10 of the best hotels for the over 50s

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.

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.

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.