The Cotswolds private members’ clubs introducing a new rural lifestyle
Why five-star facilities amid England’s largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty are attracting new buyers to rural living
Whether for the community they offer, or for the exclusivity they provide, private members’ clubs are having a very good moment. In A Guide to Private Members’ Clubs published last year, Knight Frank explored their growth in detail.
And where is the epicentre of this growth in the UK? Step forward the Cotswolds, a sleepy, agricultural region of outstanding natural beauty that has transformed into one of the most desirable English regions for purchasers of both second homes and primary residences. The traditional honey-stoned homes and picturesque narrow lanes might appear unchanged but look closer and you’ll find that many interiors have had a magnificent contemporary makeover and everything from the range of pubs to the retail on offer has undergone a smart glow-up.
The private members clubs in the Cotswolds can certainly claim some of the responsibility for these changes according to Damian Gray, Regional Partner for Knight Frank Cotswolds. Three members’ clubs in particular are leading this charge: Soho Farmhouse, The Club by Bamford at Daylesford and Estelle Manor. Together they are bringing not only a younger audience to the Cotswolds, but also a more international one.
“The best members’ clubs have created a new environment in the Cotswolds by offering things to do that make younger people in particular feel more of an affinity to London life,” says Gray. “These are smart and beautifully fitted out venues offering fantastic entertainment. The Cotswolds always had good, traditional hotels but these new clubs have raised the bar and are attracting serious global wealth. The Cotswolds is now talked about internationally, a safe and beautiful location with easy access to London and a superb top quality infrastructure.”
The facilities these clubs offer has also played a part in clients looking to spend extended periods in their second homes. “Where once clients would look for a small cottage to spend Friday and Saturday nights before heading back to their primary home for the working week, now they extend their stay in the Cotswolds where possible,” says Leigh Glazebrook from Knight Frank’s Stow-on-the-Wold office. “Consequently, the demand has grown for larger properties in very good condition.”
Soho Farmhouse
Great Tew in Oxfordshire was once a sleepy backwater but that all changed a decade ago when Soho Farmhouse opened there. Now the village is firmly on the map, helped by local celebrities with homes there including the Beckham family and a hugely popular café and restaurant called Quince & Clover.
Soho Farmhouse claims to be 90-minutes from London and this easy accessibility gives it a geographically widespread membership. It’s excellent for families – they are currently adding a children’s swimming pool – and there’s a Teeny Barn and Camp for children aged two and up. Facilities include a heated indoor-outdoor pool, several restaurants including an outpost of London’s Little Berenjak, tennis courts, a gym and exercise studio and Cowshed Spa. There’s a boating lake and horses to ride while guests can whizz around the 800-acres by bike or electric milk floats.
Membership starts from £2,250 or £1,200 for those under 27; sohohouse.com
“It used to be that clients would ask us to find them a property close to Kingham Railway Station for occasional trips to London but now they ask what we have close to Daylesford or to Soho Farmhouse,” says Damian Gray. “The private members’ clubs have changed the focal point for buyers and simple supply and demand mean that prices have noticeably risen around the clubs that people want to be close to.”
His comments back up Knight Frank’s data that showed demand for properties within 15 minutes-drive of Soho Farmhouse was running at twice the average for the area.
The Club by Bamford at Daylesford
When Lady Bamford opened the organic Daylesford Farm Shop close to Kingham on her family farm 23 years ago, she set the tone for what has become a thriving, super smart retail and lifestyle empire.
As part of this empire, The Club by Bamford is the childfree private members club that opened in March 2023 with a firm and expert focus on wellness. This is arguably the most exclusive Cotswolds club, with an exceptional gym, three padel courts and world-renowned personal trainers on hand. A wide health base is catered for with a cryotherapy chamber, swimming pool, saunas, ice baths and exercise studios, and of course an extensive choice of organic food and juices, all beautifully curated under the skilful design eye of Lady Bamford.
Membership starts from £3,850 or £2,750 for the under 30s with a joining fee of £1,650. There’s also a membership allowing 25 visits a year, priced £2,475; bamfordclub.com
“The so-called golden triangle of the Cotswolds, bordered by Stow-on-the-Wold, Burford and Chipping Norton carries a premium of up to 10%, helped by the private members’ clubs, good train access to London from Kingham and a number of high-end pubs such as The Chequers in Churchill and The Wild Rabbit,” says Leigh Glazebrook.
Estelle Manor
Estelle Manor, nine miles from Chipping Norton, opened in 2023 and won immediate praise for its bold design and serious ‘scene’ for glamorous hotel guests and private club members. The 85-acre estate centres on a Grade II-listed landmark house with a further 3,000 acres of bucolic parkland. The club claims to be a hosted home, “a new school club with old school values” bringing people together that have “plenty to say and nothing to prove” and its highly personalised service is indeed a major plus point.
The Clubhouse for private members has excellent food choices, standout children's facilities and notable co-working spaces (complete with Zoom rooms for private calls) where you and your dog are welcome, a special hit in the canine-friendly Cotswolds. Fitness facilities include an impressive gym, 37 studio classes a week and two padel courts while Eynsham Baths, a 3,000 square metre Roman-inspired Spa, could compete with the best in London.
Membership is £3,600 with a £1,000 joining fee; estellemanor.com
The property market
“The quality of these clubs, and of a new selection of interior stores such as RH (Restoration Hardware) on the edge of the Cotswolds at Aynhoe Park in Oxfordshire, means people have raised the bar on how they refurbish their homes locally,” says Gray. “Together they have changed how people live and view the Cotswolds.”
Glazebrook agrees, pointing to a recent sale. “We have just agreed a sale on a pretty stone property for £1.2 million which attracted five offers and sold for over the guide price,” he says. “The exterior was traditional but the interiors were contemporary and finished to a high standard. That’s what buyers want. Since Covid, escalating building costs, mean there is less of a desire to take on a project.”
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