If you only eat out once during your stay, make it the Killingworth Castle. It's a short drive through Wootton, the cooking is genuinely excellent, and the whole place feels like the Cotswolds at its most relaxed and generous.
The Killingworth Castle sits just off the road between Woodstock and Charlbury, in the quiet village of Wootton. From the outside it looks like any handsome Cotswold stone pub. Inside, though, you'll find cooking that has earned three AA Rosettes and a place in the Good Food Guide. The menu changes with the seasons and leans on ingredients from the pub's own organic garden and local farms. Think slow-cooked ox cheek in winter, herb-crusted lamb in spring, and whatever the garden has offered up that week. It's serious food served without a trace of stuffiness.
In colder months, settle into one of the fireside corners with a pint of something local. In summer, the orchard garden is the place to be: long tables under the trees, children running about, a glass of something cold. Dogs are welcome, which we appreciate. The rooms upstairs are lovely too, but since you've already got Well Cottage, you can simply enjoy dinner and drive the ten minutes home along empty lanes.
“We've had some of our best meals here. Book for a Friday evening, order the tasting menu if it's on, and take your time.”
All of this on the doorstep, and your own thatched cottage to come home to. Sleeps seven, less than a mile from Soho Farmhouse.