Cottages with Hot Tubs in Oxfordshire

Where are the best cottages with hot tubs in Oxfordshire?

It depends what's pulling you here. Want honey-coloured villages, country pubs and open countryside? Stay west, in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds around Burford or the Tews. If Oxford and a spot of shopping at Bicester Village are top of the list, Merton sits handily in between.

Banbury suits romantic breaks by the lake, and Thame works well for anyone coming by train from London.

Location	How far from town	Good for
Fulbrook, near Burford	1 mile from Burford, 10 miles from Bourton-on-the-Water	Burford, the Windrush valley, families with dogs
Little Tew, near Great Tew	1.7 miles from Great Tew's shop and pub, 22.9 miles from Oxford	Couples, dog-friendly pub walks, the Rollright Stones
Kingham bluebell wood	3 miles from Daylesford Organic Farm	New lodges in the woods for two to six
Merton, near Bicester	About 5 miles south of Bicester, 12.9 miles from Oxford	Big groups, easy access to Oxford and Bicester Village
Chacombe, near Banbury	4.2 miles from Banbury	Romantic breaks, fishing
North Weston, near Thame	1 mile from Thame, about 5 miles from Haddenham station	The Chilterns, trains to London Marylebone

Distances are the owners' own figures from each listing.

The Kingham lodges are new, set in a beautiful bluebell wood near the village, so they don't have guest ratings yet. Some take dogs. Down in south Oxfordshire, there's also a two-bedroom hot tub home in North Weston with a bus stop at the end of the drive for Oxford.

Six hot tub cottages in Oxfordshire we'd book first

They're all rated 4.6 or more by guests, and four of the six welcome pets. We've grouped them from big family homes down to romantic hideaways for two.

Tawny Cottage, Fulbrook

Malt Barn, near Burford

Cow Byre, Little Tew

The Happy Valley Pod, Little Tew

Manor Farm House, Merton

The Tunnel, Bridge Lake Farm near Banbury

Things to do in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds

Each is a short drive from at least one stay above. Pick one big adventure, then leave room for a long lunch and a longer soak.

Blenheim Palace, Woodstock

Churchill was born here, and the palace and its parkland are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the most popular days out in England. Wander the Water Terraces, the Secret Garden and the Rose Garden, then lose the kids in the Marlborough Maze. Blenheim lists the park as open 9am to 6pm, with the house and formal gardens 10am to 5.30pm.

Distance: Woodstock is about 8 miles north of Oxford

Burford, Swinbrook and the Windrush valley

Burford, often called the gateway to the Cotswolds, has a High Street that drops steeply down to a medieval bridge over the River Windrush, lined all the way with 17th and 18th-century stone fronts. From the war memorial, a 6.2-mile circular walk follows the river to Swinbrook, where the Mitford sisters are buried at St Mary's Church, and passes tiny St Oswald's at Widford, all that's left of a lost medieval village. It takes two and a half to three hours. Expect stiles, and the stretch between Widford and Burford can flood after heavy rain.

Fancy a pint halfway? The Swan Inn at Swinbrook, once owned by Deborah Mitford, is a short detour off the route.

A few miles downstream, the 15th-century ruins of Minster Lovell Hall stand by the river. English Heritage says it's free and open in any reasonable daylight hours. Families should save a day for the Cotswold Wildlife Park at Bradwell Grove, just south of Burford, where a raised viewing platform puts you eye to eye with the giraffes!

Great Tew, the Rollright Stones and Hook Norton

Great Tew's thatched ironstone houses and the Falkland Arms, with its flagstones, inglenook fire and old jugs hanging from the beams, are reason enough to stay nearby.

North of Chipping Norton, the Rollright Stones span nearly 2,000 years of Neolithic and Bronze Age history: the King's Men stone circle, the King Stone across the road and the Whispering Knights burial chamber. The site's open any time, day or night, which makes them a brilliant clear-sky stop on the way back to the hot tub. The Rollright Trust asks for £2 per adult.

• Hook Norton Brewery tour: 90 minutes through a five-storey Victorian tower brewery, with the original steam engine and a tutored tasting at the end.
• Price and booking: the brewery lists £25 a person, booked ahead, with no walk-ups.
• Good to know: there are over 100 steps, it's 12 and over only, and you'll need flat, closed shoes.
• Shire horses: they're usually in the stables from Wednesday to Sunday.

Distance: the stones are about 4 miles north of Chipping Norton

Oxford, the Chilterns and the Vale of White Horse

The south and east of Oxfordshire feel completely different, all Oxford University spires, chalk hills and red kites.

Oxford and Bicester Village

Leave the car at one of Oxford's park and ride sites. Then explore the historical Bodleian Library, the Botanic Garden and the Ashmolean Museum, and punt on the Cherwell if it's dry. Bicester Village, the popular designer outlet, is about 8 minutes by train from Oxford Parkway.

Uffington White Horse and Watlington Hill

In the far south-west of Oxfordshire, the chalk White Horse above Uffington is up to 3,000 years old, and the little flat-topped mound below is Dragon Hill, where legend says St George killed his dragon. Over in the Chilterns, the National Trust's Watlington Hill has wide views over the Oxfordshire plain, beech woods and red kites wheeling overhead. Watlington's closer if you're staying near Thame.

Is Oxfordshire good for a dog-friendly hot tub break?

Very. Tick the pet-friendly box in the search above, or browse our pet-friendly hot tub cottages across the UK. Malt Barn, Cow Byre, Tawny Cottage and Manor Farm House all welcome dogs. Here's where they can come along too:

• Blenheim: on a lead across the 2,000 acres of parkland and the Pantry café, but not indoors or in the formal gardens.
• Minster Lovell Hall: dogs on leads are welcome at the ruins.
• The Windrush valley: fine for dogs, though the stiles can be awkward for bigger ones.
• Farmland: keep dogs on leads around livestock, especially in lambing season.

Planning your Oxfordshire hot tub getaway

Here's a quick way to narrow down your Oxfordshire shortlist.

• Couples: The Tunnel and the Happy Valley Pod are made for a romantic stay, and there are more on our romantic hot tub breaks page.
• Large family groups: Malt Barn and Manor Farm House are the only two here that sleep a dozen or more.
• Dog owners: Cow Byre takes up to three dogs, and Tawny Cottage has an enclosed lawn.
• On a budget: midweek stays outside the school holidays are usually the cheapest.

Oxfordshire also borders plenty of other hot tub country, so it's easy to explore further. Cross into Gloucestershire's Cotswold hot tub cottages for Bourton-on-the-Water and Stow, head north to Warwickshire for Stratford-upon-Avon, or try Buckinghamshire for more of the Chilterns.

Whichever corner you choose, cottages with hot tubs in Oxfordshire give you golden villages and a city full of colleges, then you can enjoy a warm soak under the stars. Have a look through the listings above, or search every cottage with a hot tub in the UK, and find the perfect place for your crowd.