My Cotswolds: our expert's favourite places Where I tell my friends to stay The Bay Tree (01993 823008; cotswold-inns-hotels.co.uk/baytree) in Burford is reasonably priced and charmingly set on a quiet street of this almost-too-pretty town. It was home to Elizabeth I's Baron of the Exchequer and it creaks with atmosphere. The 21 rooms are all shapes and sizes. I'd plump for a garden room with French windows giving onto the hidden lawns. For more of a treat, Cowley Manor (01242 870900; cowleymanor.com) presents country-house luxe with funky flourishes. The furnishings are retro-chic; the grounds are gorgeous; the spa is sublime. Or further south book into Calcot Manor (01666 890 391; calcotmanor.co.uk) - and blow the expense. At this haven of style and relaxation near Tetbury, I'd opt for one of the 12 serene rooms in the manor house, unless you're travelling with small children in which case there are family-friendly rooms in the Cottage. Favourite walk The six-mile Charlbury to Stonesfield circuit is a lovely trail - out on the Oxfordshire Way and back along the Salt Way. If you set out early you can reward yourself with lunch back in Charlbury: both the Bull (bullinn-charlbury.com) and the Bell (bellhotel-charlbury.com) offer very decent food at reasonable prices - book for Sunday lunch. Favourite restaurants Like many locals, I'm a big fan of The Old Butchers (01451 831700; theoldbutchers.com) in Stow-on-the-Wold. Set, as the name suggests, in an old butcher's shop, it presents unfussy modern British dishes and often features a choice of unusual meats, such as partridge or wood pigeon. For more of an occasion I'll go to 5 North Street (01242 604566; 5northstreetrestaurant.co.uk) in Winchcombe. A small outfit that can verge on being too cosy, it has an ambitious menu that is beautifully executed. Take my advice and... Download a few of the guided walks available (free) from the website of the Cotswolds Conservation Board (escapetothecotswolds.org.uk). Favourite pub The Seven Tuns (seventuns.com) in Chedworth is a no-nonsense and hugely popular local, with wooden benches, exposed stone and lots of beams. It's an added bonus that some of Gloucestershire's most glorious walks are on the doorstep. Favourite view On a clear day you can see over to the Brecon Beacons from Broadway Tower (broadwaytower.co.uk), a dramatically sited folly designed by Capability Brown for the Earl of Coventry. It perches at the edge of the Cotswold escarpment, surrounded by parkland with walking trails. Favourite tea shop Newly opened Morris & Brown (morrisandbrown.co.uk) in a wonderfully converted barn adjacent to Broadway Tower is an eye-poppingly stylish shop and café welcoming walkers, dogs, children and anyone else. Choose a slice of home-made cake and eat it on the terrace, revelling in those views. Perfect night out Check out what's on at Chipping Norton Theatre (chippingnortontheatre.co.uk), a fabulous Victorian property that has been a lively community theatre since the Seventies. Elsewhere, you'll need to book ahead for two terrific Cotswold entertainments: the magical and eccentric Giffords Circus (giffordscircus.com) has May and June shows in Broadway and at Daylesford Organic Farm; the remarkable Longborough Opera (lfo.org.uk), set in a converted cowshed, is staging Wagner's Ring Cycle (tickets are selling fast) and Puccini's La Bohème (good availability) in June and July. What I'll be doing this year I'll be celebrating socialism in the Cotswolds on May 18: Levellers Day in Burford (levellers.org.uk) commemorates a radical group of Parliamentarians who defied Cromwell in demanding civic rights. Bands play, processions march and speeches are made. On July 14 I'll be gaping at the weird and wonderful costumes of Painswick's Art Couture (acpfestival.co.uk), a festival of wearable art. On August 9-11 I'll be joining the wacky throng at the Wilderness Festival (wildernessfestival.com) - of new music, food, theatre and more - in Cornbury Park. Books for inspiration Laurie Lee's Cider with Rosie, set in the Slad Valley in the southern Cotswolds; all works by the mad Mitford family, particularly Nancy Mitford's The Pursuit of Love. Read our Harriet O'Brien's full Cotswolds guide