‘B&B’ doesn’t do justice to this wisteria-clad Edwardian country house with glorious views of Windermere, seven acres of gardens and elegant interiors.

This long-established country house hotel with a walled garden, set in a peaceful Cumbrian village, has had an elegant refurbishment without compromising ‘its sense of history and tradition’.

With views over farmland to pretty Cartmel village, and sheltered by wooded grounds, this 400-year-old manor house, run by the Varley family for 40 years, offers ‘an oasis of peace and tranquillity’.

‘Relaxing’ and ‘luxurious’ are the oft-repeated descriptions of this small country house with captivating fell views, walks from the doorstep and an intimate atmosphere.

Guests were ’intrigued by the old-style hospitality’ of this Ullswater institution, a creeper-covered lakeside farmhouse that maintains the traditions of a bygone age.

Richard Lee often greets guests in his chef’s uniform, which sets the tone for this personally run country house with views over Esthwaite Water and fells.

In the quieter north-western Lake District, against a backdrop of fields and fells, this whitewashed farmhouse B&B mixes rustic charm with romance.

By many standards, Gilpin is the Lake District’s most luxurious hotel with no-expense-spared rooms, Michelin-starred dining, numerous staff, and acres of space.

In arguably the Lake District’s most picturesque valley, Borrowdale, this Edwardian country house has spectacular views and is a favourite of outdoors lovers who like their creature comforts.

In a quietly beautiful area of the Lake District – the lovely Lyth valley – this smart village inn has a deserved reputation for good food and cosseting bedrooms.

This 400-year-old inn in a market town between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales comes with beams, exposed stonework and a five-foot bedroom doorway but has been carefully updated with a modern touch.

With newly landscaped grounds, tastefully refreshed decor and ambitious cooking that’s ‘a class act’, Jamie and Jenna Shail’s Grade II listed manor house pleases, inside and out.

Watch the tide race in from Robert Lyons and Lesley Wheeler’s traditional pub-with-rooms overlooking the Levens estuary – it’s a thrilling sight that harks centuries back to the days when the inn was a stopover for coaches and horses before they crossed the sands to Lancaster.

In green grounds with sweeping views over Morecambe Bay, two generations of the Read family have run this comfortable hotel for more than half a century; in that time, it has retained the affection of its many returning guests, who speak of ‘marvellous’ stays.

A serious fire, recently, means that the George & Dragon is currently closed. The inn plans to re-open in the Autumn, 2022. A ‘convivial’ country pub with cosy rooms and ‘very good’ food, the Lowther family’s restored 18th-century coaching inn near Ullswater retains its rural roots.

The praise keeps on coming for this family-run hotel, a 'little gem' loved for its comfort, food and welcome in postcard-pretty Grasmere.

In a Lyth valley village on the edge of the Lake District, Becky and Ash Dewar transformed a 16th-century hostelry into this family-friendly village pub nearly a decade ago.

An easy walk from Ambleside, Richard and Diney Standen’s B&B is on a quiet lane, opposite a ‘delightful, babbling’ river.

On a hillside flanked by grazing Herdwick sheep – ‘a beautiful setting’ – this 17th-century barn and cluster of old outbuildings have been reinvented as a ‘refreshingly different’ contemporary hotel and bistro.

Low-ceilinged and wood fire-warmed, this smartly refurbished 17th-century pub in the centre of a Lake District village is ‘friendly, fun and very convivial’.

In the oft-overlooked Eden valley, between the Lake District and North Pennines, this handsome country guest house offers ‘high standards, a relaxed atmosphere’ and fell views.

This location may surprise you! Tebay Services on the M6 motorway is a much-loved stop en route to Scotland for in-the-know readers who praise its ‘quiet rooms overlooking the fell’, excellent value, ‘cheerful, friendly and helpful’ staff, and tranquillity, with ‘no hint of a busy motorway nearby’.

This Victorian Gothic mansion continues to delight guests with its stylish, laid-back atmosphere, enormous wooded gardens and inspired culinary creations.

Broad views and the promise of walks from the door draw returning guests to this ‘very friendly’ traditional Lakeland hotel with up-to-date facilities.