Elegantly furnished, a B&B in a Gothic revival style mansion one mile from the city. In a pastoral setting, the beautiful grounds contain lawns, an ornamental pond and a Victorian walled garden. Extensive Aga-cooked breakfasts, and complimentary tea or coffee and home made cake each afternoon in the Tea Room.

Floors slope, stairs are steep and narrow and views of the Cathedral and Green are wondrous from this old and quirky building. Downstairs, home-made Italian cuisine in Rugantinos restaurant.

Next to a fully restored and working water mill on the banks of the River Avill, a tranquil B&B with four pristine rooms. The lounge has books, magazines, games and DVDs; local maps and information. A small seating area at the front overlooks the river and across to Deer Forest.

On the Offa’s Dyke footpath, a B&B in a carefully restored Victorian house surrounded by fields and countryside. The welcoming hosts greet guests with hot drinks and cakes on arrival. Dainty rooms have comfortable beds. After a satisfying breakfast, Hay-on-Wye can be explored, short walk away along a footpath (a torch is provided for night-time returners).

A late-Victorian villa with a cosy guest lounge, bedrooms with contemporary features and a lovely terrace overlooking the enclosed garden. 20-minutes by foot to the centre.

There’s nothing pretend about the welcome at this Victorian villa. In a quiet conservation area, with a lovely park close by, it lies a short walk from the centre. Bedrooms mix period features and modern comforts; some have views over the city to the cathedral.

In a rambling, five hundred-year-old house, this family-run hotel is decorated with a mix of traditional and quirky features. Bedrooms have ornate beds, rich fabrics and uneven floors. Downstairs, there are original inglenook fireplaces and fine furnishings in the elegant public areas. The restaurant (open Monday-Thursday) serves set two- and three-course menus for dinner.

Set in seven acres of beautiful grounds, a historic manor house listed in the Domesday Book, and once owned by Elizabeth I’s Lord Treasurer, Lord Burghley. Rebuilt in 1840, it still features an original fireplace in the galleried hall. Casual dining, snacks and afternoon tea are served in the Restaurant and on the large terrace overlooking the garden. The hotel is in the village of Stanton Saint Quintin, four miles from Chippenham.

Nestling in over seven acres, there are glorious views of the garden from every room of this lovingly refurbished 18th-century house. Accommodation is in three spacious rooms (one with a separate bathroom), and B&B guests may sit in front of a warm hearth in the cosy sitting room/library or drawing room. The host is helpful with local knowledge. A short walk away, a lively pub serves tasty food.

In the heart of the maritime quarter, an imaginatively modernised hotel in a converted Regency Port Authority building (Grade II* listed). Featuring Welsh produce, the restaurant is in an impressive former boardroom on the first floor (it is open to non-residents from Wednesday evening through to Sunday lunch). Catch major sporting events on the large screen in Morgan’s bar while enjoying a chilled beer, classic cocktail or wines from around the world. The Champagne bar is a sophisticated alternative. Some of the well-equipped modern bedrooms are across a small side road in The Townhouse.  

Opposite Taunton Racecourse, a charming 17th-century lodge set in over an acre of gardens. Some of the B&B accommodation is in spacious rooms in the main house – one has an emperor size bed, a bathroom with his and hers washbasins, free-standing bath, a separate power shower, and views to the Blackdown Hills. Characterful suites in the former stables have beams, a 4-poster bed, Persian rugs on traditional slate floors, and their own private access. A well-equipped, self-catering two-bedroom cottage is also available.