Whatley Manor Hotel & Spa

Whatley Manor is deliberately small - twenty-three rooms and suites in a Cotswold stone manor on the edge of Easton Grey, with the River Avon running along the boundary. The scale means it rarely feels busy, which is largely the point.

The gardens are the surprise: twelve acres divided into twenty-six distinct spaces, including a sunken garden, an orchard and long herbaceous borders, rebuilt over the past two decades. In summer most guests end up wandering them before dinner.

The Aquarias spa is a low-key, adult-only affair with a hydrotherapy pool, thermal cabins and an outdoor terrace, and the kitchen holds a Michelin star alongside a Green star for sustainability. A more informal brasserie handles lunch and lighter dinners.