‘Stylish but informal, fun and relaxing – a grand job overall.’

‘You can hear the sounds of birds all around’ this converted 14th-century farmhouse.

Up the tree- and hedgerow-lined road from the National Arboretum, this Cotswold-stone country hotel stands in gardens and woodland.

The Pear Tree at Purton closed down on January 2nd, 2018. It has had an entry in the Guide for many years. Anne Young, the owner, who has retired after more than 30 years helping customers, says: 'making happy memories for guests has been a pleasure.'

Countryside chic fills this 17th-century farmhouse on a ridge above vast fields beyond the Cotswold village.

‘Here’s a taste of Cotswold heritage: mullioned windows, beamed ceilings, flagstone floors, the sweet smell of wood smoke.’

In a village known as the ‘jewel of the Cotswolds’, Andrew and Gaynor Riley’s restaurant-with-rooms occupies Sir Gordon Russell’s former furniture showroom facing the grass-fringed, chestnut-shaded ‘broad way’.

‘We wanted old-world charm with modern facilities, and we got it – down to the cosy bar and the slightly sloping wooden floors.’

In this Cotswold town on the River Windrush, duck under the wisteria-draped arch of this well-updated hotel and enter a building rife with history.

Village gossip, quaffable ciders and country-chic accommodation combine at this popular stone-built restaurant-with-rooms (Calcot Hotels) in a pretty Cotswold village.

In leather and tweed, burnished wood and rustic plaid, Dominic Wood’s ‘lovely old pub’ is a ‘delightful, friendly place’.

Guests in search of an ‘authentic, olde-worlde atmosphere’ find it in the flagstone passageways, huge fireplaces, wonky beams and creaky floorboards of this 15th-century coaching inn, in an ‘exquisitely preserved’ National Trust village.

An open fire in the entrance hall sets the tone at Jeremy Mogford’s clubby, upmarket hotel, a much-extended 17th-century building where visitors give in to the charms of bookish Oxford.

The log fires still burn within the old stone walls, the mismatched furnishings still stand; the vegetable patch continues to push up fresh ingredients for lunch and dinner.

Town and gown gather at the smart restaurant and buzzy bar of Jeremy Mogford’s sleek, ‘perfectly positioned’ hotel between All Souls and Oriel colleges.

‘Completely serene’, Nicola and Archie Orr-Ewing’s ‘sweet Cotswold-stone inn’ stands on the village green, a brook trickling by – here’s ‘a good spot for reading in sunny weather’.

Charles II is said to have slept here, and medieval beams and Georgian panelling attest to a long history, but this former coaching inn couldn’t be more ready for the 21st century.

‘The wonderful setting alone – in a gorgeous village hidden on the banks of the Thames – makes this a desirable place to stay’, but visitors to the 17th-century inn discover much more to like.

‘We had a great time.’ Fifteen minutes’ drive from Cheltenham, this contemporary country house and spa stands in acres of parkland, woods and meadows, a laid-back atmosphere all around.

A ten-minute bus ride from the centre, this friendly B&B in a leafy suburb has breakfasts worth waking up for.

Around the corner from Pittville Park, this contemporary B&B stands on a tree-lined street, a stroll from the town centre.

Come for the pizzas, stay for the pause – in one of the bright, contemporary bedrooms at this refurbished honey-stone inn, eight miles from Oxford city centre.

Fan and Alan Bishop’s smart B&B occupies a Victorian merchant’s house close to the centre.

Flagstone floors, stone walls and a huge fireplace are expected of an 18th-century coaching inn in the Cotswolds. Unexpected, and wholly welcome, is the quirky sophistication that owners Lana and Sebastian Snow have brought to their dining pub-with-rooms.