‘An ideal place to slow down and relax.’

‘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.

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

On the green of an ‘idyllic’ Cotswold village, this centuries-old inn is ‘an attractive place to stay’, with a ‘relaxed, easy’ ambience, say Guide inspectors in 2017.

In ‘a pleasant location’ close to the cathedral, David Watkins’s family-run hotel has long pleased visitors who praise its ‘quality and comfort’, and its ‘cheerful, intelligent, helpful’ staff. ‘

In ‘an attractive, central setting’, with ‘a commanding vista’ over the city, Tim Hart’s hotel is ‘a clear choice for business travellers and parents visiting offspring at university,’ say Guide inspectors this year.

All is peaceful at John and Sue Cushing’s 18th-century manor house hotel, approached down a country lane embraced by green fields.

‘A warm welcome and excellent food’ add up to a ‘thoroughly enjoyable’ stay at Nicola and Steve Reynolds’s pub-with rooms, say Guide readers this year.

Deep in Shropshire countryside, Tracey Baylis and Alex Read’s B&B, in a quiet hamlet, is ‘a total joy’, say admirers.

‘Lively hosts’ Christine and David Lawson ‘delight in sharing their space’, a ‘peaceful’ Regency villa near the town centre.

Behind a facade of half-timbering and honeyed stone, this ‘friendly, professionally run’ hotel by the village green ‘successfully combines an imaginative, glossy-magazine look with olde-worlde Cotswold charm’.

Julia and Nick Davies are bringing a breath of fresh air – and a few ‘tastefully flamboyant touches’ – to their 18th-century dower house high on the east side of the Malvern hills.

Take in ‘superb views’ over the valley from Chris and Zoe Hipwell’s ‘very special’ Georgian town house hotel.

‘I was greeted at the door when I arrived; the attention to detail continued throughout my stay.’

Busy hens and the occasional tractor are as much traffic as there is to be found at this ‘lovely’, rustic B&B, on a 150-acre working farm in the Derbyshire Dales.

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

Homely accommodation, wholesome food and fresh air by the lungful are on offer at this B&B on the Marriott family’s small arable farm.

Country comfort informs sister-and-brother team Tania and Adrian Slater’s voguishly refurbished 18th-century coaching inn, in a tranquil village 8 miles from Stratford-upon-Avon.

In the Teme valley, an area abundant with hops and mistletoe, this refurbished red-brick Victorian coaching inn has ‘plenty of character’.

Views of parkland and surrounding countryside stretch out from this Victorian manor, where ‘the ambience exudes comfort and encourages total relaxation’.

Down an avenue of lime trees stands this characterful hotel, its apricot-washed facade a welcome sight to its legions of loyal fans.

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.