One for special occasions, this lavish conversion between Cheltenham and Stow-on-the-Wold may not be cheap but the price includes daily housekeeping and a stocked fridge. Sleeping 12, it has five themed suites, ranging from a Gold boudoir to an African bedroom... Photograph: PR
But with its pale colours, Corian worktops and Sophie Conran porcelain, the effect is pure contemporary chic. Outside there's access to a hot tub and tennis courts. • 01451 851862, templeguitingmanor.co.uk, from £6,200 a week (£516pp) Photograph: PR
Few church conversions are as successful as this one: with its mix of retro furniture (including witty church pew dining chairs) and chic design, it's both homely and stylish. It sleeps 10 and caters well for families, with bunk beds and a play area... Photograph: PR
This is Laurie Lee's old stomping ground, so don't miss lunch at his local, The Woolpack, down the road. Go early to grab a table at the back, overlooking the valley.
• 07817 574136, uniqueholidaycottages.co.uk, from £990 a week Photograph: PR
This simple timber cottage in the 13-acre grounds of a Victorian hunting lodge sleeps just two. It is in a pinetum planted by 19th-century artist Thomas Gambier Parry, and is surprisingly well-equipped, with a modern kitchen and bathroom... Photograph: PR
It's a place to hunker down for a few days of solitude, exploring woodland footpaths, and the 500-acre Highnam Woods RSPB reserve next door, good for nightingale-spotting.
• 01452 750554, cottages4you.co.uk, from £245 a week Photograph: PR
Part of the Frampton Court Estate, the 18th-century Orangery sleeps eight, though it's often rented by honeymooning couples. A parkland setting adds to the grandeur of the building, with its octagonal rooms and arched windows... Photograph: PR
Inside, the decor is homely rather than glitzy, with worn sofas, an open fire and a smattering of chintz. Special-occasion dinners can be booked, and the energetic can cycle to Slimbridge Wetland Centre.
• 01452 740698, framptoncourtestate.co.uk, from £950 a week Photograph: PR
If you don't want to be in the sticks, this former coaching house might suit. Sleeping two, it's behind a walled garden in the centre of Cirencester, handy for shops and restaurants as well as rolling countryside... Photograph: PR
One of the owners runs a specialist mid-century furniture and homewares shop (markparrish.co.uk), and the cottage has a Hans Wegner rocking chair and a Danish-style sideboard.
• 01285 659558, furtherafield.com, from £320 a week Photograph: PR
