‘A peaceful haven within the day-tripper maelstrom that overwhelms this exquisitely pretty Cotswold village’, this family-run hotel with its own parking receives a nod from our inspectors for its ‘pleasant, friendly atmosphere’. A very personable receptionist showed them to a ground-floor room which had a bare stone wall and logs stacked in a fireplace, sturdy dark wood furniture, slatted blinds and blackout curtains. ‘Lighting was good, the bathroom a bit small and old-fashioned.’ Seek advice when you book. ‘Other rooms we saw (in some cases, cheaper) had been upgraded recently, provided better shower rooms and were equally good and spacious even though described as cosy.’ As well as a walled garden there are places to relax in a lounge bar and little nook seating areas, one with shelves of books. In onsite L’Anatra restaurant, with a menu big on pastas and pizzas, specials of butternut squash nicoise and pan-fried sea bass, paella rice, king prawns, beans and baby watercress, were ‘enjoyable and well cooked’. After breakfast, visit the picturesque village, with the River Windrush running through, then see it in miniature in a scale model, begun in the 1930s, behind the Old New Inn.