Eye steak, were cooked to perfection and presented beautifully.

Despite being full to bursting desserts were too tempting to turn down. I opted for a trio of delicious homemade sorbets and my partner chose the custart tart with rhubarb sorbet, which he proclaimed was one of the best desserts he’s ever eaten.

Having enjoyed a bottle of Santa Macarena Pinot Noir with our meal we ended the night with a cocktail each, both very tasty and more than a little generous in strength!

After a great night’s sleep, breakfasts of a full English, and cured salmon with scrambled eggs provided pleasant relief for our hunger as well as our fuzzy heads.

We then embarked on a long walk through the beautiful Cotswolds, spending a good few hours strolling amongst the fields, jumping over puddles and wading ankle-deep mud.

We returned drenched so settled at a table by the fireplace for Sunday lunch. Unfortunately there was no meat-free roast option but I was happy to feast on the fish and chips while my other half enjoyed the roast longhorn beef and slow-cooked shin with creamed horseradish.

The food we tried (and we tried a lot) was all delicious, and no wonder, as The Kingham Plough recently received a prestigious Good Food Award for Gastro Pubs 2020.

Everything except for the Sourdough is made in-house using locally sourced produce and the quality was evident throughout all the dishes we sampled.

We had a fantastic stay and perhaps the most outstanding aspect of our stay was the service – staff were welcoming, polite and professional.

Our room needed a little extra TLC but that had no effect on our enjoyment, our stay was exactly the post (and pre) lockdown tonic we needed and The Kingham Plough and its staff were everything we had hoped for and more.

• The Kingham Plough, The Green, Kingham, Oxfordshire OX7 6YD; Tel 01608 658 327; Nearest train station is Kingham. Double rooms from £145 – £195 a night on a B&B basis. Dog-friendly rooms £10 a night extra per dog. For bookings see www.thekinghamplough.co.uk.

• The Kingham Plough is currently closed until 2nd December in accordance with government guidelines.