Mr & Mrs Smith

If you'd like to see the countryside from a different perspective then why not book an hour's hacking with the Bourton Vale Equestrian Centre (www.bourtonvaleequestrian.co.uk). We had a magical morning trekking around the surrounding countryside and even took the horses for a drink in the river at Lower Slaughter . My partner and I were both complete novices – it was his first time on a horse – and the staff were brilliant and made us both feel at ease. It cost £27.50 each for an hour and in my opinion it was an absolute bargain.

Washbourne Court Hotel just over the road made a lovely change, for a relaxed and more informal dining experience in the large patio area at the back. The Old Butchers in Stow was also lovely.

Don't miss out on the hotel's afternoon tea whatever you do - fantastic scones with clotted cream and jam by the log fire were not to be missed! We also had an outing to Blenheim Palace, which is not far away, and enjoyed a very good lunch in Woodstock at the Feathers Hotel.

Lovely hotel, very accommodating to us with our young baby.

The restaurant @ Lords of the Manor - a hotel in Upper slaughter just a mile away was delightful. Food was excellent and although expensive more than worth the visit. Superb service and a wine list to impress most. From our point of view certainly worth trying a night or two there as the hotel had a lot of both ambience and a cosy feel about it. We will return.

We arrived at Lower Slaughter Manor in a blizzard and as we walked in through the door we were greeted with roaring fires in every one of the public rooms. It was a very welcome sight! The service at the hotel was amazing and the food delicious. In the restaurant there are a few dishes served with a bit of a fanfare. The waiter prepares them at the table – have the salmon starter, the Chateaubriand and the baked alaska if you want a bit of a show!

We stayed in the Valentine Suite which has its own fire and hot tub in the garden. Despite the cold, we obviously had to have a soak. The staff were more than happy to pop over and get the fire going. The following afternoon, two therapists arrived at the room for relaxing massages which were fantastic. After a lovely breakfast in bed we met the charming Rob Ireland – a gentleman who loves his job and is a terrific clay-pigeon shooting teacher. We were delighted to hit a few clays and had a pub lunch in Moreton-on-Marsh, then it was back to the hotel to take advantage of the extensive DVD collection. I highly recommend this hotel and its fabulous wine cellar.

Mr Smith and I recently took a much needed break from London and headed for the Cotswolds. Not owning a car, the hotel was very helpful in referring us to arrange a car once we had taken the train out of London. They went above and beyond helping us to schedule massages in our room during our stay and arranged for us to have a quite private dinner in front of the fireplace. The two lunch recommendations they gave us over the weekend for meals away from the hotel were wonderful and exceeded our expectations. A picture perfect setting, an extremely helpful staff, a heavenly bed and a delicious meal – we couldn't have asked for more (except another day's break from work to enjoy it even more!)

Make sure to walk into the village to the old Mill – you'll find lots of lovely things to buy for the garden there.