Helen Browning's Royal Oak

United Kingdom , Swindon
SWINDON, Cues Lane Bishopstone
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75 reviews shown

6/10

Pleasant

20 May 2026

Sonya

Chose this place as a half way point between friends houses to meet to catch up. Have to say was very disappointed with the service received by some of the staff. Had a meal and asked for pork (seeing as it's a pig farm was expecting good pork) but then asked how we would like it cooked! Then when it arrived we checked that it was pork to be told 'It should be' -but wasn't!! Then when we had finished our meal we asked for a drink outside to be told that the pub had closed (was about 10.20pm) and they had run out of ice and lemon and could we bring our glasses back in when we were done!! Rooms nice and the 'Wallow' was an unexpected nice addition. Shame the record player no longer working. Loads of potential but missed the mark so many times.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

01 May 2026

David

The Royal Oak is outstanding in every respect. If you're staying a night, its facilities are unusually generous and extensive; if you're eating, the menu and the food are great; and if you just want a drink, there's a bar area and plenty of seating outside. The staff are lovely. Plus there's plenty of local information, books, games and events, not to mention a farm shop. If you can tear yourself away, visit Wayland's Smithy a couple of miles away along the Ridgeway.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

04 Apr 2026

Rob

Amazing super friendly staff.

Very welcoming pub with a good selection of food and ales.

We will be back!

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

23 Feb 2026

Jennifer

Welcoming and informative check-in. Guests have use of a separate lounge & kitchen with honesty bar. We used the map provided to enjoy a walk around the area.
Room was a good size with big, comfortable bed.
We ate in the restaurant in the evening. Great meal but it was very quiet so lacked a bit of atmosphere. The breakfast the next morning was plentiful with excellent produce. Would return if staying in the area again. Thank you.

10/10

Exceptional

21 Feb 2026

Caren

Beautiful location, lovely rooms, food & staff. Will definitely be back 🙂

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jan 2026

Salmaa

Exceptional! The perfect spot for a quick trip.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

02 Nov 2025

Jonathan

Amazing. Lovely country pub. Great food and great service. Prefect visit. Lovely people

10/10

Exceptional

25 Oct 2025

Orla

Lovely room, gorgeous breakfast

10/10

Exceptional

10 Oct 2025

Richard

Good quality . Not sure what you mean by diverse

Partner

8/10

Excellent

06 Oct 2025

Malachi

Nice location, great pub and rooms

Nice compact clean room. Beautiful surroundings and a lovely pub setting with a great breakfast.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Oct 2025

christopher

Another great stay at the Royal Oak. Beautiful location and a delightful traditional pub and an extremely comfortable room. TY!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Sep 2025

Douglas

Very clean room. Exceptionally accommodating staff. Outstanding food! We did not want to leave! We will definitely find an excuse to vacation there again!!

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

30 Aug 2025

Lovely find

Great staff, great atmosphere and beautiful village.
Great food,

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jul 2025

Jennifer

Wonderful stay

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jul 2025

CAROLYN

Highly recommend

In a pretty little village, very cute with friendly staff who make you feel right at home. Lovely little pub with great food cooked in the outdoor kitchen so get all the Smokey grill effect and smells real good! The large garden is very relaxed where you can sit back and relax, there’s even plenty for kids to do with a straw bale seating area under under a tepee type cover. Indoors in just as nice with a rustic feel. The bedrooms are extremely cosy, the beds are really comfortable and everything is cleaned to a high standard.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jul 2025

Pierre

Great place

A great place to stay at if you want to enjoy the English countryside in all its glory.
Wonderfully welcoming staff too!

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jul 2025

Daniel

Lovely property in a great location, great food, and ideally located for working in Swindon

Business Self

8/10

Excellent

06 May 2025

Mary

Haven after a days walking.

Lovely room, bit cold, but extra blankets were available. Food was excellent and the staff were friendly and easy to find when needed. Brilliant hot shower after a day of walking the Ridgeway.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

24 Mar 2025

Nicola

Lovely 2

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Mar 2025

SCOTT

Wonderful accomodation

8/10

Excellent

06 Feb 2025

Julia

Good rooms and warm cosy pub.

10/10

Exceptional

29 Sep 2024

Tresa

Although we only stayed the night it was amazing stay, people were incredibly friendly and so helpful - already booking my next stay!!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Sep 2024

Tara

This place in my opinion is simply perfect .
A little gem and the loveliest most friendly and super helpful staff. I stay in a lot of hotels and I enjoyed my experience here way more than any hotel I ever stayed in! Will definitely be back and will recommend to anyone visiting the area.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Aug 2024

Jennifer

We absolutely loved everything about this hotel. Amazing rooms, adorable common area, great bar and food, delicious breakfast. Friendly staff.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

06 Jul 2024

Nicola

Clean and tidy rooms. Lovely food and the staff very friendly. Would stay again.

Leisure Pet

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jul 2024

A truly delightful experience.. The Royal Oak is a unique place to stay with friendly staff, delicious food, lovely rooms and beautiful picturesque surroundings.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jul 2024

Steven

I little slice of heaven in a beautiful area

Business

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jun 2024

Richard

Another lovely stay..we always enjor our stay with these friendly people.. terrific..

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Aug 2023

David Cowie

Great place, was made to feel very welcome, food fantastic.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jul 2023

Marta

Lovely place indeed. The hotel is in a farm, and rooms on the detached barn. The conversion is lovely and very nicely done, with nothing short of a modern facility.
Spotless clean, the best toiletries I tried in ages (also up for sale!).
Great attention to details, comfort and environment. I definitely recommend a meal in the pub where most food is sourced locally. Preferring a meatfree diet, I found the menu a bit red-meat-heavy, but there are a few vegetarian options and the pizza I had was delicious. Breakfast is also delicious!
The little village and local country side are lovely for a walk. Non-common perks: the rooms have a common lounge to chill, read, have a glass of wine or a tea, listen to music etc. loved the idea, especially for a rainy afternoon.
Overall a Very relaxing environment and pleasant experience.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jun 2023

Mark

Cracking spot, amazing food and great value

Warm welcome upon arrival and shown to our room. Fantastic communal space that can be enjoyed at any time. The room was a great size with tea/coffee making facilities and amazing toiletries. The breakfast was excellent quality with lots of options. If im ever in the area again I would 100% stay here again.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 May 2022

Teresa

One of a kind!

My husband and I were on an adventure along the countryside back to Bath and booked this little gem of a find. Whoooaa what an interesting place to get lost! loved loved loved this little bed and breakfast!
There’s a restaurant, a bar, a beer garden, and honestly, we didn’t see it all. There is a whole farm and pigs and walking paths that I hope we get back to see another time.
The food was well prepared, all organic and scratch made. More interestingly, they’re self reliant on their own livestock and farm produce which makes it sustainable and delicious. The staff were incredibly gracious, the rooms were comfortable, attractive and just perfect. I’d recommend this venue for groups especially because there are so many common areas and it seems perfect for event type activities. This place is one of a kind. I would stay again and would highly recommend.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Aug 2021

emma

Fantastic

Arrived for a wedding and was lovely stay beautiful area. Staff all wonderful.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jul 2021

graham

Very friendly and caring

Business

10/10

Exceptional

04 Oct 2020

Joanna

Great return visit

Spontaneous weekend away. Great welcome, accommodation and facilities. Rooms spacious, clean and well appointed. Staff all very helpful and welcoming. Would recommend eating in the pub, good quality food and atmosphere...thank you. Would recommend.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Sep 2020

Les

This place is amazing in every single way! The village is picture postcard beautiful. The room was wonderful and the food and service was fantastic. I stay away a lot and I can be quite picky but this place will not let you down.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Aug 2020

First after lockdown

First post lockdown overnight stay - felt really safe, well separated. Menu simplified a bit since last time - mainly classics burger, fish and chips etc - but high quality ingredients well cooked and looked after by friendly and helpful staff. Will go again

Self

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jul 2020

A Hidden Gem

We booked two nighrs here not knowing the organic backstory of the place, but thoroughly enjoyed the stay. Spacious and characterful room. Good food. Attentive and gracious host.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Mar 2020

JohnM

Our stay was excellent overall, especially given the breaking news at the time. Staff were superb, food was absolutely lovely and the rooms were perfect.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

12 Mar 2020

Verified traveler

Lovely property, very friendly place, we use it while walking the Ridgeway

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Oct 2019

Verified traveler

Great Experience!

We loved our experience here. The staff were so welcoming, friendly, and provided great service. Our room was really clean and comfortable - they've thought of everything. We had drinks, dinner, and breakfast here as well - if you can't stay the night, we'd recommend stopping by regardless. The food is amazing.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Sep 2019

Joanna

Recommend 100%

A wonderful place to stay - quirky and luxurious decoration of room with plenty of space and good facilities. Lovely service and food in the pub too. Great place to stay - thank you.

Business Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Aug 2019

Verified traveler

The quality and friendliness shone through. We were encouraged to relax and really enjoy ourselves. The food is of course delicious.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Aug 2019

Verified traveler

A real gem of a find. Loved everything about this place: from the beautifully designed decor, to the incredible power shower and super comfy bed. The associated restaurant and bar served delicious food and drinks in an idyllic setting. The staff were warm, friendly and couldn’t have been more welcoming. We only wished we could have stayed an extra night or two!

Friends_and_family Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

05 Aug 2019

Verified traveler

Anniversary weekend

Great visit - excellent low key service, lovely room and great food. Would really recommend

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jul 2019

Amy

A Most Delightful Organic B&B in the Countryside

Adorable B&B that just happens to be an organic farm/local pub/excellent farm to table dining.
Exceptional staff, tasty traditional meals, welcoming laid-back atmosphere. Proprietor,Tim, is engaging, knowledgeable and incredibly welcoming. He took us on a tour of their extensive farm in a gorgeously farm-worn Range Rover over hill and dale with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the local flora and fauna.
A stunning breakfast is included with the price of your room. Think full English breakfast or pastries and fruit. Something for everyone.And all organic!
Highly recommend ❤️

Partner

8/10

Excellent

15 Jul 2019

John

Lovely nights escape

Very nice room with large shower large bed and amples of space. Staff were wery welcoming and attentive. Food was delicious . Only minor downside was the constant noise of a ventilation system that could be heard in the room although not extremely loud once tuned into was difficult to sleep.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jun 2019

ian

It's a must

Everything about the Royal Oak was great! Will definitely revisit. Can't recommend it enough.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 May 2019

Michael

Great stay

Helen Browning's Royal Oak was exactly as pictured on the booking site. The rooms were very quirky and comfortable. Definitely not the biggest room we have stayed in but perfectly functional. The communal area more than made up for this and gave us somewhere to chill out. Dinner and breakfast were really good as was the atmosphere in the bar. It is off the main highway a bit but well worth the effort.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 May 2019

Verified traveler

Fantastic welcome, friendly staff. Cosy, comfortable room. Lovely communal area & courtyard. The pub food & breakfast was delicious.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

23 May 2019

Lewis

Tranquil stay - Kates Folly

One of my favourite places to stay!
Stunning rooms in a very peaceful location. Pub offers excellent food and service.
My second stay here and it wont be the last!

10/10

Exceptional

11 May 2019

Great for the Ridgeway walkers. Lovely atmosphere, good food, and good accommodation

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Apr 2019

Tony

Royal Oak 110%

Great place for all types of things, walks ,pubs

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Mar 2019

Stuart

My happy place

This was my 5th stay, I love this place and everything about it especially the warm and friendly people.
A very special place indeed and only using hotel.com for my booking so I can share my experience with others

8/10

Excellent

28 Feb 2019

James

lovely old pub modernised to restaurant/pub,newly refurbished accommodation comfortable and spotless with large walk-in power shower. evening food excellent but rather long wait, breakfast also excellent, would visit again.

10/10

Exceptional

25 Feb 2019

Verified traveler

Great Location

Great place to stay, stylish rooms, friendly staff. Food was really good.

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

This was our 2nd stay everything about the place is perfect. The staff are simply brilliant, food incredible and the rooms are very comfortable and tasteful. We intend to stay at least every other week

10/10

Exceptional

31 Dec 2018

Lovely rooms and excellent breakfast. Bed for third person was rather small.

10/10

Exceptional

20 Dec 2018

R P

Always a great place to stay. Atmosphere and food in pub great. Rooms comfortable and individual - so much better than formulaic hotel chains.

10/10

Exceptional

23 Nov 2018

Aghogho

Great rooms! Amazing food and service. Fully recommend.

10/10

Exceptional

18 Oct 2018

Verified traveler

Don’t hesitate to book

Boitique chic meets country refinement... welcoming with a real vibe of feeling ‘part of the HB family’ .. accommodation and food is superb

10/10

Exceptional

05 Oct 2018

Tracy

Going back!!!

Comfortable room, fine for a couple of nights (would be a bit pushed for space/luggage for longer). Fresh milk available in a shared seating lounge area off the courtyard for tea/coffee in rooms. The village is very pretty and in a great area for walking. We slept well in the comfortable bed. Both dinner and breakfast were great - the quality of the food we excellent (as was the honey beer!) and portions were generous. The staff were friendly and we felt very welcome- the tongue in cheek humour suits us though we gather not everyone. Next time we are even vaguely in the area this would be our accommodation of choice.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Sep 2018

Verified traveler

Lovely place for a reunion

The staff couldn’t have been more helpful whilst being relaxed and friendly.
There’s plenty of indoor and outdoor space to socialise and the rooms were lovely and comfortable.

8/10

Excellent

29 Sep 2018

David

Nice place to stay

Our stay was perfect as we booked one night initially but it was that nice we stayed an extra night. Sandwiches and breakfast was amazing. Would stay again.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Sep 2018

Fraser

Perfect place to unwind (and eat!!)

Excellent service, excellent food, excellent with food allergies, excellent location, excellent room. Top marks.

10/10

Exceptional

01 Sep 2018

John

A warm welcome

Really good place Throughout our stay staff were welcoming, friendly and helpful. A real sense that they enjoy looking after people. Food throughly enjoyable - crunchy lamb and tartare sauce and BBQ pulled pork and pork belly with green sauce and chard. This isn't fine dining, but good ingredients carefully cooked in a relaxed chilled vibe. Room was individually decorated and quiet. We would certainly go again (and probably will).

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Aug 2018

Terence

We love 'quirky'

A excellent overnight stay with dinner. We were fortunate to be upgraded - and the room was superb, beautifully decorated, nicely quirky, with an enormous bed and great bathroom.

10/10

Exceptional

13 Aug 2018

Alexander

Excellent place to stay

Fabulous village and brilliant bedrooms with all the mod cons

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Aug 2018

Verified traveler

Restful country break

Great find, very pleased with the overall experience and would happily visit again.

2/10

Poor

06 Aug 2018

Cathy

Poor hygiene

The staff here need to be trained to Food Hygiene Standards. Very poor practices seen by all staff

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jul 2018

caz

Beautiful pub in classic English country village.

Great service, location, food, everything! Lots of the food served here is raised on the farm owned by the pub landlord/lady. Would definitely recommend this fab place!

8/10

Excellent

03 Jul 2018

Something different

A friendly pub with some quirky, fun details which provides organic locally sourced food, nicely cooked. Reasonably priced wines. The rooms are separate and are comfortable with much use of recycled materials. Comfortable beds, nice bathrooms.

10/10

Exceptional

25 Jun 2018

Kerry

Fantastic hotel stay

Such a charming little hotel. I was made to be made very welcome from the moment I arrived to the moment I left. It was lovely that the staff could tell me interesting facts about the hotel and the farm. I really enjoyed my stay and will defo go back some time.

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jun 2018

Marc

Great food and rooms

Perfect as always! Great food and rooms are lovely

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jun 2018

Sam

Staff were great, as was good. Very comfortable and quiet stay.