There are stunning views across the Golden Valley from this Georgian mansion, a smart but friendly hotel with fine-dining restaurant.

History feels very present at this half-timbered, jettied medieval inn overlooking village green, with a choice of atmospheric four-poster rooms and contemporary accommodation, real ales on tap, and an eclectic menu served in a panelled dining room.

The real charm of this grand country house, with sweeping gardens, terraces, oak panelling and swish spa along with a convenient location in a hamlet a few miles from the A1 lies in its warm and informal atmosphere.

There are sublime sea views from this hilltop Gothic beauty, run by a dedicated and creative family, with elegant bedrooms and gourmet dining by candlelight.

Under the big skies of Caithness, wrapped in woodland and a curve of the River Forss, this Georgian mansion offers the grandeur of Scottish country house living but with modern-day warmth and comforts.

A former 17th-century inn, which is part of the Duke of Devonshire's 30,000-acre estate at Bolton Abbey, is today an impressive country-house hotel, with fine dining and a spa.

Where the road ends and the Irish Sea begins, this former Victorian hunting lodge with a private cove is secluded, unapologetically traditional and rich in comforts and good food.

There's certainly nothing monastic about this much-loved hotel, in a 'wonderful building with a cleverly added glass dining room' looking out over gardens bordered by the River Frome.

With the Chatsworth estate on the doorstep, the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire's Peak District hotel has had a ravishing makeover to complement the superb food in its restaurants.

Whale-watching, spectacular sunsets and starry, starry nights are among the wonders at this Victorian former hunting lodge on a wooded estate lapped by Loch Gairloch.

More a stylish gastropub than a community hub, this historic inn has a loyal following of foodies who rave about its 'delicious meals' as well as its 'lovely quiet rooms'.

Just over a mile from York, this imposing William and Mary country house in 20 acres of beautiful gardens and parkland offers 'luxurious rooms and amazing food'.

'A hidden gem on the Welsh border', the Hunter family's 'highly dog-friendly' hotel, in a Georgian former rectory, can again bask in the praise from our readers,

With its romantic bedrooms and views across the Menai Strait, the former country residence of the Armstrong-Jones family offers 'exceptional yet relaxed service and great food', writes a reader this year.

'Our stay was wonderful – the staff, the food and our lovely room were exceptional,’ readers wrote of a stay at this luxury hotel, a historic country house, extended in the 1800s for the Witts family, rectors and later Lords of Upper Slaughter.

For over 50 years the Prideaux-Brune family have welcomed guests to their ancestral Jacobean manor house in an English country garden with the Divelish stream skipping through.

'It is hard to better this small country house hotel,' write readers of Angus and Jane Fordyce's Georgian mansion, set in open countryside close to the dunes and salt marshes of the Solway coast.

It's worth the expense to stay and eat in this 'lovely and historic house with delightful staff', conclude readers. Relaxed and easygoing, the Victorian Scottish baronial hotel on a 28-acre estate has plenty of comfy seating around log fires in bar and lounges.

A jar of cookies in the bedroom is just one of the quirks at this fun, intimate boutique hotel, with bedrooms that mix vintage and modern, contemporary British cooking, great service – and Alnwick Castle a stroll away.

Renowned for its herb garden, with some 400 varieties, this Georgian merchant's manor house is set in 30 acres of Norfolk parkland. The country theme is continued throughout – garden herbs are used in the spa, bedrooms are named after plants, and cabins with freestanding tubs on the terrace overlook the orchard.

Perennial popular, professionally run but relaxed, this former coaching inn with views to the Shropshire hills, is an ideal base for walkers and a perfect stopover within sight of the Welsh border.

With a Michelin-starred restaurant, Grade II listed garden, 17th-century pele tower and French drawing room, Askham Hall sounds as if it might be very formal; not a bit of it. 'The most homely stately hotel we have ever stayed in,' reports one reader.

Family run, dog-friendly and beloved of readers, the Reynolds' small country house hotel is praised for the comfort, service and ambitious cooking.

'The Inkin brothers know how to run hotels,' concludes a reader of this welcoming pub with rooms in an enchanting Cornish fishing village. 'There is nothing that needs improving.

Named in honour of Shrewsbury's famous son, this Grade II* listed Sandford House, moments from the Severn towpath, has evolved into a B&B full of Darwin references, with animal and plant wallpapers, maps and natural history objets.

After a day browsing the galleries of this buzzy, arty town, you can escape the crowds to sit serenely sipping cocktails in the sub-tropical gardens at this peaceful small hotel which doesn't allow drop-ins or children under ten.