The Great House

On the marketplace of this 'most English of towns', this 'impressive half-timbered corner house' is run in true Gallic style as a restaurant-with-rooms by its 'amiable' owners, Régis and Martine Crépy. 'Our welcome by a charming young Frenchman was perfect,' wrote inspectors. The candlelit dining room, with its contemporary decor, is 'bare boarded, spotlessly clean; each table with spring flowers', said a visitor in 2009. The chef, Enrique Bilbault, serves modern dishes combined with French classics. 'We enjoyed red pepper soup with goat's cheese ravioli; creamy vegetable risotto; Shetland salmon with parsnip purée; smiling service from the manager and his attentive staff.' Four of the five bedrooms have a sitting room. There are king-size beds (one is a Jacobean four-poster), rich fabrics and antiques, old beams, a marble bathroom; also sherry and fresh flowers. All are decorated in sophisticated style. 'Ours had olive-green walls, large windows, smart bathroom with window and under-floor heating. Very good information pack.' Breakfast has 'delicious croissants, little bowls of fruit, but packets of cereals and jam in little jars'; cooked dishes cost extra unless you are on a two-night half-board rate. The set lunch is 'outstanding value'. Children are welcomed. (Robert Gower, and others)