Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons
Oxford

A wonderfully preserved 15th century Chiltern Manor House located just outside Oxford in the small village of Great Milton, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons combines world-class cuisine, beautiful rooms and working country gardens with first-class service.

Rooms are luxurious and contemporary while at the same time feeling homely and welcoming room names are inspired by Raymond's travels. All are unique and can be found either in the main house or in converted outhouses, with one special suite, Le Dovecote, located in the estate's original dovecote. Lavishly refurbished in 2010, Raymond Blanc OBE oversaw, in collaboration with interior designer Emily Todhunter, the creation of 4 superb new unique suites Blanc de Blanc, Lace, L'Orangerie and Jade. Impressively, Le Manoir is one of the only restaurants in the world to have retained two Michelin stars for over 28 years it is well-known for its constantly evolving menus and seasonal cuisine, as well as the organic produce grown in the hotel's vegetable and herb gardens.

The Raymond Blanc cookery school is also located on site for guests, including children, who fancy honing their skills on a range of subjects from chocolate making-techniques to fish and seafood and bread making. The garden at Le Manoir is really one of a kind within the grounds you'll find the kitchen garden, a two acre plot where 90 types of vegetable and 70 herbs are grown, as well as a Japanese Tea Garden, apple orchard and the UK's first-ever wild mushroom valley.

I can't think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything.
Bill Bryson