Kings Coughton is a hamlet in the parish of Alcester, lying to the north of the town, reputedly the smallest town in England. The settlement of Alcester itself goes back to Roman times and probably before, although there is no indication that Roman or Anglo Saxon settlement extended as far as Kings Coughton. At one period during the Middle Ages Kings Coughton, as, indeed Alcester itself, formed part of the eastern boundary of the Royal Forest of Feckenham.

The earliest reference to Kings Coughton, as distinct from it’s neighbour in the north, Coughton, is in 1262. This reference to 1262 in the Assize Rolls suggests that the hamlet was in being by the mid thirteenth century. Over thirty different spellings of the place name existed over the years, ranging from Kings Caughton to Kings Koptun. Today Coughton is usually pronounced as in “toe” although “cow” and “coff” are variants. It is suggested that the most likely meaning of the name is “cock farm”, the reference being to the woodcock.

In a more modern world the Moat House is ideally located for business people or those just taking a break. We are only eight miles from Stratford upon Avon, two miles from Ragley Hall and about a mile from Coughton Court.
The M40 J15, the M42 J3 are both within a ten miles and with the M5 only 15 miles away we are within easy reach of Birmingham International Airport, NEC and the Cotswolds.

The Moat House is the place to stop for those wishing to explore the Cotswolds, Shakespeare Country, the Malvern Hills, Ragley Hall, Coughton Court, Warwick Castle, Kenilworth Castle or those en route to The Cheltenham Festival.