Bourton on the Water. April 2017.

Where we stayed.

Being a relatively small village, accommodation choices in Bourton on the Water are limited. We opted for Chester House Hotel which ended up being perfectly located - far enough away from all the crowds (well, about 30 seconds away, which in Bourton means it's practically on the outskirts) but close enough that absolutely everything is within walking distance. At £99 a night including breakfast, it didn't break the bank, either.

The hotel met all of our needs and we didn't regret our choice. The decor was more modern than I had expected of a fairly small (22 rooms) Cotswold hotel, both in the room and the communal areas. Having a bar and two restaurants (more on them later) on-site, or within a few metres, was very convenient. Part of me thinks it would have been nice to stay in a cute, quaint little Cotswold-y cottage - maybe something I'll look into in future, but the hotel ticked all the right boxes for convenience. The tea/coffee selection in the room was impressive, too, including the usual offerings as well as fruit teas, hot chocolate, still and sparkling water, and biscuits. Hardly a deal-maker or breaker, but a nice touch nonetheless. Top tip if you're thinking of booking a stay: the car park is very small and awkwardly laid out so get there early, or expect to park further afield.

Cosy little nook downstairs in the hotel

Fell in love with the mirror and the subway tiles in the hotel bathroom

What we ate.

To sum up - too much, and I'm now in dire need of a detox (virtually impossible with all this Easter chocolate hanging around, though). The Cotswolds lived up to their reputation of having more tearooms per square metre than anywhere else in the country*. A delicious cream tea at Smiths of Bourton (very busy at peak times, so be prepared to queue) got our stay off to an indulgent start - and the gluttony only got worse from there. We decided to sample both of the hotel's restaurants, L'Anatra (Italian) and The Croft ('pub grub'). My meat feast pizza at the former had to be my personal foodie highlight of the trip - one thing you may come to learn is that pizza is my ultimate weakness, and after eating no meat during Lent, this more than made up for lost time. At the latter I opted for the fish of the day, which was very tasty if not able to live up to the previous night's dinner, while my other half enjoyed a lasagne. The award for value for money has to go to Mary's Rest Tearoom, where we enjoyed lunch on day two. Cheap and cheerful cafe fare, and being a bit out of town (by which I mean, down a side street about 30 seconds away from the high street), very quiet with quick service.

There are a number of pubs in the centre of the village, many of which benefit from riverside locations with pub gardens making the most of this. I can't honestly recommend any one particular pub as I wasn't blown away by them, but there's certainly a few to choose from if you're lucky with the weather and fancy a tipple with a view.

*I've made this up but you get the idea. There are a lot of them.

Meat feast pizza of dreams

Not the most nutritious lunch I've ever had...

What we did.

Bourton is hardly a well-kept secret and is chock full of tourists, so naturally there's plenty to keep you occupied on a day out or a weekend break. We popped in to the model village, a miniature replica of Bourton itself, which provided plenty of photo opportunities, and also swung by Birdland. I have a bit of a soft spot for owls so there were no complaints from me, but there were plenty of other species to keep adults and children alike interested. And of course just wandering around the beautiful village itself is a must - the shallow river that runs right through the middle is very photogenic, although everyone seems to have cottoned on, so we found the best times to take pictures were first thing in the morning or last thing in the evening.

My personal highlight was something a bit unexpected. The hotel has a relationship with a local beauty therapist, Phoenix Rose Beauty, who came to our room and treated me and the other half to a mini manicure and a back massage respectively. The treatments were faultless; Sadie, the therapist, completely put us at ease; and at £30 in total, it was a total bargain. Definitely something to check out if you're staying at the hotel and are in need of some pampering.

Beautiful bright flowers at Birdland, of all places! (They also have lots of birds)

When can I move in?

8pm - when all the hordes have vanished

Model village, with tourists for scale

Bourton looks lovely in the sun, when it decides to show its face!