At the Bear they take their food very seriously,
so much so that the restaurant has been awarded 2 AA Rosettes.
The restaurant offers both traditional dishes and the finest
in international cuisine. The secluded courtyard at the Bear
Hotel makes a lovely setting for al fresco dining and if you
have a special occasion they will even offer you your own
private dining area. And for weekend guests there’s
another treat – the famous traditional Sunday roast
– not to be missed or why not take a drink in the informal
bar with open fires in the winter.
The Bear Hotel
can trace its roots back to an original 13th
century coaching inn. Today its long tradition
for a friendly greeting and comfortable accommodation
is exemplified by high levels of service and
the reassuring sight of open fireplaces and
old oak beams. The extensively refurbished
meeting and conference centre, complete with
state of the art facilities, is complemented
by the hotel's award winning restaurant and
atmospheric bar.
The jewel in the crown of Woodstock is Blenheim
Palace, just a stone's throw from the Bear
Hotel and a must-see for any guest. Simply
staggering in its beauty and grandeur, Blenheim
is home to the Duke of Marlborough, himself
a past visitor to the Bear. This baroque palace
was built in the reign of Queen Anne and was
the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Take
a look around the house then explore the gardens
which were designed by Capability Brown.
Woodstock is ideally placed for Oxford, the
Cotswolds and Stratford-up on-Avon. Bourton-on-the-Water,
a delightful Cotswolds village is particularly
attractive as is Stow-on-the- Wold, famous
for its narrow lanes and antique shops.
The Bear Hotel at
Woodstock is one of the original coaching inns of
old England. It had already been dispensing hospitality
for over 500 years when Queen Anne bestowed the
Royal Manor of Woodstock in 1704 to John, the first
Duke of Marlborough as a token of the country's
gratitude for his victories over the French. Here
Vanbrugh built the magnificent Blenheim Palace for
the Duke and his Duchess, and Capability Brown created
the beautiful park with its great lake.
Woodstock has been a royal manor since time immemorial
- the earliest records going back 50 years before
the Norman Conquest when Ethelred held a council
here. Successive monarchs used the manor house as
a lodge from which they and their retinue hunted
the deer and wild boar in the forests which surrounded
the place. In about 1100 a.d. Henry I rebuilt the
manor house and surrounded the park with seven miles
of stone walling. His grandson, Henry II spent much
time at Woodstock with the beautiful Rosamund Clifford,
the Fair Rosamund of legend.
