‘On arrival we discovered that our package included afternoon tea, which we enjoyed before a concert at Cadogan Hall.’

In the thick of things, a large, modern hotel on the cobbled high street. Public spaces are vibrantly furnished or bright with colourful prints. Food and drink is available throughout the day; HarSpa has a whirlpool, sauna, steam room and small open-air heated pool.

An elegantly updated Queen Anne-style mansion in lovely gardens. Lavish afternoon teas are served on the terrace, fine dinners in an oak-panelled room. Soothing treatments for face, body and nails can be booked. Guildford Station is a 10 minutes’ drive.

In fifteen acres of landscaped grounds, a red-brick Queen Anne mansion that was originally built for the Churchill family. Afternoon tea is served in The Polo Bar and Lounge or outside on the terrace. FORK restaurant (casual dining), and some of the modern bedrooms have views over the lovely garden, where outdoor activities include a croquet lawn, tennis courts, shooting hoops and giant snakes and ladders. Part of Exclusive Collection.

Self-sufficient guests will find excellent value at this stylish B&B. In a Victorian town house, on a tree-lined road, it is a fifteen-minute walk away from Windsor Castle and close to Heathrow (some aircraft noise). Shops, pubs and restaurants are nearby. Breakfast is a help-yourself affair. Each comfortable room (some with a table and chairs) has a mini-fridge stocked with fresh milk, water, fruit juice, yoghurt; cupboards reveal cereals, fruit, muffins, bread for toasting, teas, coffee and hot chocolate. A breakfast room is also available for guests’ use. Complimentary movies and books may be borrowed. Parking is possible on the drive or by permit on the street.

Just across the bridge in Eton, this refurbished Georgian inn is on a corner of the high street. Simply furnished bedrooms have wood furniture, comfortable beds and crisp bedlinen; some rooms have a view of Windsor Castle or the river. The pub dishes and daily blackboard specials are cooked using local, seasonal produce, much of it sourced from the royal farm estate. At the rear, the inn’s owners (Windsor and Eton Brewery) have created a smart decked garden for eating and drinking outside in warmer months.

Ten minutes from Ascot Racecourse, this 18th-century red-brick pub is a cert for equine devotees and rural inn-seekers alike. There are nooks and crannies, tweedy fabrics. original stone floors and a welcoming open fire in cooler months. Some of the comfortable bedrooms have views over the peaceful garden which has plenty of seating and a cosy Cabana for the ultimate outdoor dining experience. Traditional pub fare is supplemented with dishes such as Wild Boar sausages, mash, lentils and savoy cabbage or braised rabbit, mustard root vegetables and tarragon.

Just outside Bracknell, Valerie Preston’s homely B&B is within easy reach of both Ascot and Windsor. There are thoughtful touches and great attention to detail in comfortable bedrooms, splendid breakfasts, and a terrace in the delightfully colourful. well-cared-for garden. 4 miles drive from Ascot.