A beacon of hospitality on a remote cliff-top between the English Channel and the rolling downs, this decommissioned 19th-century lighthouse found new purpose in 2010 as a unique B&B. It offers superb 360-degree views from the lantern room, taking in the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs and the South Downs.

Do you remember an inn, Miranda? Hilaire Belloc certainly remembered this Georgian coaching inn, from which he described setting out in The Four Men.

Amid 1,000 acres of historically important gardens, pleasure grounds and woodland, this romantic Elizabethan manor house, built by an ironmaster for his bride, forms an impressive backdrop for Michelin-starred cuisine.

With views to the sea across a Regency square, this townhouse hotel, which is the flagship of a small, privately owned chain, has a hip, bohemian vibe, bedrooms with bare brick walls, retro and reclaimed pieces, and a café-bar and lounge for casual all-day dining.

Made over in the Signet Collection's signature style, this country-house hotel in a picturesque South Downs village has a relaxed ambience, chic, affordable bedrooms, a boutique spa, and imaginative brasserie fare with good plant-based options.

Indulge in a Porn Star Martini in the sea-facing cocktail bar at this stuccoed, bow-fronted Georgian seafront hotel, for this is Brighton, after all – hip, tolerant and fun.

Long a social hub for a thriving village between the South Downs and the coast, this family-run gastropub is highly regarded for its warm welcome, smart bedrooms and a menu that mixes pub classics with more imaginative dishes.

A Victorian townhouse on the seafront has been transformed into a super-stylish modern B&B with generously equipped bedrooms and a light-filled lounge/cocktail bar/breakfast room.

Just a couple of minutes' drive from Petworth, with views over farmland to the South Downs, this gastropub has smart contemporary bedrooms and some exciting menu choices.

Hostess Sarah Burgoyne, a Paris-trained cook, will serve a no-choice dinner by arrangement at her Georgian manor house B&B in gardens and grounds with a glamorous swimming pool, where breakfast brings new-laid eggs from the hens, and honey from the hives, and where guests are greeted with tea and cake.

In rose-filled gardens approached by a bridge across a stream, the Wild family's hotel, converted from three 17th-century cottages a stroll from its own quayside, has well-equipped, country-classic bedrooms, and both formal and informal dining in restaurant and brasserie.

Overlooking the reed beds and salt marsh of Pagham Harbour Nature Reserve – a paradise for birdwatchers – this excellent restaurant with chic, individually styled rooms is praised for its cooking of local ingredients, especially fish and shellfish, and imaginative plant-based options.

Occupying one of Britain's prettiest disused stations and popular with honeymooners, this excellent B&B offers a choice of bedrooms in the station building and restored, mahogany-fitted Pullman coaches, with cream teas served in the waiting room or on the platform, and a locally sourced dinner in the rare Edwardian Pullman dining car, Princess Ena.

At the heart of some of Britain's best wine-growing country, and centred on a Georgian mansion, this Piggy has accommodation spread across the main house, stable buildings and wagons, with shabby-chic interiors inspired by a fictitious housewife named Mary, menus supplied by coast and countryside, kitchen garden and orchard, and its very own vineyard.

Friendly and affordable, this B&B with simple, airy bedrooms (two big enough for a family), occupies an 18th-century former bakery in a hamlet on the edge of the Goodwood Estate, with breakfast served in the old baker's shop, and a decked terrace where guests can enjoy coffee and cake or an evening glass of wine.

Lionel Copley applied his designer's eye and gentle wit to the styling of interiors at this chic and grown-up Georgian rectory B&B (no under 10s), with beautiful bedrooms, elegant public spaces showcasing the work of local artists, treatment rooms, onsite café, walled garden, and exceptionally imaginative, locally sourced breakfasts.

Swathed with creepers and bedecked with flowers, this wildly atmospheric B&B stands on a cobbled street in a medieval citadel with views over Romney Marsh.

Bedrooms are no mere afterthought at this Edwardian mock-timbered gastropub, across the road from the shingle beach, with modern artworks, many thoughtful touches, good bathrooms, a bar and buzzy restaurant serving a short menu of pub classics and more innovative dishes.

You can almost imagine you're in rural France when you stay in one of the luxury self-catering lodges among the vines on this family-run wine estate, with farm-to-table menus in the restaurant, and tours and tastings for visitors.

East Coast America meets South Coast England at this single-storey, seaside-chic hotel with appealing room choices, fantastic locally sourced food, a spa cabin, beach yoga workshops, and a vast expanse of sands, washed by the English Channel, just over the spectacular dunes.

At the heart of the South Downs National Park, this village dining pub, with smart rooms in a single-storey stable block, is the rural sister of the seaside Crab & Lobster, Sidlesham. It is country but no bumpkin.

Like all Butcombe gastropubs with rooms, this whitewashed Georgian village local retains its personality while offering smart bedrooms and creative cooking along with pub classics.

Works by local artists adorn the individually styled bedrooms and breakfast room at this owner-run Victorian townhouse B&B a short stroll from the pier.

Crammed with ceramics, clocks, chinoiserie, religious art, fire screens and antimacassars, this 19th-century villa B&B is a homage to the Victorian Aesthetic movement. Breakfast includes eggs from the hens, honey from the hives and fruit from the walled garden.

In the quaint and characterful Old Town, this handsome Georgian guest house has a modern, seaside feel, period features, lots of thoughtful extras, and kind hosts who juice fruit and whip up smoothies for breakfast served in the conservatory.

Dog friendly, child friendly, cosy and characterful, this historic village inn near the South Downs Way has bedrooms that blend quirky rusticity with modern comforts, along with a menu of pub classics and more modern dishes.

Nicknamed 'The White Palace', this seafront Victorian extravaganza is grand in stature but friendly by nature, a fine place to take afternoon tea, or to sip cocktails to the sound of the Palm Court Strings, with outdoor pool, health club and spa, a choice of restaurants, smart bedrooms and suites.

Amid historic and glorious Grade I listed lakes and woodland gardens, this Italianate mansion wins acclaim for its serenely beautiful bedrooms, and for chef Jean Delport's cooking, served theatrically in Interlude restaurant, rating both a Michelin star and Michelin green star.

In beautiful, mature, landscaped gardens with views to the South Downs, a few minutes' drive from the coast, this Georgian rectory B&B is a tranquil retreat, with traditional bedrooms that look onto the gardens, two with an antique four-poster.

History meets the modern world at this Elizabethan manor house, a luxury hotel in eight-acre grounds, with gracious drawing room, swish spa and fine-dining restaurant.