Stock Hill House

Once the summer home of the cartoonist Osbert Lancaster, this late Victorian mansion, now a small hotel/restaurant, is run by its 'hospitable' owners, Peter and Nita Hauser. It stands in 'delightfully landscaped' grounds with terraced lawns, herbaceous borders, a small lake with wildlife, and a walled vegetable garden. 'The atmosphere is friendly; guests got to know each other quickly,' said a visitor at Christmas. The 'quiet, relaxation, fresh air and superb food' are also mentioned. One of the two lounges is decorated in period style (striped fabrics, mirror and china figurines); the other is 'cosy', with a log fire. Service is 'formal' in the restaurant: Mr Hauser's extensive daily-changing menu of classic/French dishes with 'Austrian and British undertones' might include cream of sweet potato soup, pumpkin seed oil; seared pork tenderloin, Bohemian bread dumpling. The wine list is 'good but not cheap'. The bedrooms, which have antiques and curios, vary greatly in size; two have been refurbished this year. One reader found his room 'quirky, individual, supremely comfortable'. Opinions of the coach-house rooms varied from 'pleasant' to 'old-fashioned, cold'. A 'fine' breakfast is taken in the Lancaster room (with an original print): it has freshly squeezed orange juice, home-made jams, etc. 'Well-behaved' children are welcomed. (John Wilkinson, Ralph Kenber, Hugo Peate, and others)