On the edge of Gloucestershire’s Leach Valley, the village of Southrop gives you an updated Cotswolds estate experience fit for the 21st century. Its growth has been organic, starting with a cookery school and then incorporating cottages and now — the latest addition — a hotel.

Cheltenham is the racy capital of the Cotswolds; a Regency town that still has style. In the middle of the promenade, this stuccoed lodge has serious kerb appeal.

The Cotswolds isn’t all wellies and country walks — there are urban pleasures to be had too. This refined townhouse on the edge of Cheltenham’s leafy Pittville Park is a great example of a small, stylish city hotel.

The Lygon Arms is one of the Cotswolds’ oldest hotels and has a formidable roster of former guests, including Charles I, Oliver Cromwell, Edward VII, Mary Pickford and Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

The Cotswolds abounds in manor houses, and this one was the home of famed gardener Rosemary Verey, who helped design the estate at nearby Highgrove.

What a first impression this 18th-century Italianate wonder makes, with its colonnades, verandas, landscaped gardens and lake views. But inside it’s a surprise: hip and modern, with bold design, bright colours and a sleek spa, C-Side.

The Wheatsheaf is a classic inn in one of the less well-trodden villages. It’s a great area for walking, with several circular trails that start at the pub’s front door. You can bring along a canine companion, as the Wheatsheaf is very dog-friendly, providing a bed, bowl and treats for your pal (ask for an Excellent or Very Good room).

The historic wool town of Tetbury is next to Highgrove, the King’s country home. You’ll find the Close, a 16th-century manor with 20 bedrooms that bridge past and present, perched in the middle of Long Street.

Grade II listed Whatley Manor has long been one of the Cotswolds’ leading luxury spots, and it makes no excuses for its love of the finer things: it’s expensive, exclusive and sets out to pamper its guests from start to finish.

Reached via an extensive drive, 18th-century Lucknam Park sits grandly in 500 acres. In the main house, tradition rules, with 42 bedrooms and suites decorated in opulent style, bordering occasionally on the chintzy.