The Feathered Nest

Guests have a bird’s-eye view over the Evenlode valley from Adam Taylor’s ‘wonderful, welcoming gastropub-with-rooms set in the most beautiful countryside’ in the Cotswolds. You can drink real ales by a log fire or on a saddle stool at the bar, and dine in the restaurant, enjoying panoramic vistas, or on the terrace, under a canopy. Chef Matt Weedon arrived in 2019 with feathers in his cap and Michelin accolades under his belt, to cook a short, modern menu of dishes such as loin, shoulder and belly of Cotswold lamb with yoghurt, mint, gnocchi, wild garlic, pistachio crumb and lamb jus, or perhaps an English Wagyu burger. There are Sunday roasts, wood-fired pizzas, and a tasting menu for whole tables. Overnight guests will find home-baked biscuits, an espresso machine and Bramley toiletries in their ‘tastefully designed and comfortable’ rooms. The spacious Cuckoo’s Den has a king-size bed, roll-top bath and walk-in drench shower. The smallest room, the Cockerel’s Roost, has a shower only. All rooms are airy and stylish, without shouting ‘designer’. Be up with the lark for a ‘superb cooked breakfast, served by a friendly waitress full of tips on the local area’. (Victoria Sterman)