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 Coughton 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.

 For comfortable local Accommodation try COUGHTON LODGE