A storied hotel where history meets distinctive hospitality

If walls could whisper, the Talbot Hotel in Oundle would have quite the tale to tell. Rebuilt in 1626, this glorious coaching inn was fashioned from the stone of Fotheringhay Castle, the very place where Mary, Queen of Scots met her untimely end. And the oak staircase within is said to be the one she descended on the day of her execution? It’s enough to make you shiver with history.

Nestled in the heart of this exquisite Northamptonshire market town, the Talbot began life centuries ago as The Tabard. It became a welcome haven for pilgrims and travellers, its wooden beams echoing with stories of love, loss, and perhaps the odd scandal or two. During the 18th and 19th centuries, it thrived as a bustling coaching inn, alive with the sound of hooves and the clink of glasses in its cosy tavern.

In 1855, the Earl of Cardigan, hero of the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade was greeted here with fanfare, his carriage drawn through the streets by the townspeople. One can only imagine the jubilation as he stepped through the inn’s ancient doorway.

Owned by the Smith family for generations, the hotel bore witness to sorrow during the First World War, and eventually changed hands. But like all good stories, there was a revival. In 2009, The Coaching Inn Group acquired it, and in 2012, after a careful and respectful restoration, the Talbot emerged resplendent, its soul intact, its comforts thoroughly modern.

Today, it stands proud, a wonderful blend of Tudor timber and regal romance.