The Castle at Edgehill, Edgehill , Banbury Oxfordshire OX15 6DJ.
In the popular love song, “Wonderful World”, Sam Cook sings, “Don’t know much about history”, and many other school subjects, before professing his true love! When it comes to History, I fully understand where Sam was coming from.
But what I do know – is that the Battle of Edgehill was the first major battle of the English Civil War, fought on 23rd October 1642, in which the Parliamentarians led by the Earl of Essex managed to delay the march of monarch King Charles I on London!
This well remembered nugget of Historical wisdom from my long-gone school days, proved to be quite useful when I recently visited The Castle at Edgehill, which sits high atop the northern edge of a Cotswolds escarpment, Edge Hill, overlooking the site on which the battle took place, 382 years ago! Charles I is said to have stood & watched the battle from Edge Hill. It was by all accounts a very wet day, on which the parliamentarians slowly withdrew at dusk to lick their wounds, bury their dead & treat their wounded at Warwick, leaving cavalier Charles, to rush on to London later the next day.
The Castle at Edgehill is a unique country Inn/pub & fine restaurant in the delightful Warwickshire hamlet of Edgehill, located close to Banbury, Oxfordshire with five en-suite guest rooms. The Castle provides visitors with some stunning views across the Warwickshire countryside and is an easy drive to both Banbury, Leamington Spa & Stratford-upon-Avon. The Castle is just 300 metres from the Oxfordshire & Warwickshire border and is six miles from Banbury.
This miniature Castle was built as an extravagant folly by landscape designer Sanderson Miller in 1742, exactly one hundred years after the Battle of Edgehill, to commemorate the centenary of the Battle. It was converted to a pub in 1822, eighty years later, with additions added during the 19th century. Its bedrooms can be found within its two castellated towers, a suspended wooden bridge provides access to the larger octagonal ‘Radway’ tower, where their very own Gin School & Distillery can be found at the very top!
The Castle’s five, individually decorated, en-suite bedrooms are named after central characters from the Battle of Edge Hill, offer incredible views from their turreted locations. The ‘Radway’ tower houses The King`s Room & The Prince Rupert, both overlooking the battlefield, and both contain comfortable four-poster beds. The smaller tower houses two further double bedrooms, the ‘Astley’ which has a double bedroom, an en-suite shower room & an adjoining single room, so if required can be used as a family room! The ‘Verney’ is the fourth room which offers a double bed and an en-suite wet room style bathroom located on the ground floor level, so is suitable for disabled access.
Our room, the Cromwell Suite, was the largest room, covering the entire first floor and included a separate double bedroom with an adjoining comfortable sitting room with a sofa bed and plenty of room for two further single beds. It was a very comfortable room in which to sit & relax, outside of the main bedroom. It was very spacious with windows overlooking the tree lined pub garden & smaller tower.
General Manager Sylwia welcomed my wife & I warmly when we arrived and showed us to our room on the first floor of this magnificent building. All rooms include: En-suite shower room, Free WiFi, Flatscreen freeview TV, Hairdryer, Tea & Coffee Facilities & a Mini fridge stocked with locally sourced produce &/or Continental Breakfast. During the week, a continental breakfast basket is delivered to each room, with a cooked breakfast menu available at the weekends on Saturdays & Sundays.
The spacious bar with its flagstone floors & crackling open fires in winter is a wonderful place to sit & eat or simply appreciate the fine range of local Hook Norton ales, guest ales plus some choice ciders! After our meal we retreated to the warm, inviting bar. I loved the small `nook` with enough space for a small table & chair. Guests can sit & peruse the extensive & well-curated wine list or even play one of the available board game selections! The well-trained & knowledgeable bar staff are always on hand to assist when choosing your drink of choice. All of the staff whether in the bar, restaurant or pub reception were very friendly, professional & welcoming.
The Castle has established a fine local reputation for its excellent, ‘seasonally changing’ food menu; a combination of modern British cuisine & pub classics, with a twist! All produce is sourced from within a radius of thirty miles from local specialist & artisan suppliers. Many of the herbs, spices & vegetables used in the preparation of the dishes on the menus are grown within their own gardens on site. Outside, there is an excellent landscaped tree-lined pub garden for those warm summer days & evenings or a warm, mulled wine or hot chocolate on a frosty evening with plenty of outdoor seating & tables & breath-taking views over the Warwickshire countryside.
Free spirit Pubs took over The Castle in 2013 and after a period of an extensive refurbishment, The Castle reopened to guests & diners a year later in 2014.
There are three light & airy, relaxed dining spaces at the Castle, including the library & the dining room. We ate in the smaller of the three areas, the glasshouse, which had ceiling to floor windows, which enables panoramic views across the open countryside, as far as the eye could see, almost all the way north to the leafy suburbs of southern Birmingham. My wife & I spent some time at breakfast, taking in some of the most exceptional, far-reaching views of the Warwickshire countryside, taking several photographs.
The other two dining spaces featured oak panelling, exposed stone or whitewashed walls, original timber floors, gothic-style mullioned windows, high ceilings with exposed joists & cast-iron chandeliers to highlight the quaint castle vibe, while leather chesterfields, scrubbed oak tables and comfy vintage chairs ensure relaxed, convivial spaces to drink and dine.
Lewis & Ryan
STARTERS
- Slow Cooked Duck Ballotine, Apricot Jam, Crispy Sage & Micro Leaves
The apricot jam complimented the duck beautifully, as it was not too sweet.
- Wild Mushroom & Truffle Risotto & Vegetable Crisps
I could not see the truffle, but I could certainly taste & smell it! The wild mushrooms were firm to bite & had a very distinctive earthy taste & meaty flavour. A superb dish.
MAINS
- Chicken Supreme, Heritage Tomato, Roast New Potatoes & Basil Oil
The chicken was beautifully cooked & slightly seared to perfection. There were a lot of sliced heritage tomatoes. I would probably have liked a little more green vegetables on my plate!
- Beef Medallions, Creamy Garlic Mushroom, Sweet Potato Mash, Green Asparagus & Fried Quail Eggs
The beef medallions were very tender & cooked to how my wife had asked for it to be cooked.
PUDDING
- Hot Apple & Berry Pie, Caramel Sauce & Apple Ice Cream
I changed my mind & chose the hot fruit pie instead of the cheesecake. A wise decision as it turned out! There was a lot of it & it was wonderful. I even got a miniature dwarf apple at the side of the dish! Cute.
- Chocolate Fondant, Cherry Puree & Black Cherry Ice Cream
I must admit to trying some of my wife’s meal too and I thought both were beautifully cooked and presented to the table.
COOKED BREAKFAST
1 Full English Breakfast, Sausage, Bacon, Black Pudding, Baked Beans, Mushroom, Toast & Fried Egg
2 Smoked Salmon, Scrambled Eggs & Toast
The breakfast was well worth getting up for!
RED WINE: ARGENTINA, PARA DOS MALBEC (V)
A bright ruby colour, dry & medium bodied wine with flavours of plums, cherries, & sweet spice. It complimented our meals perfectly, a fine wine to drink with or without food.
Ale: Hook Norton Brewery: HOOKY 3.4% ABV: A beautifully balanced bitter, enticing you in with its hoppy aroma & malty flavours. The classic session beer!
During the evening I noticed several people come in off the street, not only to eat in the restaurant but to sit and enjoy a drink with friends at the bar. It is obviously still very much a local for the community as well as a fine place to eat.
Pawel Neuman is the Head Chef at The Castle at Edgehill. With over 26 year’s experience in the kitchen, Pawel champions the use of local, fresh, seasonal ingredients to create his modern take on British classics. Pawel offers seasonal, modern British dishes with imaginative touches alongside the usual pub classics, all beautifully presented. On the evening I visited, assistant Chef Nicole, Italian by birth, was in charge of the kitchen and what a fine job he did too!
I was told that the traditional Afternoon Tea & Sunday roasts are another huge draw at the Castle. Pawel continually aims to source the Castle’s produce from within a 30-mile radius of the kitchen. The Castle is proud to source from & support local artisan suppliers & produce from local farms. These include Carpenter’s Farm Shop – beef, lamb & chicken – produced in Warwickshire – 2 miles away; Ridgway Ice Cream milked and produced 5 miles away; Tysoe Allotments, seasonal fruit, and vegetables, 4 miles away; Boulangerie Valentine artisan baker, 9 miles away. Additional herbs are grown in the Castle’s own gardens, with the best picked daily. A children’s menu is also available alongside a lunchtime sandwich menu from Monday – Saturday. *Vegetarian and vegan options are always available.
Surrounded by beautiful countryside, there are a number of walks starting at the front door of the pub which includes a short ramble around the honey-coloured stone village of Edgehill. There is also the Battlefields Trail and a good five mile walk (Walk 2125 on the Walking Britain website) taking in Radway, Ratley and Edgehill for the more energetic!
My visit to The Castle at Edgehill, was one I shall remember for a long time. It must rank as one of the most unique country pubs I have had the good fortune to visit. The food, drink and staff service were of an excellent standard. Our Cromwell Suite was spacious & very comfortable, our meals in the restaurant were first class and the waiting staff could not have done anything more to make our visit a more wonderful experience.
Why not stop and experience their superb food and hospitality, you will not be disappointed. The Castle at Edgehill offers excellent overnight accommodation, superb restaurant meals and excellent table service in a truly unique setting.All of the staff, whether serving at the restaurant table or at the bar, presented a smart, professional and efficient service.
I would fully recommend The Castle at Edgehill to anyone looking for an unusual restaurant meal location, a short unique weekend break or to celebrate a special occasion.
Why not check it out! I can guarantee you will not be disappointed!
Disclosure: My visit to The Castle at Edgehill was courtesy of Free Spirit Pubs & Bridget Stott PR
The views & comments expressed are, as usual, my own.
The Castle at Edgehill, Edgehill , Banbury Oxfordshire OX15 6DJ.
To book, call 01295 670255 or visit http://www.castleatedgehill.co.uk
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