A storied hotel where history meets distinctive hospitality

The George Hotel in Dorchester-on-Thames is simply exquisite, a storybook treasure nestled in one of Oxfordshire’s most enchanting villages. Built in 1495, this ravishing timber-framed beauty has been welcoming guests for well over five centuries. Just imagine it, a bustling coaching inn in the heart of a medieval village, its galleried courtyard echoing with the clip-clop of horses and the rustle of cloaks as weary travellers sought warmth and sustenance beside a roaring hearth.

Its half-timbered façade, with crooked beams and centuries-old brickwork, whispers of another age. Back in the Tudor days, it would have served as a vital stop on the road between London and Oxford, a hub for merchants, clergy, and nobles alike. And with the magnificent Dorchester Abbey just across the road whose own foundations date back over a thousand years, the George surely played host to monks, pilgrims, and ecclesiastical dignitaries seeking rest and refreshment.

Through the centuries, it survived the Reformation, civil war, and the coming of the railways, each era leaving its mark in creaking floorboards and stories etched into the very walls. You can still sit beside its original inglenook fireplaces, where countless souls have warmed themselves and swapped tales over a tankard of ale or a pot of tea.

Now, of course, it offers all the modern comforts we expect, lovely rooms, charming hospitality, and splendid food, yet none of that marvellous history has been lost. The George remains utterly true to its roots, a place where past and present live quite harmoniously together. Staying here is like stepping into an English painting, all golden light and gentle echoes of time.