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.

The catch of the day could be Shetland hake in the restaurant or nifty fielding on the sands at this pub-with-rooms overlooking the Firth of Forth, with its own beach cricket team.

'Gardez la Foi' reads the Poulett family motto over the door of this thatched village pub, and the trio behind the Beckford group (see The Beckford Arms, Tisbury) have kept absolute faith with their winning concept here. The ambience is friendly and relaxed.

A former coaching inn, this top-notch B&B with secluded back garden combines hotel-quality accommodation with the warmth and intimacy of an owner-run guest house.

With beams, cottage-style bedrooms and beautiful gardens running down to the River Stour, this 16th-century Cotswold manor house in pretty South Warwickshire countryside not far from Stratford-upon-Avon makes a charming B&B.

Overlooked by the dramatic landmark of Arthur's Seat, this period gem of a Victorian villa with fine original details and handsome furnishings is now run as a friendly B&B with imaginative breakfast choices. It's just ten minutes from the city centre.

The sixth addition to the Pig collection, this Grade I listed Jacobean mansion and former rock venue close to Canterbury has the trademark shabby-chic interiors, with bedrooms in the main house, coach house and converted barn, hop-pickers' huts in a water meadow, and a prolific kitchen garden to supply the locally sourced menus.

A thriving gastropub on the edge of the Peak District, this inn with delightful bedrooms in an adjoining house has tables outside for alfresco dining with sweeping views across the Dove valley.

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.

The neon sign outside this former steward's house in a 1,000-acre deer park sets the tone for what to expect in this unique and interesting pub owned by art dealer Ivor Braka, with provocative works by artists such as Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst on display within.

To find a gem in a quiet corner of the visitor-thronged Lake District is not easy, but this smart village inn in the lovely Lyth valley offers 'top-notch food', 'great service' and country-style bedrooms.

Country-house luxury abounds at this child-friendly, dog-friendly hotel, a Georgian mansion in ‘well-maintained gardens a huge joy to visit’.

Overlooking St Bride's Bay, a 19th-century windmill tower forms the centrepiece and unlikely setting of this contemporary art hotel, where the 100-plus works on show may divide opinion, but the well-supplied and stylish bedrooms, friendly service and creative, modern dishes in the restaurant win unanimous approval.

Behind a historic, jettied black-and-white facade a stroll from the quay lies a drop-in café, bar and restaurant, and, up creaky old stairs, quaint, pet-friendly bedrooms, named after old sea dogs.

A former hunting lodge on the Duke of Wellington's estate, the 'Welly' is a delightful, dog-friendly gastropub with generously supplied bedrooms that are a mix of rustic chic styling and modern comforts. Impressive food using local ingredients is served in the bar, restaurant and garden.

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.

In an enchanting village, this coaching inn retains the ambience of a friendly local, with its beamed bar and real ales. But indulgent main-house bedrooms with private patio together with Michelin-starred chef James Mackenzie's spin on classic British dishes, lift it way above the ordinary.

The Gloriana of Robin Hutson's Pig hotel collection, this Grade I-listed Elizabethan beauty in the peaceful Otter valley has the expected shabby-chic interiors, with French antiques, Zoffany fabrics and portraits of bewigged bigwigs, bedrooms decorated in restful pastels, a 25-mile menu making clever use of produce from the kitchen garden, and wood-fired flatbreads served outside a restored folly.

There are spectacular views across Loch Tummel to the iconic peak of Schiehallion from Jade and Alice Calliva's old coaching inn, where bedrooms of great character have hand-picked artworks and many extras, and an appealing, unpretentious menu is sourced from local suppliers.

Three Grade I listed Georgian townhouses combine as one boutique but indulgently child-friendly hotel and spa, with highly individual and beautiful bedrooms, all with vinyl record player and espresso machine, touches of whimsy, a bar serving cocktails and imaginative small and large plates.

New owners Annabel and Jamie Windsor-Medley have refreshed the simple but historic bedrooms at this unlikely pub, which occupies the original prior's quarters for a 12th-century Augustinian Priory, serving meals in the Cellar Bar, and making plans for dark-sky events and theatre in the grounds against the backdrop of evocative ruins and the Black Mountains.

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.

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.

The gardens are the great glory of John and Sue Cushing's Georgian manor house deep in dairy country, with abundant home-grown produce featuring on menus, and light summer lunches served on the rose garden terrace.

On the green of a village at the heart of the Somerset Levels, this stone-built 18th-century village inn has been updated as a stylish, contemporary drop-in bar and restaurant, with light, bright bedrooms and menus for traditionalists as well as more adventurers diners.

Each of the beautiful, uncluttered bedrooms has a sea view at Susan Stuart's Georgian house B&B in a subtropical garden, overlooking the harbour and Mount's Bay, where guests are free to drop into the kitchen for coffee and cake, and breakfast is exceptional.

Wildly exuberant, carefully created bedrooms are themed on the Georgian Grand Tour and Victorian globe trotting at this 18th-century redbrick building, home to an artisan bakery/café as well as a wine bar, pizzeria and hair salon.

There's a wealth of olde worlde character at this 17th-century thatched village inn, with oak beams, flagged floors, real fires and ales, smart contemporary bedrooms in a purpose-built 'barn', exciting gastropub cooking, and wood-fired pizzas in summer in the garden.

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 Wordsworth country, this Victorian Gothic mansion in 43 acres is home to a cool, super-luxury hotel, where chef Paul Leonard draws inspiration from the Lakeland landscape to compose Michelin-starred menus using produce from the walled kitchen garden and Cumbria's abundant larder.

High on the cliff top above Chesil Beach, this is an effortlessly hip, relaxed, fun hotel with a Cape Cod vibe, light and airy bedrooms, a bar serving cocktails and seriously good cooking in the restaurant.

You could imagine you were staying in the cherished home of old and dear friends when you book into Walter and Nuala Sweeney's five-star B&B, a handsome Georgian house filled with antiques and artworks, carriage clocks, curios and crammed bookshelves, and with fine original features.

Amid rolling hills, where Shropshire nudges Herefordshire, Pippa and Willem Vlok's restaurant with rooms comprises a picturesque set piece of medieval and Georgian farm buildings.

Expect a cheerful welcome at this pub with rooms, which stands by a bridge over the Union Canal in a conservation village.

With contemporary country-house comforts, a wide choice of bedrooms, glorious views , and modern Scottish cooking in a light-filled dining room, Struan and Louise Lothian's well-cared-for hotel is a lovely place to relax, and a great base for walkers and cyclists wishing to explore the Perthshire countryside.

With far-reaching views over the Vale of York, this dog-friendly village inn blends olde-worlde beams, rustic-chic bedrooms and luxury Scandi-style garden suites, while pub classics vie with creative modern dishes on eclectic menus using produce from the kitchen garden and local suppliers.

Food is at the heart of this hotel, with bedrooms of great charm in an ancient farmhouse and its converted outbuildings, an on-site cookery school and farm-to-fork menus of exciting, locally sourced dishes.