In the heart of Constable country, this ancient manor house in gardens teeming with wildlife, has traditional, affordable accommodation. Residential art courses hold a particular appeal, and our readers’ reports paint a highly favourable picture.

A Jacobean manor house, almost entirely rebuilt by an ebullient Victorian, is today a family-run hotel. There are beautiful gardens to explore, Dartmoor national park is on the doorstep, public rooms are filled with period furniture and artworks, while a dinner of locally sourced produce is served in the panelled dining room.

In a Peak District village, this Grade II* listed manor house is a welcoming hotel where complimentary drinks on arrival, and a packed lunch for walkers reflect a spirit of generosity. House bedrooms are traditionally furnished, with a modern bathroom.

Overlooking Esthwaite Water, this Georgian country house – once Beatrix Potter’s holiday home – has a likeable, lived-in feel. In the light-filled dining room, with views to Coniston Old Man and the Langdale Pikes, a short menu of locally source dishes showcases local produce.

Brimming with character and bonhomie, this Victorian mansion on a 1,000-acres estate, once beloved of poet laureate John Betjeman, is filled with Grand Tour heirlooms. Each main house bedroom comes with some colourful piece of Leslie family lore.

Anyone who can recall the romance between the young Princess Margaret and photographer Anthony Armstrong Jones will get a kick out of staying at his family’s country house. Public rooms are filled with family portraits and memorabilia, while Princess Margaret bedroom has a four-poster and a roll-top bath for two.

Beside Muirfield golf course, this Lutyens-designed Arts and Crafts Edwardian house stands in with gardens attributed to Gertrude Jekyll. Golf nuts have a choice of ten courses within five miles, while others play tennis or croquet, before dining Chez Roux.