A top tip if you’re planning a visit to Waddesdon Manor – stop by The Five Arrows. This stylish small boutique hotel with 2AA rosette restaurant and bar is the perfect place to chill out after a long day of hiking and sightseeing in the beautiful surrounds.

The building is a Grade II-listed Victorian Gothic boarding house dating from 1887 complete with turrets, hanging lanterns and stunningly intricate chimneys. Inside, the restaurant has a comfy, living-room feel with hearths, gorgeous wood furnishings and a kitchen garden out the back. In fact, we were so charmed by The Five Arrows we hosted our end-of-Muddy-Awards drinks there last year.

The food is the main event here, and the restaurant has two AA rosettes to show for it. The menu is peppered with unique innovative dishes using locally sourced ingredients – think confit duck leg terrines, Waddesdon Estate Venison with a braised venison and plum cobbler, or a slow cooked beetroot and wild mushroom stroganoff.

The Five Arrows is part of the Rothschild banking dynasty’s Waddesdon Estate (it’s named after the family emblem), and the evidence can be seen in the giant wine list. Really, it’s huge. And if you settle in for the night, there are 16 modern bedrooms, ranging from singles with en suites and luxurious doubles through to fairytale fourposters. They now also offer the delightful newly renovated Two Bed Dairy Cottage.

With Waddesdon Manor and gorgeous countryside on your doorstep, and Waterperry Gardens and Bicester Village only a short hop away, we recommend making a weekend of it. Do bring the dog too.