A fella who did a bit of writing in the 1500s and a big house in the countryside built in the 1800s add up to a wonderful treat. Neil Hunter plays the numbers game and hits the jackpot in Stratford upon Avon

SHAKESPEARE is reputed to have penned nigh-on one million words as a playwright and poet, but only one is needed for the neo-gothic mansion which played host for a visit to his birthplace: faultless.

Ettington Park Hotel was quite simply the perfect base on the fringes of the Cotswolds to explore the many and varied attractions Warwickshire, Gloucestershire and beyond have to offer. From glorious gardens and fine food, to magnificent museums and stunning scenery; from castles and classic cars to river cruises and rave reviews, this part of the world has it all.

More than four million people a year from all over the globe flock to historic Stratford upon Avon, drawn by the story of arguably the world's greatest writer in the English language, William Shakespeare. He is responsible for 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two lengthy narrative poems and several other verses produced between 1589 and 1613, and is the best-selling fiction author of all time with an estimated four billion copies sold.

It all started - and ended - in Stratford, where he was born, raised, romanced and laid to rest.

Set in a stunning 40 acres and passed by the River Stour, Ettington Park is considered "the most impressive High Victorian house in the county" of Warwickshire. Completed in 1857, it has been in the hands of the Shirley family since then, although it is now operated by Hand Picked Hotels. It is one of 20 in the company's collection - which also includes Crathorne Hall, near Yarm - and offers comfort by the bucketload with stylish dining rooms, a swimming pool, spa, sauna and steamroom.

A picture is said to paint a thousand words, but these stunning photographs of the hotel simply cannot do it it justice. It has to be experienced.

Ettington Park Hotel is summed up by the phrase 'attention to detail'. Excellent service, delicious food, extremely comfortable beds and well-appointed rooms.

A very substantial cold breakfast including freshly-made smoothies, rolls, cold meats, cheeses, home-made jams, fruit and cereal is served buffet-style in the library, while full-cooked breakfast and dinner is enjoyed in the oak-panelled marquetry dining room across the hall.

The previous night, we ate there, and the food was simply stunning. For pre-dinner drinks, we were shown to the elegant lounge overlooking the extensive parkland which we were told was once the old village of Ettington. Unfortunately for the villagers, it interrupted the view from the house so the-then Lord of the manor had it knocked down and relocated a couple of miles away.

The menu included starters of chicken and pistachio terrine, marinated baby leek, coarsegrain mustard, toasted ciabatta and tarragon oil; and poached asparagus with avocado mousse. Both were outstanding. The mains included an 18-hour braised blade of beef, dauphinois potatoes, baby carrot, local kale and red wine jus; and haddock, prawn, saffron potatoes, baby fennel, samphire and spring onion sauce.

A three-course meal from the table d'hôte menu would be £39.50 - starters and desserts £9 and the main £21.50 - but worth every penny. Rates are from £119 for bed and full English breakfast, and the best are available from handpickedhotels.com or by calling 01789-450123.

The "classic" rooms have the usual tea and coffee making facilities, a safe, ironing board and iron, trouser press, television and DVD player along with complimentary water and milk in the fridge.

Mentioned in the 50 best gardens in the country, Hidcote Manor has long been on the 'must-see' list of my companion. Only a 15-minute drive from the hotel, it didn't disappoint.

This iconic garden is a perfect example of design at its best. Covering ten-and-a-half acres, it was carved out of rough farmland by Major Laurence Johnston in the 1920s and was the very first garden acquired by the National Trust.

Tall yew and hornbeam hedges divide the garden into "rooms" - very fashionable now, but unheard of way back then. Borders are exuberantly filled with rare and beautiful plants and each "room" is accessed through archways and openings in the hedging, leading to more a naturalistic style towards the edge of the garden, which looks out over open countryside.

Laurence Johnston was not only a clever and keen gardener, he was an intrepid plant hunter, bringing back from lands afar exotic specimens which seem quite commonplace now, such as Lavendula Hidcote and Geranium Johnson's Blue.

Our two-night trip also included a 45-minute guided your of Stratford by boat, which allowed great views of the Royal Shakespeare Company. We got an insight into the early lives of the great writer and his future wife Anne Hathaway on our first day in the town, with a visit to both birthplaces and family homes - as you'd expect, packed full of history and decorated as they would have been at the time.

The area also boasts the British Motor Museum, nearby history-steeped Warwick Castle and the magnificent medieval Lord Leycester Hospital, also in Warwick. The hospital is an historic group of timber-framed buildings on Warwick High Street dating mainly from the late 14th Century, clustered around the Norman gateway into the town with its 12th Century chantry chapel above it. For nearly 200 years, it was home to Warwick’s medieval Guilds, and is now a retirement home for ex-servicemen. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, it became, under the patronage of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, a place of retirement for old warriors known as the Brethren.

The close-by motor museum is home to the largest collection of historic British cars, with more than 150 on display - including the iconic Jaguar E-Type and Lady Penelope's FAB1.

Warwick Castle is an action-packed family fun day out, which promises "you will be surrounded by jaw-dropping history, magic, myth and adventure". Developed from an original built by William the Conqueror in 1068, it offers among other highlights a knights village, castle dungeon, horrible history maze and birds of prey show.

More details on the dozens of attractions are available at shakespeares-england.co.uk where a trip planner will help make the most of your visit.

TRAVEL FACTS

Shakespeare's Birthplace, Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Mary Arden's Tudor Farm and Shakespeare's New Place are managed by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. W: shakespeare.org.uk

W: warwick-castle.com; T: 0871-2652000

W: lordleycester.com; T: 01926-491422

W: britishmotormuseum.co.uk; T: 01926-641188

W: handpickedhotels.co.uk