In a picturesque village, five miles north of Reading, a welcoming olde worlde country inn with an open fire and Brakspear real ales in the traditional bar. Comfortable, mellow-toned bedrooms are named after types of wine. Satisfying pub dishes are served in a cosy restaurant. Outside there is a patio and garden with a children’s play area.

By Forbury Gardens, striking design meets civic grandeur in a grand brick-built building (formerly The Forbury hotel, and County Hall offices). Opulently restored by India-based hotel group Roseate Hotels & Resorts, an impressive chandelier trails down; plush fabrics and ritzy wallpaper add glamour. In luxurious bedrooms there is fine bedding, original artwork, and state-of-the-art lighting and audio systems. Cerise restaurant is for sophisticated dining. Soothing treatments await in Aheli spa. Reading rail station is a 5-minute walk away.

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.

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.

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.