The Wheatsheaf Inn is a lovely seventeenth century Cotswold stone coaching inn situated in the centre of the Cotswolds in the historic market town of Northleach. The surrounding area has been designated as an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ by English Heritage.
Northleach is a pretty Cotswold town with a market square dating back to the 16th Century, with a church dating back to the 12th century. During the 16th and 17th Centuries the town was famous round Europe for its wool trade.
Inside the inn there are cosy wood fires, good food, real ales, great wines and nine double bedrooms all with en-suite bathrooms. Sit with a pint by the fire, have some oysters (which arrive in daily from the English coast) at the bar, enjoy a Sunday lunch with family and friends or just stay for a while.
Please click here to download our Autumn/Winter newsletter
Cotswolds Fishing
We've got some exceptional chalk stream fishing available on a private beat on the River Coln. The season has now finished but we are taking bookings for next year's season. The fishing is in a quintessential Cotswold Valley close to the inn and is dry fly and and nymph fishing. It is mainly for stocked brown trout and some wild trout as well. Please email georgina@cotswoldswheatsheaf.com for more details.
Cotswolds Shooting
We have also got some great days shooting over the winter on some amazing private estates locally. We can tailor the days to suit your requirements and have a number of days available but usually the guns meet the night before for a meal in the private dining room at the Wheatsheaf (seats up to 26) and stay in one of the nine bedrooms. In the morning the Wheatsheaf does a good, full English breakfast and we can then arrange transfers to and from the shoot. Generally the guns shoot through lunch and end up at the Wheatsheaf to de-ice frozen toes by the fire for a late 3 course lunch. If you prefer to have lessons, organise the shoot yourself or shoot clays then please speak to us and we can fit in with your requirements. Please email georgina@cotswoldswheatsheaf.com for more information.
The Wheatsheaf Shooting Syndicate
The Wheatsheaf Inn has taken a few day's shooting at three really fantastic local shoots. All days are 150-175 bird days and are open to any of our regulars or anyone who likes shooting and wants to join us. At the end of the day we'll have a late shoot lunch. Please email georgina@cotswoldswheatsheaf.com.
Cotswolds Art Exhibtions
We have recently held the Musicians as Artists art exhibition with works from the collection of Jonathan Poole including those by John Lennon, Janis Jopling and Keith Richards and an exhibition of works exclusively by John Lennon. Our next exhibtion will be from the works of Bill Lovelady. This exhibtion will start in April 2010.
The Bloody Mary Challenge
Quoting one of the UK's best journalists, Adam Edwards:
"Once a week this river of red juice flows through the veins of the Cotswolds. In a myriad of pubs and restaurants (as well as our own front rooms) the potent mixture of vodka and tomato jice kick-starts us into the Day of Rest. Yet there is no exact recipe for a bloody...It is now up to the ten mine hosts (plus Sam at the Wheatsheaf) to slice the lemon, punch out the Tabasco and let the bloody battle commence."
You can read his full article in the November edition of Cotswold Life.
The first Cotswold Bloody Mary Challenge has just been held on 6th Novemember and a number of local hotels, restaurants, pubs and inns competed to win the Bloody Mary Statute for making the best bloody mary in the Cotswolds. There was a blind tasting and the judges were Mike Lowe, the editor of Cotswolds Life, Mark Savage MW, director of Mark Savage Wines, the comedian and journalist, Dom Joly and the landscape gardener and journalist, Sir Roddy Llewellyn. When the results were announced there was swearing and hissing but WE WON IT! So please come and sample the best bloody mary in the Cotswolds. We will be defending our title next November.
Meal with the bestselling author Sophie Hannah on 30th September 2009
Sophie talked about her new book which has had great reviews. Everyone got the chance to meet Sophie, ask her questions about her book and then get their copy of the book signed.
'This utterly gripping thriller should establish Hannah as one of the great unmissables of this genre - intelligent, classy and with a wonderfully Gothic imagination.’ The Times
'Beautifully written and precision-engineered to unsettle' The Guardian
Meal with the author Nicholas Clee and the Wheatsheaf Music Evening
In June we had a great evening with the author, Nicholas Clee (author of the brilliant book about 'Eclipse') and on 27th June the Wheatsheaf held its first live music event with Becky Biggins www.beckibiggins.com, who was nominated for the 2009 Grammy Award of Best Contemporary Jazz Album and was winner of American Billboard Best Smooth Jazz Artist 2008. Her album was at number 1 in the US Jazz charts for 10 weeks. She played with Laurie Holloway www.laurieholloway.com. Laurie has appeared with the London Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra, the Royal Philarmonic and the Boston Props Orchestra, both as conductor and lead pianist and is also the musical director of Strictly Come Dancing and the Parkinson Show. Bill Lovelady and his band also played (Bill has been called the 'master of guitar' by Alex James in the Independent) and his band were also excellent. The evening raised £1000 for the Northleach Primary School. Take a look at some pictures from the evening here.
The Wheatsheaf Book Club
The Wheatsheaf Book Club was launched in May. Mr B's Book Emporium, winner of the Best Independent Book Retailer of the Year 2008, has designed a booklist specially for the Wheatsheaf. The bookclub is held on the first Monday of the month at the Wheatsheaf in the private dining room. No cost for joining but if interested please email georgina@cotswoldswheatsheaf.com.
Festivals
If you're staying and would like tickets for any of the Cheltenham Festivals (racing, science, food and drink, jazz, literary, music - see www.cheltenhamfestivals.com), the Three Choirs Festival (www.3choirs.org) or to any other local events over the summer please let us know and we will try our best to organise them for you.