England at its best? Plenty of visitors to the Cotswolds certainly think so. It's rural England popular with the fashionable set (Kate Moss, Lily Allen, Jeremy Clarkson, Hugh Grant, Liz Hurley and Alex James are just a few celebs with homes in the region).
Taking in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, the Cotswolds are accessible whether you are driving or taking flights via London, Birmingham or Bristol.
It's one of 41 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England and Wales. From Bradford-upon-Avon to Banbury it covers more than 2,000 sq km.
Renowned cities such as Bath, prominent centres such as Cheltenham and chocolate-box towns such as Stow-on-the-Wold, Moreton-in-Marsh, Castle Combe and Burford offer quintessential Englishness.