The Stag Rooms is a 16th-century coaching inn with nine refurbished bedrooms a few miles from Stratford-upon-Avon
Halfway along the A46 between the small market town of Alcester and Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon, a 500-year-old coaching inn at Redhill now keeps nine 4-star bedrooms above a pub run by a British Touring Car Championship team. The building was substantially refurbished in 2023, when the pub and restaurant downstairs relaunched as The Piston Club, a motorsport-themed kitchen and bar run by the crew behind Power Maxed Racing.
The warmth of the family-run staff and the housekeeping standard draw the most consistent guest praise here, and couples particularly favour the location. It is far enough from town to feel quiet and rural, but close enough to drive into central Stratford in under ten minutes. The rooms are being upgraded in stages so finishes vary slightly room to room, but the newest finishes are sharply contemporary inside the original beams.
Between two Warwickshire towns: Alcester's Roman streets and Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon
Set in the hamlet of Redhill on the A46, The Stag Rooms sits at a quiet pivot point between two very different Warwickshire worlds. Four miles east lies Stratford-upon-Avon, the Royal Shakespeare Company's home town, a riverside theatre town built on the legacy of the playwright born here in 1564. Three miles west lies Alcester, a small market town that still preserves its Roman street plan and a Tudor-and-Georgian high street barely changed in 200 years. The countryside between is classic south-Warwickshire, hedged lanes, the River Arrow, and the northern fringe of the Cotswolds AONB just down the road.
For day trips, Anne Hathaway's Cottage is three miles away, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre is a six-to-eight-minute drive, and National Trust properties at Coughton Court, Charlecote Park and Hidcote Manor Garden are all within an easy loop. Birmingham Airport is around 30–35 minutes north via the A46 and M42; Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway is the closest mainline rail station at about 3.8 miles.
The Piston Club downstairs: real ales, racing memorabilia and an unusually good country breakfast
What makes The Stag Rooms stand out from the usual country inn-with-rooms is the deliberately quirky pub-restaurant downstairs. The Piston Club is layered with classic-car and British Touring Car memorabilia, restored karts, framed racing prints, signed paddock photographs, and serves Wadworth ales (6X, Horizon) alongside a kitchen menu of pub classics, Sunday roasts and three-course evening menus. Breakfast is included with most rates, served until 9:30am, with a continental buffet, gluten-free options and breakfast-to-go for early starts; cooked breakfast is available at extra cost.
Beyond the food, the building has a children's playground, a function room for private dining, garden space with a paved courtyard, and free private parking that needs no reservation. There's no pool, no spa and no lift; the majority of rooms are on the ground floor reached directly from the courtyard, with a small cluster upstairs accessed by a single staircase with a handrail. Reception isn't 24/7, but staff are used to flexible arrivals and contactless check-in is available if you arrive outside the 15:00–19:00 window.
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Interesting Points About The Stag Rooms
- Operates inside a 16th-century coaching inn on the Alcester to Stratford-upon-Avon road, with the pub-restaurant downstairs trading as The Piston Club (a motorsport-themed kitchen and bar, rare for a Warwickshire coaching-inn format); the dual-trading-name structure is the editorial reason the property reads more like a destination stay than a transit stop.
- Staff earn the property's warmest guest feedback, ahead of even cleanliness and comfort; the family-run hospitality outperforms the four-walls product even though the property holds a 4-star quality classification.
- Pet-friendly bookings are accepted across the 9-room inventory with free private on-site parking; the practical-and-affordable combination is unusual for the Stratford-upon-Avon visitor catchment, where most peers either ban pets at the country-inn price band or surcharge per night.
- Within a 15-minute drive of Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare's birthplace), 25 minutes of Warwick (the Castle) and 35 minutes of central Birmingham; the location is a particular favourite with couples, reflecting the structural advantage of an Alcester base at roughly half the central-Stratford rate.
Rooms & Accommodation at The Stag Rooms
Standard Double Room
2 guests · 18 m² · 1 double bed
The entry-level rate at The Stag, a compact, soundproofed double with private en-suite, flat-screen TV with streaming, tea/coffee maker and a fan. A solid pick for a single-night Stratford run when you want a clean, comfortable room without the family-room footprint.
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King Room
2 guests · 20 m² · 1 king bed · Inner-courtyard view
An upstairs king with a small patio overlooking the inner courtyard, atmospheric original beams, a soundproofed sleep, and a private en-suite. There's no lift; access is via a single staircase with a handrail, so prefer a courtyard ground-floor room if mobility is a concern.
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Deluxe Double Room
2 guests · 22 m² · 1 double bed
A two-couple-friendly upgrade on the standard double, slightly more square footage, refurbished finishes and a more contemporary feel inside the original walls. Same private en-suite, soundproofing, free Wi-Fi and tea/coffee setup.
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Standard Family Room
Up to 4 guests · 35 m² · 1 double bed + sofa-bed · Ground floor
A 35 m² ground-floor family room with a main double and a sofa-bed for one or two children, sleeps up to four. Step-free from the courtyard car park and the largest of the standard tiers, so the easiest pick if you've got bags, buggies or a dog along.
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Deluxe Family Room
Up to 4 guests · 40 m² · 1 king bed + sofa-bed · Inner-courtyard view + patio
The biggest standalone room, a 40 m² upstairs family suite with a king, a separate seating area with sofa, and a small patio overlooking the courtyard. Interconnecting rooms can be arranged on request for groups travelling together.
Check PricesIs The Stag Rooms right for you?
Best Suited For
- Couples looking for a quiet rural base for Stratford-upon-Avon
- Solo travellers stopping over en route: friendly staff, easy A46 access, free parking
- Dog owners: well-behaved dogs welcome in selected rooms and the pub (small housekeeping charge)
- Motorsport / classic-car enthusiasts who'll enjoy The Piston Club's memorabilia and bike-meet weekends
Worth Considering Alternatives If
- Not central Stratford: you're 4 miles out, so plan to drive in for Shakespeare's houses, the RSC and the river
- No lift in the building: request a ground-floor courtyard room if step-free access matters
- Refurbishment is rolling: most rooms feel sharply contemporary, one or two are still on the upgrade list
Amenities & facilities at The Stag Rooms
In-room
- Free Wi-Fi in every room
- Flat-screen TV with streaming services
- Soundproofing in every room
- Tea/coffee maker, kettle, fan
- Private en-suite bathroom
- Not available: No air conditioning
Food & drink
- Continental breakfast included with most rates (until 9:30am)
- Cooked breakfast available at extra cost
- Gluten-free options at breakfast
- Breakfast-to-go available
- On-site pub-restaurant: The Piston Club (Mon–Sat food 7:30am–8:30pm; Sun 7:30am–5pm)
- Bar with Wadworth real ales
Property-wide
- Garden and paved courtyard
- Children's playground
- Function/meeting room available
- Free private parking on site (no reservation needed)
- Not available: No pool, gym, spa or lift
Accessibility
- Most rooms on the ground floor (~10–15m from car park)
- Wheelchair access to public/common areas
- Single staircase with handrail to upper rooms
- Not available: No lift between floors
Policies
- Pets welcome on request, book then message; small housekeeping charge applies (confirm)
- Non-smoking throughout
- Children of any age welcome; extra bed available on request for ages 5+; no cots
- Minimum age for check-in: 18
- Payment: card only, cash not accepted
- Stag/hen and large parties not accommodated
- Quiet hours 22:00–08:00
Location & getting to The Stag Rooms
The Stag Rooms is in Redhill, on the A46 trunk road in south Warwickshire. Stratford-upon-Avon's town centre, and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre on the River Avon, is around four miles east, an easy six-to-eight-minute drive. The market town of Alcester sits three miles west, with its near-intact Roman street plan, Tudor high street and a clutch of independent cafés and pubs.
Walking access is limited, the property fronts a fast trunk road, so a car is by far the easiest way in and out. Free private parking is available on site with no reservation needed, and the team is used to flexible arrivals if you're outside the 15:00–19:00 check-in window. Buses on the A46 are infrequent; for rail, Wilmcote (2.6 mi) and Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway (3.8 mi) are the nearest options, with onward taxis the team can help arrange.
Beyond Stratford and Alcester, the northern fringe of the Cotswolds AONB is just down the road, and a generous loop of Warwickshire and Worcestershire National Trust properties, Coughton Court, Charlecote Park, Ragley Hall, Hidcote Manor, are all comfortable day trips. Birmingham Airport is roughly 30–35 minutes north via the A46 and M42 for international arrivals.
- Anne Hathaway's Cottage: ~10 min drive · Thatched 16th-century farmhouse, childhood home of Shakespeare's wife
- Royal Shakespeare Theatre: ~10 min drive · Year-round RSC productions on the banks of the River Avon
- Shakespeare's Birthplace: ~10 min drive · Half-timbered house on Henley Street where Shakespeare was born in 1564
- Ragley Hall: ~10 min drive · Palladian stately home with adventure wood and gardens
- Coughton Court (NT): ~12 min drive · Tudor manor of the Throckmorton family with Gunpowder-Plot heritage
- Warwick Castle: ~25 min drive · Medieval fortress with ramparts, towers and live re-enactments
Getting to Key Locations
Shakespeare's Birthplace
The half-timbered Henley Street house where William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and spent his childhood. Run by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, it's the centrepiece of any Stratford visit. About four miles from The Stag Rooms, a ten-minute drive each way.
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Photo: Roger Kidd, CC BY-SA 2.0
Royal Shakespeare Theatre
The Royal Shakespeare Company's flagship riverside theatre, staging year-round productions of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Backstage tours and a tower viewpoint over the Avon are open even when there isn't a performance. About 3.8 miles from The Stag Rooms.
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Photo: Richard Peat, CC BY-SA 2.0
Anne Hathaway's Cottage
A picturesque thatched farmhouse at Shottery, the childhood home of Shakespeare's wife Anne Hathaway. Cottage gardens, an orchard and a sculpture trail round out the visit. The closest of the Shakespeare houses to The Stag Rooms, around three miles, ten minutes by car.
View on MapHow to get to The Stag Rooms from Birmingham Airport
- Step 1, Leave Birmingham Airport: Follow signs out of the airport onto the A45 westbound, then immediately take the M42 south. The motorway exits are well signposted from the terminal.
- Step 2, M42 to junction 3: Stay on the M42 south for around 10 miles. Leave at junction 3 (Portway) and follow the A435 south through Wythall and Studley toward Alcester. This is the most reliable rural route, under 25 minutes outside rush hour.
- Step 3, Alcester onto the A46: On the southern edge of Alcester, pick up the A46 east-bound at the Oversley Mill roundabout, signposted to Stratford-upon-Avon. This is the trunk road The Stag Rooms sits on.
- Step 4, Arrive at The Stag Rooms: Continue on the A46 east-bound for about 1.5 miles. The Stag Rooms is on your left at Redhill, with on-site signage and free private parking. Total drive is roughly 30–35 minutes from the airport.
Stratford-upon-Avon and the surrounding area
Stratford-upon-Avon is the literary capital of the West Midlands, a market town built around the legacy of William Shakespeare, born here in 1564, and the Royal Shakespeare Company that performs his work year-round at the riverside theatre. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust runs four houses connected to the playwright's life, Shakespeare's Birthplace on Henley Street, Anne Hathaway's Cottage at Shottery, Mary Arden's Farm at Wilmcote and Hall's Croft in town, all within twenty minutes of The Stag Rooms.
Beyond Shakespeare, the town is small enough to walk in a morning, with riverside Bancroft Gardens, the medieval Holy Trinity Church (the playwright's burial place), the Stratford Butterfly Farm and the interactive MAD Museum. The wider south-Warwickshire countryside is excellent driving territory, Cotswolds villages south, Warwick Castle east, Hidcote Manor's Arts-and-Crafts garden, and a generous handful of National Trust properties all within a half-hour radius.
A walking tour of central Stratford-upon-Avon
A 4K walking tour of central Stratford-upon-Avon covering the Shakespeare houses, the river and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, about ten minutes by car from The Stag Rooms.
What guests say about The Stag Rooms
Scores and review counts are aggregated from verified guest bookings on major travel platforms.
Very good
Guests consistently praise The Stag Rooms for warm, helpful staff, large comfortable rooms with very good beds, the quiet rural setting and the easy run into Stratford-upon-Avon. Couples favour the location most. The most common gentle critiques are an in-progress refurbishment that leaves some rooms more updated than others, and food pricing some guests find a touch high, staff and breakfast otherwise win consistent applause.
Rooms felt very large and the beds were extremely comfortable, slept really well. Staff were warm and welcoming, nothing was too much trouble. It's only a few miles from Stratford-upon-Avon so getting there and back was easy. Would definitely stay again.
Daniel
Decoration was amazing, lovely staff, delicious food served and very near to town.
Easy to find and within reach of Stratford-upon-Avon, with good food in the restaurant and bar and really friendly staff. The only small niggle is needing a bit of patience pulling back out onto the main road.
Comfortable room, good bed, great shower. A couple of small bathroom-fixture niggles but nothing that affected the stay.
Outside the urban part of town with rural views, the room was large and comfortable. Friendly staff, plenty of parking, and good hot water pressure. No complaints.
Pleasant comfortable rooms and a great breakfast. Very convenient with easy parking and an easy drive from Stratford.
Staff were super friendly. Room felt slightly tired but they're actively upgrading. Food menu felt a touch limited.
Helpful staff, convenient location and good value for money.
Good to Know Before You Book
The refurbishment is rolling
The pub and restaurant fully relaunched in 2023 as The Piston Club; rooms are being upgraded in stages. The newest finishes feel sharply contemporary inside the original beams; one or two are still on the upgrade list, so décor varies slightly room to room.
Ground floor vs upstairs
Most rooms are on the ground floor in the courtyard, around 10–15 metres from the car park. There's no lift; upstairs rooms (King and Deluxe Family) are reached via a single staircase with a handrail. Ask for a courtyard room if you want step-free access.
Dog-friendly with a small charge
Well-behaved dogs are welcome in selected rooms and in the pub. Book the room first, then message the team and they'll allocate a dog-friendly courtyard room. A small per-stay housekeeping charge has historically applied, confirm the current amount.
Contactless arrival is fine
Standard check-in is 15:00–19:00, but you can drop the car early and check in later, the team is used to flexible arrivals. Stag, hen and large party bookings are not accommodated, and quiet hours apply 22:00–08:00.
Photos of The Stag Rooms
The Stag Rooms FAQs
The Stag Rooms is in Redhill, on the A46 between Alcester and Stratford-upon-Avon, with a B49 6NQ Alcester postcode. It's around three miles from Alcester town centre and four miles from central Stratford-upon-Avon, so you can drive into either in well under ten minutes.
Around four miles, or six to eight minutes by car along the A46. The closest of the Shakespeare houses, Anne Hathaway's Cottage at Shottery, is about three miles away.
Yes, free private parking is on site and no reservation is needed. There is plenty of space directly from the A46, with level access to the courtyard rooms about 10–15 metres from the car park.
Well-behaved dogs are welcome in selected rooms and in the pub. Book the room first, then message the team and they'll allocate a dog-friendly courtyard room. A small per-stay housekeeping charge has historically applied, confirm the current amount.
Continental breakfast is included with most rates and served until 9:30am, with gluten-free options and a breakfast-to-go option for early starts. Cooked breakfast is available at extra cost.
Yes, The Piston Club is the trading name of the pub and restaurant downstairs from The Stag Rooms. The accommodation is listed as The Stag Rooms; the food-and-drink operation downstairs relaunched as The Piston Club in 2023 under new motorsport-themed ownership.
Yes, most rooms at The Stag Rooms are on the ground floor, around the inner courtyard. Upstairs rooms (the King Room and Deluxe Family Room) are reached by a single staircase with a handrail. If step-free access matters, request a courtyard room.
Check-in is 15:00–19:00 and check-out is by 10:00. Contactless arrival outside the standard window is available, drop the car early if you arrive ahead of 15:00 and check in later. Cash is not accepted; payment is by card only.
Other great country stays in the West of England
The Fox Inn, Hawkesbury Upton
A characterful Cotswolds country pub-with-rooms in a Gloucestershire village, around 90 minutes south of The Stag Rooms, good for a follow-on Cotswolds leg of the trip.
Charlecote House, Bath and North-East Somerset
A Bath-area country house with a similar heritage-property feel, useful for a southern-loop continuation that takes in Bath, Bristol and the West Country.
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Pet-friendly heritage rooms, free parking, and a 500-year-old coaching inn just down the A46 from Stratford-upon-Avon. No booking fees.
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