Hungerford country inn hotel, England
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Our Organic Farm is in the Higher Level Stewardship scheme with abundant flora and fauna. We have created three new ponds on the Farm to improve water conservation and wildlife diversity. Our Organic Beef is guaranteed under a legally defined national system audited by the Soil Association to ensure the animals have been fed no routine drugs or other additives, and are reared under the highest welfare standards. The animals are slaughtered at a nearby organically approved abattoir. All Farmyard manure is returned to the grassland ensuring no loss of nutrients to maximise soil fertility. Our Organic Farm Shop is supplied by our organic butchery all located at the Swan Inn.
Red Kites and Buzzards will be seen most days - but Brown Hares, Woodpeckers, Barn Owls and wide variety of birds can be spotted in the area particularly from the footpath across our organic farm. Inkpen Crocus Field, within a mile, is a local nature reserve and is covered with flowers and butterflies usually around March.
The historic Wayfarers Way starts nearby - Walbury Iron Age Hill Fort at 984 ft is the highest Chalk Hill in the World next to Combe Gibbet at 969 ft - the highest point in Southern England and is within a mile of the Swan Inn. The Inkpen recreational walks takes you past all those landmarks.
It is also the ideal place to stay if you are going to Newbury Race Course or visiting Lambourn Stables. We are ideal for walking and cycling holidays. Trips can be arranged on a narrow barge on the Kennet & Avon canal from Hungerford or Kintbury.
The Swan Inn is approximately three miles from main line railway stations at Hungerford or Kintbury, both served by public transport or can be reached by a pleasant walk or cycle ride.
Community
We run a number of annual local competitions including our famous "Black Beret" Onion competition now in its 16th Year. We have charity pots for Parkinsons Society, Air Ambulance, British Legions, etc. Local athletics groups meet at the pub - Thames Valley Hangliders, Inkpen Cricket Club among others.
All of our staff live in Inkpen, some from families who have been in the village for over a hundred years.
There are many attractive walks starting at our car park. Parking is free and we are happy that walkers use our facilities providing of course that they are customers of The Swan Inn before or after their walk!
Every Thursday evening there is a quiz or darts night on alternate weeks, well supported by our locals but open to residents and whoever is in the pub at the time. Burgers and chips are supplied at the break and we have a raffle for organic beef.
Inkpen Writers produced a book in 2011 of 10 short stories and this is on sale at the bar. We also stock he West Berkshire Ramblers book of local walks.
We are strong supporters of local businesses (including our own farm!). Our organic Real Ales come from Butts Brewery at Great Shefford which is 6 miles away.
Landscape
The Swan Inn is at the centre of excellent walking country and is within one mile of Walbury Iron Age Hill Fort (the highest Chalk Hill in the World - 984 ft high) and locals in the Bar might bore visitors with various information about walks, view points, sporting disasters and local legends! The walls of the public bar are festooned with newspaper articles, stories and pictures of local history. Dont forget to ask about the "Black Legend" and the 1846 article in the London Illustrated News.
There are a number of theories about the origin of the name of the village. The popular one is that the Saxon warlord, Inga, lived on Walbury Iron Age Hill Fort and his camp was surrounded by fence to "pen" his livestock hence - Inga's Pen, corrupted to Inkpen. He is also reputed to have buried a gold table somewhere close but we suspect that this is the size of a small nugget!
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