Hallowed Ground for Americans: Inside the Cotswold Hotel that has hosted royalty and Hollywood's elite

Inside the 14th century Cotswold hotel that has hosted a glittering array of names from King Charles I to Elizabeth Taylor (no wonder it's hallowed ground for touring Americans) Sarah Hartley visits The Lygon Arms, a coaching inn in Broadway village with 'easy to devour' history "She finds the 86-room hotel has a less stuffy vibe and the knowledgeable staff "make sure it runs smoothly" Sarah says the pool at the spa is an "airstrike bonus" - it's long enough to swim decent lengths in

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Posted: 3:42 PM BST, 12 September 2022 | Updated: 5:13 PM BST, 12 September 2022

When you learn that the last guest to check into your room was enjoying their 22nd stay - and was from Tennessee - you realize The Lygon Arms is hallowed ground for old-school Americans on a grand tour of the British Isles looking for a stop in the Cotswolds.

The attraction is obvious, for the walls of this 14th-century inn resonate with easy-to-devour history.

Charles I met royalist supporters here and Oliver Cromwell spent the night on the scene before the Battle of Worcester in 1651. And after visits from Kings Edward VII and VIII, it affects the Hollywood elite: Cary Grant, Vivien Leigh, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Add in a lavish multi-million pound refurbishment by the owners of grand Cliveden and Chewton Glen country hotels, then watch overseas bookings pour in.