The Howard stands on Ilmington Green, eight miles south of Stratford-upon-Avon. It was built at roughly the same time as Shakespeare wrote King Lear and little has changed since. It’s a lovely country inn and comes with original fixtures and fittings: polished flagstones, heavy beams, mellow stone walls, a crackling fire. Outside, roses ramble on golden stone walls, while a pretty garden waits at the back. Good food comes as standard, perhaps ham hock terrine with homemade piccalilli, marinated duck breast with bok choy, apple tarte tatin with mascarpone cream; there’s fish and chips and a good burger, too. Elsewhere, you find oils on walls, books on shelves, settles in alcoves, beautiful bay windows. A colourful dining room floods with light courtesy of fine arched windows that overlook the green. Bedrooms in the main house have a charming old-world feel, garden rooms are more contemporary with excellent bathrooms. You can walk across fields to Chipping Campden; Simon de Montfort once owned this land. The village church dates to the 11th century and has Thompson mice within.
For its location by the village green and setting in a mature orchard garden, this yellow stone inn falls into the 'irresistible' category, a picture by day, romantically lit at night. Book one of the cosy, stylish rooms for a relaxing break away; footpaths lead into the Cotswold Hills, Shakespeare Country is close by, returning to drinks by the blazing inglenook and superb, heart-warming food