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Places to stay in Minster Lovell
Imagine a perfect summer's day in England - warm sunshine, just the hint of a cool breeze, birds singing, the sound of a church bell chiming somewhere in the distance. Imagine a romantic ruined manor house set beside a lazy river in a tiny picturesque village in the heart of Oxfordshire. Imagine all this and you could be at Minster Lovell Hall, near Witney, in the Cotswolds. One of the prettiest of the Oxfordshire villages. Minster Lovell lies on the sleepy River Windrush a few miles west of Witney. There are essentially two Minster Lovells; the upper section, along the B4047, with newer houses and a pub, and the charming lower section along the river valley. Here you will find thatched cottages and medieval almshouses ranged along quiet lanes. Everywhere is a sense of timeless calm. There is a lovely three arched bridge across the river, and a large village cricket ground beside the water. A short walk from the cricket ground brings you to the 14th century church of St Kenelm, and behind it, the ruins of Minster Lovell Hall (English Heritage). There was a manor house here as early as the 12th century, but the extensive remains that can be seen today date primarily from the house built for William Lovel in the 1430s. A dovecote and farm buildings built at the same time adjoin the ruins of the Hall. A lovely circular walk of approximately 3 miles in length is signposted from the Hall, following the Windrush valley towards Witney and then veering off to Crawley before returning to Minster Lovell.
