Reviews

"A Jacobean mansion that stands next to the church in one of Gloucestershire's loveliest villages. The six-acre garden is reason enough to come; it's utterly English, with croquet on the lawn, clipped yew hedges, a rose arbour flanked by beds of lavender and the serene river Coln ambling past on one side. You can fish from its banks or follow the footpath into glorious countryside; just wonderful.

A very friendly place, grand, but not stuffy. There's a panelled drawing room for afternoon teas, a conservatory for indulgent breakfasts and a smart dining room for serious dinners; in summer, life spills out onto the stone terrace for sundowners in the scented garden. Antiques are scattered about: oak chests, mahogany dressers, writing desks and oil paintings by the score.

A refurbishment is underway to remove all trace of the 1980s, but it wouldn't matter if it wasn't; what wins here is the relaxed atmosphere and the kind staff. Bedrooms tend to be large, with mullioned windows, old radiators, parkland views, crisp linen, the odd four-poster and a grand piano in the suite."

"In large grounds on the River Coln, this impressive manor house (part Tudor, mainly 17th century), is on the edge of a Cotswold village described by William Morris as 'the most beautiful village in England'.

'We really enjoyed our stay and could not fault the place,' say visitors this year. 'It is full of character, a little faded, but this adds to the charm.' Others praised the welcome and the 'very good' cooking of the chef, Antony Ely (dishes like honey and thyme grilled quail with Parma ham; caramelised fillet of Scottish halibut with Fowey mussels). 'We liked the amuse-bouche that came with pre-dinner drinks. Desserts were excellent.' Meals are 'well served by the efficient young staff', in the small 'rather dark' restaurant and the 'lovely' conservatory.

'We had a delightful, extra large bedroom with four-poster bed. The bathroom was more than adequate.' Some rooms have a 'huge' Victorian bath; some have views of the gardens and a part-Saxon church. Some rooms are small. 'At breakfast, our eggs were served to perfection, both scambled and poached.'"

The Good Hotel Guide is an independant guide to hotels in the UK and Ireland www.goodhotelguide.com

"The 17th Century builders of lovely Bibury Court knew a prime piece of real estate when they saw one. They set their mansion next to Bibury's Saxon church and backed it up to the River Coln, which today marks the southern boundary of the hotel's six acre grounds. A highlight here is taking tea on the patio or in the conservatory and looking across to the river. Indoors a genteel feeling pervades, emanating from the kindly, professional staff."

"I know exactly how I’d spend my perfect weekend because most normal weekends are such bloody hard work. Leo, my husband, wakes around six, so I tend to drag myself up then and try to write for at least five hours on both days – I’ve just started a new novel about a race horse. Sadly, neither my lovely housekeeper, Ann, nor my wonderful PA, Pam, are on at weekends, so I have to do most things myself, which with people often coming to stay is pretty chaotic. I’m very undomesticated and a lousy cook. And of course, I have to walk my darling new dog, Feather, several times a day. He’s a rescue greyhound and utterly enchanting.

We haven’t had a weekend away for years because of all the animals at home. Now there is just Feather and five cats. So for a perfect weekend, we’d all go and stay at Bibury Court, near Cheltenham – Leo, Feather and me. It’s a lovely romantic hotel and Bibury is the most perfect village. William Morris called it the most beautiful village in England. Normally one just pounds through in a car and I love the chance to explore it properly, with Feather.

Bibury Court is a heavenly Jacobean house, built by Thomas Sackville. You can’t see it from the main road and it has gorgeous gardens with the River Coln running around the whole estate like a shining ring. It is pure Tennyson: you could float along the river like the Lady of Shalott: ‘Willows whiten, aspens quiver/Little breezes dusk and shiver/through the wave that runs for ever/by the island in the river/flowing down to Camelot’. And you could eat shallots while you were floating.

Leo and I would stay in the Sackville Suite because it has a big four-poster and the most enormous sofa that Feather could stretch out on. Feather loves sofas: he arranges all the cushions and throws a few on the floor. He’s very sybaritic. The owners wouldn’t mind at all, they are deeply dog-friendly and have labs of their own. I took Feather there for a Christening recently. He loves other dogs and just played around the labs all afternoon. He came to me through my friend, Angela Yardley, who runs Greyhound Rescue West of England. Feather was found wandering around Ireland totally emaciated. He’d been trapped in a muzzle he’d been wearing for weeks. Greyhounds make the most wonderful pets, they are so easy and have the gentlest of natures.

At lunchtime, Leo would probably drink at the bar with some friends and Feather and I would explore the gardens, which have lovely ancient trees and lots of new ones we could go and examine. Feather would like that. Bibury Court has been in the same family for some years now. It is now run by the eldest son, Robert Johnston. He’s terribly young and brave; he’s given up his City life to take it on.

I’d sleep all afternoon and in the evening we’d have a fabulous dinner party. I’d fly the Royal National Scottish Orchestra down from Glasgow – I went on tour with them once and they are wonderful. They could play the last movement of Mahler’s Resurrection symphony with the brass blaring out over the gardens and Wagner’s Good Friday Music. Leo would like Mozart, so we’d have the Magic Flute and Cosi.

"Who needs the hassle - and environmental guilt - of foreign holidays when the greatest escapes can be found in our own backyard? Go on says Rhianon Batton from the Independent, give your passport the year off."