There are few hotels where checking in comes with more than 800 years of history. Sitting beside Malmesbury Abbey at the heart of a picturesque hilltop market town, The Old Bell Hotel has been welcoming travellers since 1220.
Originally established to accommodate visitors to the neighbouring abbey, the Grade I listed hotel has watched centuries of life in Malmesbury unfold from its doorstep. Today, behind its honey-coloured stone façade, with mullioned windows and wisteria winding across the limestone, its history is still very much part of its charm.
But step inside and things become rather more unexpected. Centuries-old features sit alongside bold wallpapers, jewel-toned fabrics, curious treasures collected from around the world. Spaces are filled with colour, pattern and personality.
Humour cuts through the grandeur, too. A large giraffe greets you in the lobby, while monkey lights hang in the Tyger Bar and Tiki cups are filled with cocktails. The result is wonderfully eccentric: quintessentially English, but with a playful streak.
The hotel has 34 unique bedrooms, but for our stay, travelling with our one-year old, we checked into one of The Old Bell’s six townhouse suites.
Just across the road from the main hotel, the townhouses offer the best of both worlds. We had all the space and privacy of our own home in Malmesbury, while still being able to wander over to the hotel for breakfast, drinks and dinner.
Our suite at 19B Abbey Row was beautifully designed yet still felt comfortable and homely, with period details, rich colours and playful prints alongside a fully equipped kitchen with Smeg appliances. Travelling with a baby inevitably comes with more luggage and logistics than before, so having a separate living space and kitchen made all the difference.
That sense of having your own home in the Cotswolds, without giving up the pleasures of staying in a hotel, quickly became one of our favourite things about the stay.
For dinner, we headed to Abbey Row, the hotel’s restaurant. The room is dramatic without being imposing, with deep colours, stained-glass windows and a ceiling scattered with gold stars. An original stone fireplace dating back to 1220 provides another reminder of just how much history surrounds you.
The menu celebrates modern British cooking with a focus on seasonal produce, some of which is grown at nearby Abbey House Manor Gardens. Dinner began with warm pretzel bread with whipped butter, and pan-seared scallop with cauliflower, pancetta, hazelnut and brown butter. We then enjoyed sea bass and steak. Both were cooked beautifully. We still found room for a hot sticky malt pudding with toffee sauce and malt ice cream to finish.
After dinner, we took our drinks back across the road to the townhouse. We could put the baby to bed upstairs, then relax downstairs with a film – a luxury that made the townhouse feel particularly well suited to travelling as a young family.
The location also makes the hotel a brilliant base for seeing more of the Cotswolds. During our stay, we ventured to Bourton-on-the-Water, with the River Windrush flowing beneath its little stone bridges. It has all the chocolate-box charm you’d expect from the Cotswolds. We also visited the small village of Bibury, home to the recognisable cottages of Arlington Row. Castle Combe was another highlight, its honey-coloured cottages, winding streets and picturesque countryside.
There is plenty to discover closer to the hotel, too. Independent shops, cafés and traditional pubs line the streets, while riverside paths lead out towards the countryside. More than 800 years after its first travellers arrived, The Old Bell is still giving people a very good reason to stop in Malmesbury.
@oldbell_hotel | oldbellhotel.co.uk
Abbey Row, Malmesbury SN16 0BW
