1. The Farmhouse at Redcoats, Hitchin, Hertfordshire

Informal hotel set in peaceful countryside offering modern British food and comfortable rooms split between the old farmhouse and a magnificent restored barn.

Step inside and be wowed at the rambling 15th-century Farmhouse at Redcoats, a traditional hotel and restaurant set in four acres with stunning views across rolling Hertfordshire countryside. The Farmhouse is now a multifaceted space - an events and wedding venue, a fabulous dining spot and a funky Cowshed Bar and Lounge and beautifully landscaped gardens.

2. The Packhorse Inn, Moulton, Suffolk

Cool country inn boasting innovative cooking, gorgeous interiors and chic bedrooms.

The Packhorse Inn is a marvellous country inn with a stylish interior and bedrooms full of charm. With a big drinking trade, buzzing bar and gastropub-feel, this is a popular choice with the locals, bolstered by its prime location in horse racing country.

Despite its innovative menus and fresh culinary talent in the kitchen, it's still a local's pub at heart. Rugs adorn polished floorboards and the bar is full of leather armchairs to sink into with a pint of ale and the papers.

1. The Farmhouse at Redcoats, Hertfordshire

Explore the stunning Hitchin Lavender at Cadwell Farm with about 25 miles of lavender rows. Visitors can walk around the farm and pick their own fresh flowers. There's also a 17th-century barn offering delicious lunches and homemade cakes.

History lovers should venture to Hatfield House, built by Robert Cecil, first Earl of Salisbury in 1611. The Jacobean house has impressive architectural features, gardens, furniture and artwork on display - make sure to check its opening times and join a tour of the site.

You're not far from Cambridge here, so why not spend the day wandering the historic city or punting on the river? There's an excellent Cambridge Food Tour to take you off the beaten path, through the eyes of local foodies around the city. Either join a public date or arrange a bespoke private one.

2. The Packhorse Inn, Suffolk

We highly recommend a trip to Lavenham, a 30-minute drive away; one of Suffolk's best medieval wool towns, rich in history and surrounded by beautiful countryside. It was the fourteenth richest town in Tudor England. Its charming timber-framed buildings and pretty church make this village an engrossing place to explore.

Six miles from Cambridge, Denny Abbey and Farmland Museum has a fascinating history and an impressive array of family-friendly attractions. The site's Farmland Museum includes a fenman's hut, blacksmith's and wheelwright's workshops.

Nature lovers can discover a secluded world of flowering meadows and reedbeds at Wicken Fen Nature Reserve, described by the National Trust as 'a window onto a lost fenland landscape'. Here, you'll find hen harriers and bitterns, dragonflies, moths and wildfowl. There are also herds of Highland cattle and Konik ponies.