Helen Browning's Royal Oak

Helen Browning's Royal Oak  - Dog Friendly Hotel in Swindon, Wiltshire

A gently eccentric English pub and mini-hotel set amid 1500 acres of mostly spectacular organic farmland, with bits of woodland and water, high ground and low ground, and our own 9 mile boundary, so you hardly need to leave the place; 2000 head of free ranging livestock to help to feed you; 12 interesting bedrooms styled on some of our farm fields, a large garden and decks for eating and drinking outside, and stunning private picnic and lounging spaces spread between our hedges, old buildings, ponds and streams. Our own football field.

Glory be, a Swindon postcode, but you’d never know it once you’re here. We occupy a stunning part of the Wiltshire Downs, with wide open spaces; The Ridgeway, the ancient national trail dating back 5000 years, crosses our land. Head west or east. Take the walks and cycle paths north and south of it. Find white horses, burial chambers and Iron Age forts.

We think we’re quite an interesting left field choice for a bit of holiday fun, or a simple overnight stop, although we do say it ourselves. A place to be busy, or a place to do nothing. Happy to look after singles, couples, city weekend refugees, families and dogs, among other things. This is a place for fun. No preachy pious hair shirts here.

Our Rooms
From super luxury rooms where you could almost spend the rest of your life, to cosy smaller spaces for shorter stops. Each boutique room is fashioned around one of our fields, with textures, colours and our own range of small indulgences. On the ground floor, with doors to the sheltered courtyard is The Wallow, a shared space for refreshments and lounging.

Food & Drink
Simple, hearty, generous, seasonal – and organic. Most of it where possible from our own farm; short menus evolving daily. Nothing pretentious. Meat, milk, bread, some fruit and nuts, honey – all this raw stuff produced in the fields around you. Local beers from Arkells, craft brewers 6 miles away, organic soft drinks, and interesting organic wines and fizzes from Europe and South America.

Garden & Deck
Room to feed 100 of you outside without sitting on each other’s laps, so to speak, unless you choose to. A large stretch tent offers shelter from sun and rain. The garden is like any garden – changes with the seasons, from a riot of colour to beautiful autumn soothing shades. The furniture can be a bit rustic. Pizza oven, Argentinian grill and BBQ to look after you if you choose.

Wallow & Courtyard
Relax, play or share a few drinks in ‘The Wallow’, our comfortable shared space with tri-fold doors opening out onto the courtyard. Sofas and chairs, books, magazines and games, record player, teas and coffee. Each unique room is named and themed after a field on our farm here at Eastbrook, a perfect place to unwind in the beautiful Wiltshire countryside.