In a gem of a Cotswold town, with its green verges, galleries and tea shops, a honey-stone house is home to this first-class restaurant-with-rooms

It was nearly Howard's end in 2015 before two local families stepped in to restore the fortunes of this traditional village pub, which 'makes a great base for exploring the Cotswolds' with its 'upmarket pub food, good service and excellent breakfasts'.

An Edwardian homage to 17th-century style, this beautiful manor house with rich Jacobean-inspired interiors is run as a luxury hotel with fine-dining restaurant where you can enjoy a 'truly memorable meal'.

Part of the nascent and fast-growing Signet Collection, this hotel, has an easy-going vibe, smart bedrooms, some very affordable, some with views over Rutland Water, relaxed brasserie dining and, now, an outdoor spa.

'In the middle of nowhere down narrow country lanes', John and Sue Cushing's Georgian manor house hotel sits among five acres of brimming gardens, a prolific source of fruit and vegetables, cut flowers and perennial joy.

This Victorian gothic mansion might appear a little forbidding, but step inside and you are overwhelmed by a warm ambience and beautiful interiors, while some guests choose to sleep out in the woods in a timber-lined 'hive' or tree house.

There is no isle here, no lake, no bee-loud glade, but the name of Richard and Janine Burton's lauded restaurant-with-rooms draws inspiration from WB Yeats's Innisfree, a place of serenity and escape.

Modern mixes with medieval on the ramparts of what remains of Nottingham Castle, with this sleek hotel the perfect place to escape the bustling city.

Named in honour of Shrewsbury's famous son, this Grade II* listed Sandford House, moments from the Severn towpath, has evolved into a B&B full of Darwin references, with animal and plant wallpapers, maps and natural history objets.

An olde-worlde pub in a Chatsworth estate village combines here with a modern brasserie, while individually styled bedrooms are spread between the inn and three cottages.

Refurbished throughout by a new owner, this Georgian coaching inn in the city's historic heart offers a good choice of comfortable bedrooms, bars and dining options.

On the edge of a tranquil village, yet only 10 minutes from historic Oundle, the Marriott family offers comfortable B&B rooms in converted buildings on their traditional arable farm.

Behind the Tudor black-and-white facade of this old coaching inn lies a gastropub big on sustainability, with some quirky options for an overnight stay.

A rustic aspect belies the rather smart interiors at this pub on the Chatsworth estate serving pub classics and more imaginative fare.

Occupying two Georgian villas in gardens bordered by the old castle moat, this friendly hotel has a wide choice of well-equipped, individually styled rooms, and inviting food in the light-filled conservatory.

A once boarded-up village boozer with views over the Dove valley, this is today a thriving gastropub with well-equipped, stylish annexe rooms, and a menu of pub staples and creative seasonal dishes, served alfresco when the sun shines.

You can dine well in historic splendour in the old drapers' guild hall at this singularly atmospheric restaurant with individually styled rooms.

'Treehouses, boathouses and shepherds' huts are scattered around 70 acres of glorious grounds on the Consall Hall Estate at this deconstructed, dog-friendly hotel.

'Foodie heaven with the bonus of nearby culture,' was a Guide insider's verdict on this restaurant-with-rooms a short spin by loan bike from Stratford-upon-Avon.

With its wonky roofline, leaded windows, honeyed stone and distinctive black-and-white Tudor wing, this family-run hotel overlooks the green of a much-photographed, quintessential Cotswold village.

With onsite brewery, boutique-style bedrooms in the main building and a converted barn, and a menu of popular classics and more exotic dishes, this modernised 300-year-old village pub retains plenty of character.

With inglenook, antiques, beams and brasses, charming, cottage-style bedrooms and an enclosed rear garden, this 16th-century honeyed-stone guest house sits pretty on the high street of a picture-postcard Cotswold town.

This old pub in a tiny rural village had stood empty and rotting for years when it was rescued and revived, with smart bedrooms in a converted piggery, and cooking of a very high order.

Fabulously photogenic, this Grade I listed Jacobean building with an ornate, timber-framed facade stands in a 'wonderful position' in the heart of town, a few minutes' walk from the main square and castle.

This sprawling honey-stone building with its tall chimneys and leaded windows offers history, grand rooms and antiques, along with a thoroughly modern spa and 21st-century luxuries.

This red-brick Georgian coaching inn, 10 minutes from foodie-central Ludlow, has been smartly updated with a breezy open-plan bar and restaurant, and country-chic bedrooms.

Hosts Janet and Stuart Baldry cook a splendid breakfast at their wonderfully wonky, flower-festooned 15th-century house and characterful B&B by the entrance to Warwick Castle.