20 of the best British B&Bs
Lindeth Fell
Bowness-on-windermere
‘Lovely owners’, the ‘charming and friendly’ Kennedy family, lay on a cream tea for new arrivals at their wisteria-draped Edwardian country house, run as a luxury B&B.
Jeake’s House - Midweek Winter Breaks
Rye
‘It’s a lovely place to stay, with great character and charm.’ Readers visiting Jenny Hadfield’s 17th-century B&B ‘as a little treat’ to celebrate an occasion in 2018 ‘were made to feel special and right at home’.
Stoberry House - Autumn and Winter Three Night Special Offer
Wells
‘Five stars’, ‘Highly recommended’, ‘Faultless.’ ‘Frances, Tim and their lovely staff treat guests as if they are treasured members of the family.’ This year’s Guide received plentiful accolades for Tim and Frances Meeres Young’s B&B in an 18th-century coach house.
Brownber Hall - Third Night Free Special Offer
Newbiggin-on-lune
Drawn by the possibilities for walking, climbing and cycling, ‘enthusiastic, hard-working’ Amanda Walker and Peter Jaques invite visitors to share in Dales living at their lovingly restored Victorian house.
Frog Street Farmhouse
Taunton
‘Such a peaceful, quiet place to stay. The log fire was lit ready for our arrival.’ A new endorsement this year for ‘perfect hosts’ David and Louise Farrance’s wisteria-festooned B&B.
The Lynch Country House
Somerton
A scattering of jazz memorabilia sets the tone – and hits the right note – at this Georgian country house B&B on a ridge overlooking the Cary river valley.
New House Farm
Lorton
A ‘wonderful hot tub in the grounds’ is one of the unexpected delights of Hazel Thompson’s B&B in the Vale of Lorton, close to Loweswater, Buttermere and Crummock Water.
Blackmore Farm
Cannington
Breakfast is served at a carved oak refectory table by the Great Hall’s massive log fire at Ann and Ian Dyer’s B&B in a manor house with private chapel.
Underleigh House
Hope
A 19th-century cottage and barn combine as one exceptional B&B on private land within the Peak District national park.
Shallowdale House
Ampleforth
We have readers who return year after year to this ‘delightful, comfortable’ B&B with panoramic views across the North Yorkshire countryside.
Craigatin House and Courtyard
Pitlochry
Built in the early 1800s, this handsome B&B, a former surgeon’s house, stands at the gateway to the Highlands.
Austwick Hall
Austwick
Guests step straight into a ‘grand entrance hall’ at this B&B in a village in the Yorkshire Dales national park.
Number Thirty Eight Clifton
Bristol
Whichever room you choose at Adam Dorrien-Smith’s stylish B&B, you are assured of a view. The bay-fronted Georgian merchant’s house stands high on the hill, looking out over Clifton Downs to the fore, and across the city at the rear.
The Pig in the wall
Southampton
While smaller than some of its rural siblings, the second of Robin Hutson’s Pig hotels, tucked into Southampton’s medieval city walls, is certainly not the runt of the litter.
Duke House
Cambridge
Once the student digs of the Duke of Gloucester, Duke House is now a family-run boutique B&B in a ‘perfect’ situation ‘in Cambridge’s parking restricted area and walking distance for the whole city including a superb pub’.
The Old Rectory
Hastings
On the edge of the Old Town, designer Lionel Copley has created a beautiful B&B in this Grade II listed Georgian-cum-Victorian rectory.
From £90 per night
Riverwood
Strathtay
‘Beautiful, beautiful! silvery Tay, Thy scenery is enchanting on a fine summer day.'
Coes Faen
Barmouth
‘The name means “leg of stone”,’ a Guide inspector tells us – a reference to the rocks on and over which this ‘fabulous, ultra-modern’ B&B is built.
Padstow Townhouse
Padstow
Not so much a restaurant-with-rooms as six rooms with two restaurants, this luxurious B&B is the creation of chef Paul Ainsworth and his wife, Emma.
38 St Giles
Norwich
In a ‘lovely old building’ a stroll from marketplace, cathedral and castle, this upmarket B&B is run with commitment and enthusiasm by father and daughter Dennis and Holly Bacon.