Culture Trip’s Guide to the Cotswolds

A refined aesthetic with millennial pink walls and plenty of blonde wood makes the Barrel Store look more like a Scandinavian retreat (replete with hygge-style throws) rather than a family-friendly hostel. Plonked in the pastel market town of Cirencester, this sprawling hostel ensures a comfortable visit within easy reach of everything the arts and crafts village has to offer. The New Brewery Arts Café next door gives 10 percent off to the Barrel Store’s guests, making those chunky chocolate brownies even more irresistible.

Terence and Gemma have been running the Angel for almost a decade, and in that time, they’ve perfected low-key comfort, the kind that oozes a British sensibility, such as kicking off your wellies after a long woodland walk. Low-slung ceilings and plush, pillow-loaded beds beg you to hop in and relax, which is what you should do – but not before a hearty meal in the downstairs pub. The baked gnocchi sprinkled with herby breadcrumbs and creamy basil pesto is highly recommended, and it’s light enough that you’ll be able to enjoy a seasonal crumble after.

On an archetypal Cotswold road, complete with caramel-coloured bricks, a wood-panelled exterior and window muntins, the Hive resembles something plucked from Pinterest – smashed avocados, vintage tea sets and all. The layered cakes are topped with strawberries, which adds to the typically English tweeness.

A warming colour palette of oatmeal awaits you at the Kingham Plough, a rustic country pub where you’ll find beamed ceilings and tables that look like cotton wheels. Yet despite a muted interior – and matching butter-hued Cotswold stone exterior – the plates burst into full colour. Vibrant, seasonal produce such as Smokin’ Brothers’ salmon and chicken liver parfait from Paddock Farm come together to create classically British dishes with Mediterranean flourishes.

Like much of the Cotswolds, this 16th-century Grade II-listed inn is cast from biscuit-toned Cotswold stone and is a celebration of classic country style. Fail-safe pub dishes are revitalised with interesting and locally sourced ingredients, such as saffron-infused bread and sea bass with scorched pak choi.