With 'a great setting in large grounds' and the 'huge plus' of an outdoor heated pool, this ornate Italianate Victorian house in woodland and gardens impressed our inspectors, who found it a 'very relaxed place'. It is 'well set back' from the A350, though 'faint traffic noise' might travel on the breeze. Bedrooms range from the smallest, in a coach house, to a master room with a handsome four-poster. They hold 'everything one might need' although 'some of the furniture was a little dated'. A 'good-sized' mid-price room had a super-king half-tester bed with dazzling white linen; dual-aspect windows made it 'airy and light'. You can enjoy a lunchtime sandwich or afternoon tea on the terrace, in the bar, or by the fire in a 'spacious sitting room'. The pool also has a bar. In a low-lit blue dining room, 'the fish was excellent, a thick fillet, perfectly cooked; the large portion of samphire such a treat'. Generous servings included 'heaps of veg and salad' from the kitchen garden. Breakfast on local free-range eggs, Wiltshire bacon, grilled kippers and freshly baked pastries, before visiting the lions at Longleat.