As you all know, the area around the Cotswolds is one of my favourite places in the UK. What makes this area so special is the gorgeous countryside and the stunning bricks used in the architecture. Plus, I always find the hotels and food here to be of a top standard. Staying at the Bear of Rodborough was no exception and I just had to tell you all about it. Here is a review of our visit to this Cotswold Inn.
Staying at the Bear of Rodborough | A Review of Our Visit
Staying at the Bear of Rodborough | How to Get There
The Bear is found in Rodborough Common, a small village just outside of Stroud. By car, it is an easy journey here. From the Reading area, it was a simple journey down the M4, before switching to the A419 at Junction 15. You can then continue on this road up until you reach the village. If you are coming from the west, then the M5 also joins with this road at Junction 13.
Public transport is also pretty simple. Simply catch the train to Stroud, where you can then either take a bus for 7 minutes (number 67), or catch a taxi.
Staying at the Bear of Rodborough | What to See in the Stroud Area
Stroud is not the first place you think of when the Cotswolds are mentioned. But, in its defence, I always enjoy my time around here… Possibly because my dad is from Gloucester!
Rodborough Common is, itself, a beautiful place to visit. In fact for lunch we enjoyed a picnic up here! The hilltop gives you some incredible views and we met a lot of friendly cows whilst we were eating. In the summer, it really is beautiful.
Nearby, you also have some other major attractions. We visited Slimbridge Wetland Centre and also Berkeley Castle. Both of these places are well-worth a visit and you can read up more about them through my posts.
If you fancy going further afield, you also have Cheltenham, Gloucester and the rest of the Cotswolds on your doorstep. Painswick in particular is beautiful, as is Castle Combe. For ideas check out my post on the prettiest villages of the Cotswolds.
Staying at the Bear of Rodborough | The Room and Atmosphere
We stayed in the Country House Double Room. This was outside of the main building in the, you guessed it, Country House. The room itself was lovingly decorated and made us feel like we were home. To be honest, we had a similar experience at the Hare and Hounds, which is another Cotswold Inn.
In the room you get all of the amenities you would expect. One nice touch though was that we received some chocolates to go along with our coffee selection. Delicious! The bed was comfy, we had a nice big tv and the bathroom came with Bramley toiletries.
The hotel atmosphere is also what you would expect from a Cotswold Inn. There is a terrific ‘buzz’ about the place, especially outside in the beer garden. The staff were also friendly and helpful and we got an excellent night’s sleep.
Staying at the Bear of Rodborough | The Food
On our first night, we decided to have dinner in their restaurant. The menu is not extensive and is reasonably expensive too. I didn’t feel like there was an extensive selection of things to eat.
My husband went for the brisket beef burger and I opted for the fish and chips. The burger was nice and actually was the same as the Hare and Hounds. It was good, but once again I think that something else could have been added to it for flair. I like brisket, but it was missing an extra bit of flavour. My fish and chips though were good. There was a generous portion and the fish was cooked nicely.
Breakfast however was a bit of a showstopper. In the morning, the breakfast room is really light and homely. Plus, as it isn’t too far from the common, we could see cattle wandering about as we ate. Both of us went for the Full English. The portion size was fantastic and the ingredients were high quality. Plus, I did like the buffet selection and there was actually a fair amount of choice.
Staying at the Bear of Rodborough | Final Thoughts
Staying at the Bear of Rodborough was a really great experience from start to finish. I love the rooms at any Cotswold Inn and think that the final touches are excellent. I was also impressed by the breakfast however, once again I felt that I was missing something with the dinner.
I hope that you found this review useful and please let me know if you have any questions.
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Other posts that may help you:
- The Prettiest Villages in the Cotswolds
- Visiting Slimbridge Wetland Centre | Your Guide to this Magical Reserve (2024)
- Gloucester Cheese-Rolling Guide | What to Expect
Thank you for reading and I hope I have inspired you to stay at the Bear! If you have any questions, please do get in touch in the comments below.
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Happy exploring,
Love Victoria X
