A ‘nice’ time in the Cotswolds

I'D never been to the Cotwolds before, and didn't know what to expect.

I'd heard from several people the region was "really nice" but, frankly, I don't like the word "nice", ever since my old primary school teacher banned us from using it in essays. She said it was a useless, bland, nothing word, which tells you little.

I've now come to the conclusion she'd never been to the Cotswolds. The Cotswolds, you see, are the absolute epitome of niceness.

Not as scenic as the Peak District, as spectacular as the Lake District, or as rugged as the Pennines, but utterly, utterly nice.

The countryside itself comprised rolling hills, forests and fields, and no doubt would be most pleasant for walking, but what stood out most for me were the villages.

They are all full of pretty old cottages (all seemingly called "Rose Cottage"), they all had lovely tearooms, and they all had the definitive bastion of a nice village, the old-fashioned red phone box. Oh, and there was not a McDonalds or KFC in sight.

These idyllic villages are home to the Aunt Megs of this world. You know, where Enid Blyton characters would visit for afternoon tea (or, for readers of Viz, where Jack Black and his dog, Silver, would solve various absurd minor crimes).

Louise and I found life there unreservedly nice - although to label our hotel as "nice" would be a massive understatement. We stayed at The Plough restaurant and hotel, in the village of Clanfield, about 30 miles west of Oxford, near the Gloucestershire border - and "luxurious" is a more fitting adjective.

Apparently, the 450-year-old building has been an inn or hostelry since the 1800s, but a £100,000 refurbishment in the last year by its new owner, restaurateur Martin Agius, has turned it into an ideal country-house experience. Not just for staying in, but also for its fine food.

There are 12 en-suite rooms, and we had one of the four four-poster bedrooms, in which the flat screen TV and plush bathroom gave the rustic charm a modern smartness.

The furniture not only in the bedroom but throughout the building was a real reminder of privileged countryside living of bygone years, as was the general style of the place, albeit with a new, informal atmosphere the hotel prides itself on.

Martin had brought in the old-style look to give back The Plough's former charm, which he himself remembered of old. He said: "When I was young, about eight or ten, my dad brought us here for treats; it was a very popular restaurant then."

The establishment is also a game and seafood restaurant, Martin's history being in that trade: he also owns fish restaurants in Oxford and Bristol and says half of The Plough's business is via the restaurant.

Press readers may be interested to know that his hand-picked chef, Ian Hewson, hails from Yorkshire, and the food on offer is of the refined variety.

To give you a taster, the four game starters included pigeon breast stuffed with mushroom and sun-dried tomato duxelle and wrapped in Savoy cabbage on a beetroot salad (£6.50); and pressed rabbit and pistachio terrine (£5.95), which I had and found delicious.

There were four fish starters, Louise enjoying the tuna tartare set on a wild salad with an avocado salsa (£6.25).

I stayed with game for the main meal, choosing the guinea fowl wrapped in Serrano ham with a wild mushroom and Madeira sauce (£12.50) over five other options, and enjoying the excellent textures and tastes.

There were five fish main courses and Lou had the fillet of seabass (£15.25) and, while she prefers her fish slightly well done, she could not complain about the pristine flavour.

It was all washed down with a bottle of Italian red off the discerning wine list, all followed by coffee on the front terrace, which overlooks the main road through the tiny village, as well as the local pub over the road which serves a few decent ales.

We enjoyed a hearty breakfast the next day, too, which set us up nicely for another day exploring more of the Cotswolds. For the active among you, there are several things to do in the area, all at your own pace, of course.

We toyed with the idea of visiting the Hook Norton Brewery (my idea) and the nearby Blenheim Palace (Lou's idea), but in instead we visited the Wildlife Park and Gardens at Burford.

For me, it wasn't as good as the falconry centre at Moreton-on-Marsh, which we had visited the day before, and, I would argue, is a must on any trip to the region. But it was still a decent morning out before we made our way northwards again, through William Shakespeare country and up to the Peak District, a perfect stopover on the return journey to York.

Fact file:

The Plough Restaurant and Hotel, Bourton Road, Clanfield, Oxfordshire, OX18 2RB
Phone: 01367 810222
Fax: 01367810596
Email: info@theplough clanfield.co.uk

Prices for hotel:
Single occupancy - £60pp
Doubles/twins - from £65pp
Four-posters - from £95pp
Suite - from £120pp
(all including VAT and breakfast)
Dinner, bed and breakfast rates also available.
Further details visit www.theplough clanfield.co.uk