MACDONALD
BEAR HOTEL - WOODSTOCK
Romantic Hideaway of Medieval Kings and Movie Queens
The
village of Woodstock in Oxfordshire may be one of the world’s
most historic romantic hideaways.
Elizabeth
Taylor shared her love love letters from Richard Burton
with Vanity Fair - revealing some of the secrets of one of Hollywood's
most glamorous and inglorious romances. In the 1960’s the Bear
Hotel in Woodstock Oxfordshire was the secret retreat choice of Elizabeth
Taylor and Richard Burton to escape London for the country at the height
of their most famous affair. Probably best known
today as the picturesque little town at the edge of the Cotswold,
beside its magnificent neighbor, the great 17th Century manor house
of Blenheim Palace, built by the Duke of Marlborough and birthplace
of Winston Churchill (see Churchills
of Blenheim Palace), but Woodstock has been a
royal hunting retreat since the Saxon days of King Ethelred, and
figured most prominently in the secret love lives of the medieval
Plantagenet
kings. It was at Woodstock where King Henry II met and wooed his
fair Rosamond, the great royal tryst which set his wife Eleanor
of Aquitaine
ever against the great lion in one of the great marriage infidelity
battles. It was at the royal romantic hideaway
in Woodstock that Edward the Black Prince, known as Edward of Woodstock,
was born,
the first son of Edward III and his beloved Philippa (see Boars
Head Inn Ripley Castle). The royal palace at Woodstock
is long gone, destroyed in the English Civil War but Woodstock
continues as a
romantic getaway spot.
The
Bear Hotel in Woodstock, now operated as part of the MacDonald
group of elegant and unique hotels, has seen it all. A Coaching
Inn
in the 13th
Century, the Bear Hotel would have been host to the royal retinues
from medieval kings to the guests of the Marlboroughs and Churchills.
With ivy clad facade,
rich exposed oak beams, open fireplaces in its stone walls, the
Bear oozes cozy warmth, with
54 well appointed bedrooms traditionally decorated with fine fabric
and antique furniture, many with four-poster beds.
Family rooms are also available if you’ve already done the
romancing. If romance is still on the agenda, why not stay in the
Elizabeth Taylor
Suite. Christmas and Holiday specials are available around the
calendar.
The
MacDonald Bear Hotel’s Restaurant has been awarded with 2
prestigious AA Rosettes for the quality of its food and impeccable
service. All
MacDonald hotels take pride in serving only the finest Scottish beef,
lamb and
wild white fish with local produce. The Churchill Lounge, named in
honor of Winston and the local great family’s heritage connected
to Woodstock and Blenheim is the perfect spot for morning coffee
with the Sunday papers
or English Afternoon Tea in a comfy sofa with views over the village
Market Square.
The Bear Hotel can make an excellent base for exploring Oxfordshire
and the Cotswold region, from Oxford to Stratford-Upon-Avon (see Shakespeare
Houses Walks). Some of England’s best castles
known for their own romantic stories of Queen Elizabeth I and Dudley,
Warwick
(see Warwick
Castle for Families) and Kenilworth (see Kenilworth
Castle Elizabethan Gardens) are under
an hour and Blenheim Palace is an easy walk across the river. The
Oxfordshire Museum
is
directly opposite from the hotel and Woodstock village offers excellent
antiquing
and quality shopping. © Bargain
Travel Europe
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Macdonald
Hotels - The Bear
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See Also:
ETTINGTON
PARK MANOR HOTEL WARWICKSHIRE
MORTIMER'S
HOLE -
NOTTINGHAM CASTLE
KNARESBOROUGH PLANTAGENET HUNTING CASTLE
