Contact
Book The Miller of Mansfield with Mr & Mrs Smith or call 0845 034 0700 Rates
£110–£175, including Continental breakfast and tax. Red-brick, tile-roofed and originating in the 18th century, the Miller of Mansfield inn stands proud, sidled up to a flint cottage and opposite a Tudor-topped corner chapel, a stone parish church and a lovingly tended green: in this Berkshire-borders village, even the post office is worthy of a watercolour. Inside the pub, real ales, cosy fires and hearty food are backed up by the comfortable, contemporary rooms upstairs.

Facilities
WiFi at a charge; massages and beauty treatments can be arranged, either in your room or at a nearby spa. In rooms, flatscreen digital TV, and DVD players on request.

Packing tips
Navigating the winding country lanes by car can be confusing for those unfamiliar with the area; you’ll definitely thank yourself for bringing a decent map. And you'll want to take to the river in a boat, so bring appropriate clothing.

Hotel restaurants
The Modern British/European cuisine extends to full à la carte offerings, as well as a six‑course tasting menu and daily special. We love the nouvelle cuisine take on the full English breakfast and the quirky fondant with peanut butter ice cream.

Hotel bars
The comfy pub is split into three snug sections; try to sit fireside in winter. Out back, there’s a decked area for alfresco drinking and dining in balmier weather. As well as local ales, an extensive bar menu lists modern tapas-style dishes.

Activities

The countryside around here is very pretty: the Ridgeway – Britain’s oldest road – is an 87-mile National Trail through two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It crosses the Thames at Goring, hugging the riverbanks for five miles before branching off into the Chiltern Hills (www.nationaltrail.co.uk/Ridgeway). If you're seeking cultural thrills, Windsor Castle (www.royal.gov.uk) is close, as is 18th-century Palladian mansion Basildon Park (+44 (0)118 984 3040). Hit the gastronomy trail and you'll be rewarded with more Michelin-starred delights than you'd find in many London  boroughs: the village of Bray in particular has amassed more than its fair share of accolades. Heston Blumenthal’s three-Michelin-star restaurant, The Fat Duck (+44 (0)1628 580333), is on the High Street, and his less formal (but no less fine) Tudor gastropub, The Hinds Head (+44 (0)1628 626151), across the road. Beside the river on Bray’s Ferry Street, Alain Roux heads up The Waterside Inn (+44 (0)1628 620691), which also enjoys treble-star status. In Great Milton, Raymond Blanc conjures up two-star gourmet delights at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons (+44 (0)1844 278881).

For more ideas, see our destination guides to Oxfordshire, Berkshire and the Cotswolds.