The Covered Market has been the beating heart of Oxford since 1774, and it still feels like a proper market: a cheesemonger who knows your name, a butcher trimming cuts to order, coffee roasters filling the aisles with that dark, toasty warmth. It's the kind of place you go for one thing and leave an hour later with a full bag and a very good mood.
Tucked between the High Street and Market Street, the Covered Market is a labyrinth of narrow avenues sheltered under a Victorian iron-and-glass roof. More than 50 independent traders work here, and the range is genuinely surprising: artisan chocolatiers alongside a proper old-fashioned florist, independent clothing shops next to a stall selling nothing but fudge. For food, the choice runs from a slow brunch at one of the cafes to a quick banh mi or a box of pastries to take back to the cottage. The cheese counter at the Oxford Cheese Company is worth a visit on its own; ask for a tasting and you'll end up buying far more than you planned. On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays the market stays open until 10pm, which transforms it into something closer to a Continental evening market, with street food, live music and a buzzing atmosphere.
We tend to combine the Covered Market with a wander through the Bodleian and Radcliffe Square, which are just around the corner. It's about 40 minutes from the cottage by car; the park-and-ride is the easiest route into central Oxford if you want to skip the traffic. Arrive mid-morning on a Saturday for the best atmosphere, or on a Thursday evening if you'd rather browse with a glass of wine in hand. If you're staying at the cottage with children, they'll enjoy the milkshake stalls and the sweet shops, and there's enough variety in the food traders that even the fussiest eaters find something.
“Pick up a sourdough loaf, some local cheese and charcuterie from the market, then bring it all back to the cottage garden for lunch. That's a properly good afternoon.”
All of this on the doorstep, and your own thatched cottage to come home to. Sleeps seven, less than a mile from Soho Farmhouse.