Make like Mossie and escape to the rolling hills of Oxfordshire for a weekend at Soho House’s exclusive country pile, Soho Farmhouse.
Tired of London, tired of life? Sod Samuel Johnson and his judgy adage; everyone needs a break from the rat race sometimes, and nowhere will realign your chakras better than this saucy rural hideaway.
Not unlike holing up at an eccentric old chum’s estate for the weekend, Soho Farmhouse sprawls over 100 acres of idyllic, misty English countryside, with a complex boasting 40 Scandi-chic wood cabins of varying sizes, plus the exclusive fam-friendly cottage and choc-box pretty, limestone-fronted farmhouse.
Lusty couples will struggle to leave the comfort of a studio cabin with its oversized bed, Egyptian cotton sheets, wood-burning stove, balcony and outdoor tub. Or if you’ve got your posse in tow, splash out on the original 7-bed, party-ready farmhouse, with quaint add-ons like a snug, private garden and butler. However you swing, all come with a certain English charm – busy florals, beaten up furniture, roaring log fires, and roll-top baths.
Pursuits to tempt you outdoors include horse-riding, crazy golf, boating, tennis, cycling, footie and seasonal ice-skating, or for those rainy days (of which we see many on this blustery little isle) there’s a plush vintage cinema, bowling alley, in/outdoor heated pool and Cowshed spa.
But it’s not all country frolics, there are plenty of buzzy, trendy dining and drinking options for when you want to rub shoulders with the creative types that Soho House attracts. On-trend foods like artisanal pickles, local cheeses and homegrown herbs abound in its whopping communal barn, deli and farmshop, or smarter hushed sups can be had at Zen-like Japanese Pen Yen and in the tucked-away mezzanine.
Soho Farmhouse is a mere 90-min drive from central London, although if you’re heading over on a Friday night you might want to avoid jam madness and hop on a train from Paddington to Charlbury and arrange a transfer. Not in the club? Give ’em a bell and the lovely staff will tell you when non-members can stay.
Soho Farmhouse, Great Tew, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. +44 16 0869 1000, sohofarmhouse.com
