Valentine chic in the Cotswolds

Revel in romance at The Rectory Hotel and sow the seeds of love at The Potting Shed Pub. The romance of Westonbirt Arboretum, Highgrove House and the picturesque towns of Cirencester, Tetbury and Malmesbury are just 10 minutes drive from The Rectory Hotel and The Potting Shed Pub in Crudwell.

Like its owners, the atmosphere at the peaceful 17th century hotel and village pub is young, low-key and friendly. Former Sussex fine art and antiques dealer Julian Muggridge and Jonathan Barry (ex Hotel du Vin) have combined their love of the countryside to create two genuinely relaxed and homely retreats; cosy winter getaways combining warm British hospitality and top-notch food .

More rectory-chic than period classic, The Rectory Hotel is blessed with handsome proportions, high-ceiling bedrooms, giant sash windows, spacious lounges, open log fireplaces and homely furnishings. The Cotswold stone house is flanked by giant copper beech trees, a croquet lawn, lily pond, wisteria-clad walls, outdoor swimming pool, a sweeping gravel drive and contemporary wood sculptures in the garden. This is the countryside done properly with chocolate brown Hunter wellies on loan, walking maps, i-pod docks and babysitters.

The Rectory Hotel Sitting Rooms & Bar: On arrival guests are welcomed into a refreshingly airy and informal sitting room with natural colour furnishings, sea grass matting, eclectic antiques and piles of the latest magazines next to deep armchairs. Along the Cotswold Flagstone hallway is a second sitting room decorated with bright contemporary artwork, cosy sofas, a log fire and a Bill Amberg leather bar for a quick snifter before dinner. The bar closes when the last guest has gone to bed. In the evenings the rooms are transformed with candles and in the winter the main reception rooms have open log fires.

The Rectory Hotel Bedrooms: The 12 bedrooms at The Rectory are individually designed featuring soft colour furnishings, wood beams, four-poster beds, beautiful English antiques, hand-sprung mattresses, i-pod docks, fine Egyptian linens, deep baths, power showers, bathrobes and handmade bathroom products from Arran Aromatics. Kids (one former rector was father to fourteen!) and dogs are very welcome.

The Rectory Hotel Restaurant: The wood panelled dining room features three large windows overlooking the lily pond. Breakfasts include local fruit compotes and jams, fresh fruit salad, banana bread and muesli with fresh milk from the Crudwell village dairy. The Cotswold cooked breakfast includes local eggs, old spot sausages and Wiltshire back bacon.

The Rectory Restaurant is managed by a member of The Master Chefs of Great Britain and the Slow Food movement, Peter Fairclough, and reflects the owners’ love of classic British food and a respect for the countryside. All produce is seasonal, GM-free, organic where possible and most is sourced within 30 miles of the hotel including Jesse Smith’s Butcher in Cirencester and cheeses from the nearby village of Dymock.

A special Valentines menu will include Wild mushroom soup with pan fried red mullet, Gloucestershire old spot pork with an apple tart, creamed leeks and crispy crackling and Passion fruit crème brulée with exotic fruit soup. £25.50 per person for 2 courses and £32.50 for 3 courses.

The Potting Shed Pub: Opened in December 2007 The Potting Shed Pub is the latest venture from the award-winning team at The Rectory Hotel. This friendly new country pub is situated just yards from the hotel. Serving quality seasonal British produce the opening marks the rebirth of the traditional British Dining Pub – a place so welcoming that even canine guests are fussed over with dog biscuits from the jar on the bar!

The Potting Shed is housed in a Grade II listed building with open fire places and eccentric design features including Kilim sofas, trowel door knobs and wheel barrow light fittings. The pub has year-round outdoor seating with an awning and toasty Cotswold Woollen blankets for winter. Half the 2 acre plot behind the pub will be turned into an organic vegetable garden in time for spring and they’ll be a special Valentine Menu to fuel any fireside romance!

The Rectory Kitchen & Cellar: The Rectory Hotel has its very own deli in Templar Mews, Cirencester, just 15 minutes from the M4 motorway. Mila Mackley runs the store cooking up homemade soups and breads daily, Bibury trout fishcakes, treacle tart, cherry almond macaroons, and blood orange syllabub. For time-pressed romantics she makes up ‘dinner parties in a box’ so you can indulge your Valentine at home.

Supplied by The Rectory Hotel, The Rectory Kitchen & Cellar serves beautifully presented gourmet treats to locals and visitors, including a homemade range of terrines, pates, tarts such as smoked haddock, saffron and watercress, along with legendary chocolate brownies. Other carefully sourced products include Prestat chocolates, Peyton & Byrne teas, Country Monkey mueslis and a premium wine list.

And why not take a look at the new website for midweek offers and menus from The Rectory Hotel, The Potting Shed and The Rectory Kitchen & Cellar - Therectoryhotel.com.