The Old Swill House

Why you'll love staying here

The Old Swill House is a beautifully restored historic farm building set on a working farm within a picturesque estate in the village of Foxham. Once used to store pig feed, this charming cottage dates back over 300 years and has been thoughtfully renovated to provide comfortable accommodation for couples or a small family looking to explore the stunning Wiltshire countryside.

Original features including vaulted ceilings, timber beams, sturdy trusses and exposed stone walls sit alongside warm rustic interiors and carefully chosen furnishings.

Approached along a tree-lined drive past the period manor house, the cottage opens into a spacious entrance hall with room for boots and coats. Beyond is a bright open-plan living space where antique pieces, prints depicting rural life, vintage cartwheels, and soft furnishings and rugs create a relaxed home-from-home feel.

The shaker-style kitchen is well equipped with butcher’s block worktops and modern appliances, while a dining table provides space for leisurely meals and planning the days ahead. The sitting area has plenty of comfortable seating gathered around a wood-burning stove, a cosy spot to unwind with feet up enjoying a film or playing a board game, while a small desk area provides space to catch up on work if needed.

Also on the ground floor is the master bedroom, a peaceful retreat with exposed stone walls, and a comfortable bed dressed with crisp white linens and soft blankets for chillier nights. A stylish bathroom with both a bath and a shower completes the floor.

Upstairs, a mezzanine snug overlooks the living space below and offers a quiet corner for reading with views across the surrounding fields. A charming twin bedroom with sloping ceilings is also located on the first floor.

Outside, a courtyard with outdoor dining furniture and a barbecue is a sunny spot for morning coffee or relaxed al fresco meals.

Guests are also invited to enjoy the manor house gardens, which extend to four acres. Laid out in the 1950s in the French style, the gardens are arranged as a series of ‘rooms’ divided by hedges and moats, and dotted with specimen trees, fountains, and statues. Known for their beautiful displays of old roses, the gardens also have drifts of spring bulbs, wisteria, irises, phlox, lavender, and peonies, as well as extensive vegetable and herb gardens. A particular highlight is the water garden set within an old canal, where moisture-loving plants such as irises, hostas, cornus and bamboo flourish. Keep an eye out for the 16th-century dovecote, and follow the spectacular avenue leading to a temple-like folly.

The surrounding 150-acre farm is managed using regenerative methods that encourage wildlife through tree and hedgerow planting. It is home to free-range chickens and a herd of 100% grass-fed Beef Shorthorn cattle certified as 100% grass-fed, with calves born in both autumn and spring.

Foxham is a charming village with a friendly pub and church just a 10 minute walk away. Footpaths follow the Old Wilts and Berks Canal and cross neighbouring farmland and woodland, while the nearby Christian Malford, less than two miles away, has a village shop and another welcoming pub.