THE COTSWOLDS, ENGLAND
The colours most associated with the Cotswolds are the vivid green of its meadows (dotted white with lambs in spring) and the pale honey hue of the local stone that holds up all those thatched cottage roofs. From mid-April to May, however, another colour is added to the mix, when woods all across the region are carpeted in a purple haze of bluebells. The Sheep on Sheep Street, in the market town of Stow-on-the-Wold, makes the perfect base for woodland wanderings. This restaurant with boutique rooms blends in with its surroundings, the classic 17th-century charm of its exterior balanced with a cosily contemporary look inside. From here, head to Foxholes, a peaceful woodland awash with bluebells and dappled light. Pick your way along a network of paths, keeping your eyes peeled for butterflies which are beginning to emerge from their chrysalises.
PHOTOGRAPHS: STUART BLACK/ROBERT HARDING/GETTY, SZYMON CAPINSKI/500PX, AI WEIWEI CIRCLE OF ANIMALS/ZODIAC HEADS: BRONZE (DETAIL) 2010. PRIVATE COLLECTION. IMAGES COURTESY THE ARTIST. PHOTOS TIM NIGHSWANDER