
"Deep in the heart of the Cotswolds, lies a secret waiting to be discovered; England's oldest inn, The Royalist Hotel & Eagle and Child"
Cotswold luxury hotel accommodation in an historic setting
Located in the beautiful Cotswold town of Stow on the Wold (Stow-on-the-Wold), The Royalist Hotel dates back to 947AD and was built by a Cornish Saxon Duke named Aethelmar, as a refuge on the Fosse Way. A Grade II listed building, which ranks it amongst the top 4% of protected buildings in the country, and with timbers of over a thousand years old, The Royalist Hotel now offers luxury hotel accommodation across 14 individually styled rooms (including 2 junior suites).
The changing face of The Royalist Hotel in the Cotswolds
Over this thousand year history, the inn has seen many alterations and modernisations to create the luxury hotel accommodation available today, but still it retains many of its original features. These include the "witch marks" etched into the award-winning (2 AA Rosettes) restaurant's fireplace, said to ward off evil spirits, a medieval frieze, and a leper pit in the oldest part of the cellar.
Rooms at the inn
In medieval times, part of the building was known as "The Eagle and Child" Inn. The name derives from the crest of the Earl of Derby, which dates back to the 14th Century; our adjacent pub, which houses two of our luxury hotel rooms, is named in his honour.
The last battle
In 1646, Stow on the Wold was the site of the last battle of the English Civil War. Fought between the Parliamentarians and the Royalists, the hotel was used as the Royalists' headquarters during the battle. A letter from a Royalist Commander was also found at the hotel some three hundred years later. It is from these historic associations with the Royalists, that The Royalist Hotel in Stow on the Wold derives its current name.
The Royalist Hotel today
Now privately owned by local hoteliers Mark and Janine Vance, in its modern
incarnation The Royalist is an intimate and luxurious hotel, one
of the finest hotels in the Cotswolds. The hotel has 14 bedrooms,
an award winning restaurant, and, in the Eagle and Child, one of
the town's most popular pubs.
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