Mr & Mrs Smith

We had a lovely time. The manor is a very special place and we had a beautiful room. The breakfast and meal we had were beautiful. Staff were very helpful, I would recommend the manor and the area. It was beautiful.

If you love modernist furniture (and who doesn't?) take a short trip round the Gordon Russell Museum (www.gordonrussellmuseum.org) in Broadway. It's small, perfectly formed and filled with timeless designs from the 1930s onwards.

The cookery school across the courtyard looks amazing, unfortunately we didn't have enough time to sign up for anything. We ate in The Bell pub in the village which does decent pub grub. The breakfast at Lower End House is unmissable though – great that you get a bag of the homemade granola to take home as your Mr & Mrs Smith treat!

If you're visiting Lower End House and driving there from London, firstly stop off at the Shell petrol station just off the M40 in High Wycombe for some of the cheapest petrol to be believed!! then drive via Chipping Camden and Broadway for some picture perfect Cotswold village scenery. Stop off in Broadway for afternoon tea at the Broadway Hotel - pure English country perfection!

The small village in which Lower End House is placed, Eckington, offers lovely walks set against the backdrop of the River Avon, down which barge boats chug and dragon flies flitter - completely idyllic for a sunny June afternoon. If you ask the friendly staff at the Manor about the circular walk (roughly an hour and a half) they'll be more than happy to point you in the right direction. Just don't do what I did and attempt the walk in wellies - altogether the wrong footwear!