A Saxon royal hunting lodge in the Gloucestershire countryside, rebuilt over centuries, is run today as a private hotel by 'lovely hosts' Christopher Trim and Kathryn Warner.

This beautifully proportioned Queen Anne-style mansion, in a hamlet between the Cotswolds and the Mendip hills, is as traditional as its owner, Baba Hine, who has been at the helm for more than 46 years.

It's no wonder that Ian and Chrissie Carling's hotel is so dramatic inside.

In a Tudor manor house in the Cotswolds just across from Cheltenham Racecourse, this hotel with spa and 90 acres of grounds is both family and dog-friendly.

Close to Westonbirt arboretum, this Cotswold stone Fuller's hotel in gardens and woodland, has an easy charm, a relaxing bar and drawing room, interesting bedroom choices and varied options in the restaurant.

Amid gardens, native woodland and meadow, this 16th-century manor house is today a family-friendly hotel and spa with contemporary comforts and a choice of formal and informal dining.

A charmed 'village within a village', this collection of honeyed buildings houses chic rooms surrounded by pretty gardens, with outdoor pool, spa, cookery school, bar, and short, modern menus of country produce in the Ox Barn.

A through-the-looking-glass sort of place, this hotel playfully inverts the traditional country house theme, with bold interiors created for new owners the Experimental Group.

Fiona Shiner's family-owned vineyard, winery and B&B are surrounded by the green fields of the Stroud valleys.

On the banks of the River Colne, this updated 17th-century coaching inn mixes country-style and contemporary comfort in well-equipped bedrooms, while dining options include gastropub and brasserie fare.