More resort than hotel, this child-friendly, dog-friendly place of escape on the Farncombe estate, on a hill above Broadway, offers a wide choice of accommodation, from chic bedrooms to treehouses and shepherds' huts, with bar/lounges, fine-dining restaurant and a wide range of activities on site.

If you're looking for affordable luxury, this Victorian mansion in parkland, remodelled in the style of a French château, has spacious bedrooms, opulent suites, and a choice of small-plates dining or a tasting menu.

In the heart of the Gloucestershire countryside, this one-time Saxon hunting lodge, rebuilt over centuries and rich in Tudor detail, is an intimate B&B, with large and characterful bedrooms, welcoming hosts, and a Cordon Bleu dinner cooked by arrangement on Fridays and Saturdays.

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.

Amid rolling hills, where Shropshire nudges Herefordshire, Pippa and Willem Vlok's restaurant with rooms comprises a picturesque set piece of medieval and Georgian farm buildings.

There is a wide choice of generously equipped rooms at this substantial, dog friendly, family-friendly hotel on the edge of the Burghley Estate, with a pleasantly informal ambience and imaginative, seasonally inspired food served in the bistro.

Reopened in 2024 after a £1.6 million refurbishment, this former coaching inn in a picture-perfect village is a pleasing mix of original beams, exposed stone and smart decor, with well-appointed rooms, a friendly atmosphere, and a restaurant serving pub classics alongside more inventive dishes.

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.

An ideal base for exploring the Peak District, this sympathetically updated 16th-century coaching inn offers a wide choice of rooms at very reasonable price, and a menu of locally sourced dishes to please all tastes.

An imposing presence on the old Great North Road, this creeper-covered coaching inn is a bit of old England, much loved for its timeless ambience, solidly traditional styling and retro classic dishes in the Oak Room, where a silver-domed carvery trolley still makes the rounds.

Amid gardens, native woodland and meadow, this 16th-century manor house is today a family-friendly spa hotel with luxury accommodation, a choice of pub food and more sophisticated dining, and plenty to keep the kids amused.

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

Massive crenellated walls, with arrow slits and multi-tier bay windows, enclose panelled interiors adorned with tapestries and suits of armour at this Tudor castle and Relais & Châteaux hotel, with modern creature comforts, very special bedrooms, and a fine-dining restaurant.

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

With quirky and extravagant interiors, creative cooking in the restaurant, and a botanically inspired spa, this 18th-century mansion in parkland is a welcoming hotel for families and their four-legged friends.

Set in a sprawling, historic and honey-stone building with tall chimneys and leaded windows, this hotel offers grand rooms and antiques along with a thoroughly modern spa, a bistro-style menu in the barrel-vaulted Grill by James Martin, plus real ales, bar snacks and small plates at Tavern.

Modelled on Rome's Villa Borghese and overlooking Italianate gardens with lakes, fountains and statuary, this spa hotel has a hip vibe, bold interiors, lovely bedrooms, fabulous bathrooms, a buzzy cocktail bar, and French-inspired cooking in the panelled dining room.

On the banks of the River Colne, in a village described by William Morris as the most beautiful in England, this updated 17th-century coaching inn, part of the Cotswold Inn and Hotels group, mixes county style and contemporary comfort in well-equipped bedrooms.