Eat
If you’re not prepared to eat your body weight in food on this trip, you’re not taking The Cotswolds seriously. Limber up with oozing baked camembert and potted shrimp in pretty Kingham pub The Wild Rabbit, then head over to The Village Pub in Barnsley for a blow-out dinner in rustique chic surroundings – locally-sourced dishes including wood pigeon, pork belly and venison. It’s run by the owners of famed high-end neighbouring hotel, Barnsley House, but the bill will be way less scary. thewildrabbit.co.uk; thevillagepub.co.uk
Stay
Set on the river Windrush, the 15th-century Old Swan & Minster Mill is an award-winning boutique hotel that’s dedicated to your R&R. Rooms have been recently revamped and come with quirky touches including hot water bottles on the bed each night and carafes of guzzle-worthy sloe gin. After lunch by the log fire (the sticky toffee pudding is a must, if your jeans can stretch to it), zen out with a massage in the spa, or potter around the picture-book gardens with your pooch – the hotel is dog-friendly. oldswanandminstermill.com
Do
A long (and hilly!) cycle ride is a great way to see some of the villages that dot the area. Start your ride at Barnsley before pedalling over to Bibury, once described by poet William Morris as 'the most beautiful village in England'. When you’re done manically instagramming its sweep of riverside cottages and narrow streets, carry on to Burford and park up to browse the village’s antique shops, or stop off for cream tea at Huffkins. Yep, more food. Rude not to, right? cyclecotswolds.co.uk
