The History of Kingfisher Barn
The site at Kingfisher Barn was created by converting traditional farm buildings. Made of red brick, stone and handmade tiles, the barn oozes charm and history, dating back as far as the 17th century. They became redundant for farming practices in the 1970's when machinery grew larger and became unable to enter the buildings. So the farmer built a much more modern and significant farm over the hill, giving Kingfisher Barn the opportunity for a second life.
The Barn Conversion In To Our Beautiful Holiday Cottages and B&B
In 1994 the buildings, starting with the main stone barn, were converted to provide a holiday base for national groups and organisations to come and use. The local community also used the main stone barn for a range of activities including a weekly creative art space, musical events, indoor bowling as well as a very popular wedding reception venue.
The next set of buildings to be renovated was the old cow biers around the courtyard next to the main barn. These were turned into 10 en-suite holiday bedrooms and proved a great success with many groups from all over the UK who hired the whole site for weeks at a time. Some of these groups had a range of special needs, and so we adapted the accommodation to suit their needs right from the start. We are proud to say that many happy holidays and long weekends have made some exceptional people very happy over the years.
Bouncing Back After Covid-19
Despite the humongous impact covid-19 had on the hospitality industry (and the rest of the world!), many businesses did their best to utilise the time the pandemic presented. Hospitality is a fast-paced industry where it can be hard to find the time to reflect and recoup. Covid-19 provided the opportunity to do this, without having to drop the ball on any other aspect of the business, and this is exactly what we did. Having taken some time to reflect on our venture so far, and adjust to the new outlook people had towards travel and hospitality, after a short period of closure we began our site renovation. From top to bottom, or B&B rooms to lodges should we say, we have breathed a fresh lease of life in to the Barn. We cannot wait for you to experience it and make lasting, happy memories of your own here!
The Kingfisher Barn Team
There is only a small team of us here running the barn, with each team member having their key part to play. Across all aspect of the business, in the office, housekeeping and gardening, it is made up predominantly of local Abingdon ladies, working alongside a handyman. Together the team perform a great job of running and maintaining the site of Kingfisher Barn, with our dedicated staff focused on making your stay as comfortable and as stress-free as possible.
Our staff are very knowledgeable about the local area, so if you’re looking for a recommendation of the best bits of Abingdon, help booking a taxi or a great spot for dinner, feel free to ask any of the team who will be more than happy to point you in the right direction. If you want to plan your trip in advance, feel free to ask for any assistance or recommendations when making your booking with us, we’re here to help!
Sustainability
Being surrounded by such wonderful countryside makes it even easier to be conscious of our environmental impact. We are aware of the importance of making our practices as sustainable as we can, this is an ongoing process and something we are continually looking to improve upon. Some of the steps we are currently taking are outlined below
- Recycling across the whole site – providing separate bins in our self -catering properties, breakfast cabin, staff areas and in our external bin area for general waste and recycling. Our housekeeping staff know when cleaning the B&B rooms, to sort rubbish when possible.
- We’ve got our own compost heap – we try not to let it happen but, any food waste from breakfast is added to the compost heap. When it’s ready, the compost is then used on the flower beds across our site keeping them full of nutrients and our flowers as happy as can be!
- Refillable toiletries – we’ve done away with those pesky little plastic bottles, opting for refillable dispensers in all our bathrooms.
- Talking of plastic bottles, or the lack of, we use glass bottles for the water in our B&B rooms. We also have the milkman deliver our milk and juice just like the good old days, this keeps our plastic count down. According to our milky, since reopening in June 2022 we have stopped 1504 plastic bottles polluting the planet, just on our milk and juice alone, not a bad start!
- On site laundry means we’ve got full control! We can control the chemicals used keeping usage to a minimum. We make sure washes are only done when loads are full to save on energy and water, and there’s no transport to contribute to our carbon footprint.
- We try to keep our staff and suppliers local – not only does this make our lives easier, nobody likes a commute to work right?! But it keeps emissions low and supports the local economy.
- Our cleaning supplies are all from environmentally friendly companies (BioD, Ecover, Faith in Nature, Ecozone, BioHygiene, Bright Earth). This is crucial as although cleaning is a massive part of our business, we want to make sure that it has the smallest affect on the environment as possible! All our cleaning products are also refillable to minimise on packaging used.
- Lighting – our outside lights are on sensors to ensure they’re only in use when we need them to be. Inside our lights have been updated to LEDs across the whole site.
- While renovating, we removed the fridges and microwaves that were in every B&B room. Running 10 fridges for maybe one or two to be used seemed a little crazy to us! Instead, B&B guests are welcome to use the kitchen and fridges in the breakfast cabin.
- Housekeeping – we do not refresh our linen and towels on a daily basis unless guest request this service. When you stay let us know how regularly you would like a refresh so we can reduce electricity and water usage on unnecessary washing.
- We try to extend the life of our bedding as long as possible, where we have had to buy new, we made sure the pillows and duvets are made from recycled fibres. Any old towels and sheets that are no longer up to standard are passed on to local tradesmen to get the last of the life out of them.
This is not an exhaustive list of all we do and we know there is always room to improve. We have an ongoing plan in place to help develop our sustainability practices further, and it is our hope that our guests will do all they can to support us in our sustainably journey.
Oxfordshire Accommodation - Why Kingfisher Barn?
- Just on the outskirts of Abingdon-Upon-Thames, you get the best of both worlds, with both beautiful countryside and a vibrant market town on our doorstep
- Our accommodation is wholly unique with a lovely relaxing atmosphere
- We’re in an excellent location for exploring Oxfordshire, the Cotswolds and only a short journey from London
- With flexible anytime arrival after 3pm, our self-check in allows you to arrive at a time that suits you
- Our accommodation is always prepared ahead of time, all of our bed linen and towels are freshly laundered in house to the highest standard
- A list of useful phone numbers, for instance, Doctor, Dentist, and Vet will be placed in your welcome folder
- We provide a full selection of toiletries, just in case you forget your own
- There is free BT wifi across the whole Barn so you can stay connected
- Children are welcome, high chairs and travel cots are free and available on request
- Parking is off-road and free for all our guests
- We’re pet friendly so nobody gets left behind!
For first class accommodation, look no further – here at Kingfisher Barn we’re proud of our excellent holiday/weekend getaway location. Our repeat custom speaks for itself!
Read our testimonials to find out for yourself
Please read our testimonials and don't forget we are 'Pet-friendly' too, so treat your beloved dog to a holiday...
Sign Up For Our Very Special Offers
Take advantage of the 'red hot specials' we offer at various times of the year. Also, we'll advise you of any exciting local events coming up. We don't want you to miss out so please click through here to register now!
Kingfisher Barn
Rye Farm, Abingdon, Oxfordshire
OX14 3NN
Tel: 01235 634790
