E: 31/5 Win Two Night Break in Oxfordshire

hjb123

Click HERE

Same comp as have just posted already but a different site within the same group

Win a two-night break in one of four Oxfordshire hotels, including The White Hart nestled in the picturesque village of Dorchester-on-Thames. Words by Alice Eaton

PAYING a visit to Dorchester-on-Thames really is like taking a step back in time. This picturesque village, sat on the banks of the Thames and just nine miles south of Oxford or a swift 45 minute drive from the capital, is a chocolate box of olde worlde charm just waiting to be discovered.

Its handy location between London and Oxford made it a prime stage coach stop for travellers in the 17th and 18th centuries and, consequently, a large number of inns sprang up to meet demand. Many of these are still open for business today, nestled in the village's main high street, together with half-timbered houses and thatched cottages, some of which are reported to date back to the 15th century.

Dorchester's crowning glory, the medieval abbey, dominates the village skyline and is well worth a visit. The Abbey Guesthouse, once a welcome stop-gap for pilgrims, now houses a gift shop, tearooms and museum where you can gen up on the history of the village. Go to https://www.dorchester-abbey.org.uk to find out more.

We were booked in at The White Hart Hotel, one of the surviving coaching inns, situated in the heart of the village. The hotel dates back to 1691 and has been sensitively restored and extended over the years, preserving its historic charm while providing guests with all the mod cons.

Inside, the hotel is a rabbit warren of long corridors and low ceilings (our ancestors were certainly on the short side), with seemingly endless numbers of rooms connecting off in every direction. Guests can choose between suites, four posters and executive rooms, all individually furnished and en suite. Everything is thought of, from a trouser press, hair dryer, tea-making facilities through to a handy stand for your luggage.

But it is the bar and restaurant that sets this hotel apart. For those wanting a quiet evening drink, or an aperitif before dinner, the hotel has an excellent bar, with comfy leather chairs, wood-burning stoves and low slung oak beams.

The restaurant (pictured) is housed in what was the village bakery and it still retains many of its original features, including the baker's fireplace. The cooking has gained the restaurant two AA rosettes and it certainly is not just run-of-the-mill pub fare.

We enjoyed a delicious meal on the evening of our stay, beginning with starters of scallops served with parsnip purée and bacon and lime dressing and a dish of roasted duck and pistachio nut terrine with a plum compote, followed by pavé of beef with pesto mash and stuffed tomatoes and, for my dining partner, an excellent seared red snapper fillet with roasted Mediterranean vegetables. We rounded the meal off with a selection of cheeses with biscuits, apricot and ginger chutney, before retiring to the cosy bar area to enjoy our coffee.

For those wanting something a little less formal, there is a bar menu offering a range of hot and cold dishes, sandwiches, baguettes and desserts.

The White Hart is part of Oxfordshire Hotels, which has three other hotels in the group: The Deddington Arms Hotel in Horsefair, Deddington; The Holcombe Hotel in Deddington and The Villiers Hotel in Buckingham. We are offering Limited Edition readers the chance to win a two-night break in one of these hotels - go to https://www.oxfordshire-hotels.co.uk to see which takes your fancy.

Question - How many miles south is Dorchester-on-Thames from Oxford?
Answer - 9 miles

Good Luck!

womble65

Nice little Village, It's only 7 miles from me. Would be funny if I won this!!

djl

thanks for the link

Roberta1

Is there more than one prize though? Or just one between the two sites of the same company? I am never sure on these types of comps.

hjb123

I would have thought that it is one per website - i.e. for the two that I posted there are two prizes - one per competitions website?

SoozyJ22

I emailed the lady who runs the comps at my local paper about these (it's part of Bucks Free Press) and she said the online comps are nothing to do with her, but she reckons it's ok to enter on all the sites.