Rectory Hotel

Local restaurants

The Wild Duck Inn is a lovely old pub in Ewen, less than 10 minutes’ drive away en route to Cirencester (+44 (0)1285 770310), with real ales, good food and an attractive tree-shaded courtyard. Also nearby, in Tetbury, Calcot Manor (+44 (0)1666 890391) has two restaurants: book dinner for truly fine dining in The Conservatory, or drop in on its gastropub The Gumstool Inn on your way home from Westonbirt Arboretum. Adjacent to Malmesbury’s mediaeval abbey, Wisteria-covered 13th-century inn The Old Bell (+44 (0)1666 822344) has an elegant Edwardian restaurant with a classic Anglo-French menu. There are outside tables in summer, but on busy weekends you’ll need a reservation for the dining room. A few miles east of Malmesbury, gorgeous Whatley Manor (+44 (0)1666 822888) also has two excellent eateries: splash out one of chef Martin Burge’s French tasting menus in The Dining Room, or have a relaxed Sunday lunch at Le Mazot, an informal brasserie. The Rectory Kitchen & Cellar (+44 (0)1285 644700) is a foodie’s paradise, with fresh, delicious home cooking to either eat in a sweet mews setting, or to take away. Squirrel away some freshly baked biscuits for the car journey home, or a jar of Rectory lemon curd as a souvenir.

Local bars

The Potting Shed Pub is the charming grade II-listed country pub in the village of Crudwell (+44 (0)1666 577833), yards from the Rectory Hotel, where you can get an even more laidback serving of this hotel’s excellent seasonal dining. Young, friendly staff serve quality British produce to well-heeled locals (young and old) in stylish flagstone-floored, sage-walled surroundings. Chef Ed Sargent’s menu celebrates a love of Slow Food with tasty roasts and rib-sticking stews; and make sure you leave room for the yummy desserts – a modern take on classics.

For a full list of eating and drinking recommendations in Cotswolds, check out our Cotswolds eating & drinking guide

Worth getting out of bed for

Westonbirt Arboretum (www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt) has one of the world’s most spectacular tree collections. You can happily spend a day kicking up leaves and gazing at the neck-crickingly tall redwoods. Take a picnic – and binoculars. Malmesbury Abbey (www.malmesburyabbey.com) is the oldest abbey in England, and ambling around the town there is a pleasant way to while away an afternoon. Go for a helicopter ride or aerobatic flight at nearby Kemble airfield, or try your hand at piloting a light aircraft. Your partner can join you in the plane’s cabin if you book a one-hour trial lesson, or there are instructed return trips to the Isle of Wight (stopping for a civilized lunch). For details, contact the Flying Club Kemble (+44 (0)1285 771025; www.theflyingclubkemble.com). If you're feeling inspired by Rectory Hotel's vintage-chic pieces, roam around in Stow-on-the-Wold which is the Cotwolds' epicentre for antiques – but equally worthwhile is a pokeabout in the dusty shops of Burford, Cirencester, Moreton-in-Marsh and Tetbury. There's also horse riding and clay-pigeon shooting available near the hotel.

Diary

March The Cheltenham Festival and Gold Cup (www.cheltenham.co.uk). August If it’s flared nostrils and shimmering fetlocks you’re after, head to the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park (www.gatcombe-horse.co.uk) for daredevil displays of dressage, showjumping and cross-country riding.

For a full list of recommended activities in Cotswolds, check out our Cotswolds destination guide