At the news that there was no mobile phone signal at The New Inn one of us almost leapt with joy, while the other shoved their iPhone back in their pocket with a huff. ‘You can walk down to the river and get a bar of signal,’ the friendly receptionist-come-waitress suggested. But, faced with the first flurries of a snow storm outside, even the Apple addict conceded to a night free of calls.

Situated in the heart of the small Cotswolds village of Coln St Aldwyns – a village we arrived at by traversing a series of icy wrong turns and narrow country lanes in the pitch black winter evening – the cosy inn illuminated in the darkness not only felt like a warm sanctuary miles from anywhere, but technology seemed to agree.

Greeted with warm smiles that reflected the pub’s central heating, we were soon shown up The New Inn’s quintessential crooked stairs into our snug room, named Quenington after the nearby village – with the hotel’s other 13 rooms also receiving the same title treatment.

The soft duvet and plumped cushions on the impressive wooden bed looked temptingly inviting, but with dinner booked in the (what would turn out to be excellent) restaurant downstairs – before we headed back downstairs again, there was just time to freshen up and have a quick nose around the room.

Complete with wonky walls, squeaky floorboards, an original fireplace and a dark wooden writing desk that had an aroma of polish and seemingly hundreds of miniature drawers to explore, the heritage of the coaching inn was hinted at in the room’s tasteful décor.

A shimmering wall of metallic floral wallpaper, modern trinkets and a flat screen television, however, reminded us we were well and truly in the 21st century – with a channel-hopping remote-control-hogger bringing any romance novel illusions back down to earth with a bang!

The checkered-floor bathroom was also tastefully decorated, complete with a roll top bath. The towels could have been fluffier and there was strangely a lack of soap, however. The complimentary miniature bottle of organic elderflower vodka certainly got the evening off with a swing, and was a considerate – and unique – touch.

The New Inn’s well-regarded restaurant was surprisingly quiet on our visit, but provided a first-rate dining experience, with a cracking evening rounded off with a few drinks in the wooden-beamed bar. A good night’s sleep seemed destined, only to be interrupted on a handful of occasions by a mysterious, and loud, clanging of the plumbing in the night.

Despite not receiving the wake-up call offered, after our unplanned lie-in, breakfast beckoned – with the full English (complete with handmade sausages, packed with a sage punch) getting a firm thumbs-up. While also modest in portion size, the eggs benedict across the table also brimmed with quality and flavour.

Checking out in the light of day, not only did we appreciate how pretty the ivy-covered hotel would look in season, but just how close the gargling River Coln is – with its fly-fishing and walking possibilities, as well as mobile phone signals, aplenty.

With a marketing tagline of ‘quirky luxury’ littering the hotel’s leaflets, we were expecting a little more in the ‘quirk’ department, perhaps. But if a cosy escape in the Cotswolds is what you’re looking for, an affordable stay at the stylish New Inn at Coln St Aldwyns could be just the ticket.

Michelle Byrne
1 March 2010