Rodborough Common, near Stroud · Hotel
A 44-room country hotel on National Trust common land above Stroud, with wide valley views and modern British cooking.
The Bear stands on Rodborough Common, a stretch of National Trust grassland high above Stroud where cattle graze freely in summer and the ground drops away on three sides into the Golden Valley. The setting is the main draw. Step out of the door and you are immediately on open access land with paths running along the escarpment, which makes it an unusually good base for anyone who wants to walk before breakfast.
Inside there are 44 rooms and suites, decorated with more confidence than the average country hotel: strong Farrow and Ball colours, oversized upholstered headboards and a mix of period and contemporary furniture. Sizes vary considerably, from compact standard doubles to family rooms and suites with sitting areas, so it is worth being specific about what you need. Several rooms look out over the common and the valley beyond.
The restaurant serves modern British food with a reasonable amount of Gloucestershire produce on the menu, and there is a proper bar with an open fire that fills with locals as well as guests, which gives the place more life than a hotel of this size usually has. Afternoon tea is a fixture. Dogs are welcomed in designated rooms and the common outside is about as good a dog-walking prospect as the Cotswolds offers.
Location-wise it is in the south-western Cotswolds rather than the postcard north, which is a genuine advantage on price and on crowds. Stroud and its Saturday farmers' market are five minutes down the hill, Painswick and Bath are both an easy drive, and the northern villages are around forty-five minutes away. Guest scores are high, at about 9.2 out of 10, and rates start around 95 pounds a night, which makes it one of the better-value four-star options in the region.