Review: The Pig In The Cotswolds, Barnsley

The Cotswolds seems to be such a natural home for The Pig that it was a surprise in 2024 when the hotel group announced the location of its newest opening. But just six months after opening it is already embedded as one of the best of the bunch. 

STAY 

As the season kicks off with the Cheltenham Festival this week, The Pig in the Cotswolds is handily located just 30 minutes down the road. In the picture-perfect tiny village of Barnsley, which consists of a handful of streets lined with Cotswold-stone dwellings, you’ll find the former Barnsley House, a grand 17th century Grade II listed house that makes for the ideal Pig base. The grounds are as appealing as the house itself, with original listed gardens by the renowned Rosemary Verey, which are lovingly kept and adapted by the Pig team, brought to life with seasonal blooms and an ever-growing kitchen-garden that feeds the Pig kitchen. The ornamental gardens, (Rosemary Verey’s first ever creation) featuring listed archways, potager gardens and a Laburnum walkway, will grow more beautiful throughout spring.

Room 2, The Pig in the Cotswolds (c) Helen Cathcart

There are 20 rooms spread across the main house, the secret garden, the stable yard, the potting shed and beyond, ranging in size from petite to grand, and more stand-alone lodgings in the works to open later this year. Our room (Room 2, should you fancy requesting it, which we recommend you do,) featured high ceilings with exposed beams, views over the beautiful gardens, and a bathroom so large it would easily outsize most average living rooms. In it sat an enormous pink rectangular bath between two long window seats, his-and-hers (hers/hers his/his) sinks, a pink loo, an appealing pink-tiled shower cubicle and a chaise lounge for bathroom lounging. While the gardens hold enormous appeal, checking in for a seriously-long soak is completely acceptable, too. 

You’ll find plenty of peace and quiet in this corner of the Cotswolds, and save for the one or two passing planes and the family of birds nesting in the roof overhead, there was little in the way of noise during our whole stay; though if you’re looking for friendly conversation The Pig’s teams are famous for their enthusiasm, and the newest outposting doesn’t disappoint. 

Room 6, The Pig in the Cotswolds (c) Helen Cathcart

EAT & DRINK 

If you’ve ever stayed at a Pig Hotel before, you’ll know that food is something that’s taken very seriously. The restaurant features a 25-mile menu featuring local, trackable seasonal hero produce, including an abundance of ingredients from the kitchen garden. Expect pub classics like crackling and apple sauce and pot roast chicken, pork Barnsley chop and local fish options like gurnard and trout. Food is hearty but portions aren’t off-puttingly large: so you’ll be able to try more than one dish without walking away stuffed. You can also eat at the village pub if you prefer to go (ever-so-slightly) off-site. 

The bar is the perfect spot for a cosy well-mixed cocktail, set against an enormous window at the front of the property, shelves lined with vintage glasses casting pretty coloured, fractured lights throughout the room. There are plenty of English wines to explore on the menu, though the property’s sommelier is more than capable of making the choices for you if you prefer, and you can book in for a wine-tasting, too, if that’s your thing. 

The restaurant at The Pig in the Cotswolds (c) Jake Eastham

Breakfast is the star of the show, with an egg boiling station featuring a daily basket of fresh eggs and bread for toasting, plus fresh pastries, meats, cheeses and fruit compotes, poached pears and rhubarb. There’s also a full menu of hot options including local bacon and sausages, of course, but the buffet is so tempting you’ll do well to make it that far.

DO 

There are daily garden tours to explore the best of the grounds, and the small but perfectly-formed Field House spa building features an outdoors hydrotherapy pool, a steam room and sauna, plus an outdoor terrace overlooking the fields beyond. Book yourself in for a bespoke massage, one of the best we’ve experienced in a long time, using natural Tribe517 products and essential oils and tailored to suit your needs so you’ll leave feeling relaxed and rejuvenated, especially when teamed with a long night’s sleep in the ultra-comfy bed and a soak in the enormous bathtub. 

The buzzing market town of Cirencester with its popular market, antiques scene and numerous independent boutiques and coffee shops is just four miles away, with picturesque Bibury and Bourton-on-the-Water nearby, too. 

THE FINAL WORD 

The Pig + The Coswolds; it’s a match made in English hospitality heaven. If locally sourced seasonal comfort food and country living is calling you for your next staycation, The Pig in the Cotswolds should be top of your hit list. 

BOOK 

Rooms start from £250 per night for an Extremely Small, to £775 per night for the real showstoppers tucked away in the historic gardens | thepighotel.com