‘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.

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.

Romance is in the air, along with the birdsong of robins, nuthatches and chaffinches, at this golden-hued manor house in a pretty Cotswold village.

‘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.

Rustic chic – and the laid-back atmosphere to match – fills this Georgian town house B&B, across the wide, leafy street from Pittville Park.

‘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.

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

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

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

Gather up your pencils and books: there’ll be no sums in Wendy Veale’s Victorian schoolhouse B&B – just a warm welcome over tea and home-made cake.

‘An enjoyable, good-value option’, this quirky B&B is in a ‘quiet, well-located spot’ within an ‘easy 15-minute walk’ of the town centre and the railway station.

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.

In a Cotswold village, this 18th-century stone-built pub-with-rooms is a lively community hub.

Decorated with flair, this grand Georgian villa across the road from the Imperial Gardens has bold bedrooms, modern artworks, a buzzy restaurant, and a ‘nice atmosphere’ throughout.