Close to the northernmost of the Lakes, under Wythop Woods in the shadow of Skiddaw, this 300-year-old coaching inn, managed by Matthew Wylie, is ‘a very special place, say fans’.

Here is an exemplary hotel, according to a discerning Guide Reader, ‘elegant and comfortable’, it has ‘an air of confidence’ that sets guests at ease.

Since Chris Staines and Silvana Bandini bought The Ollerod 18 months ago, its transformation into a ‘restaurant-led’ establishment has continued apace.

Widescreen vistas of salt marshes and big skies rush to this family-friendly, quayside hotel. Helmed by Emma Stannard, with 'universally friendly and efficient staff', the north Norfolk grand dame is approaching its centenary.

‘Bravo! I spent three marvellous days at The Lygon Arms in the Cotswolds.’ A reader in 2019 raves about her stay at this Elizabethan coaching inn with roots in the 1300s.

'In a lovely location in quiet countryside’, Christopher and Andrea Varley’s 400-year-old manor house stands in wooded grounds with views across the Vale of Cartmel.

‘Little has changed’ at this ‘beautifully maintained and furnished’ pink brick Queen Anne mansion. Guests on a return visit after many years likened it to a wonderful 'time warp'.

‘Whenever a special date crops up, we make a beeline for Gravetye and have never been disappointed.’

An 18th-century town house combines with its 17th-century neighbour as an atmospheric small hotel, a stroll from a charming survivor of this market town’s Georgian heyday, the Theatre Royal.

‘The real break we had hoped for.’ ‘We haven't had a bad meal here in over 30 years.’ High praise from readers in 2019, suggesting this small restaurant-with-rooms was right to name itself after Yeats’s ode to tranquillity and relaxation.

Flower decked without, welcoming within, this 'excellent' village pub, contrived from three former miners’ cottages, is liked by readers flying out of nearby Bristol Airport.

We have readers who have been returning for more than 20 years to the Wild family’s traditional hotel ‘in a picturesque village’ once known for oyster fishing.

‘We arrived on a golden Indian summer late afternoon to a warm welcome, culminating in tea on the lawn, looking beyond the ha-ha to a field.’

‘It is impossible to criticise this hotel,’ wrote a reader, praising everything from the service to the ‘delicious food’ at this mellow stone hotel.

‘The garden was entertaining at mealtimes. There seemed to be more hens on the lawn this time.’ A trusted reader on a third visit captures the spirit of James Moffett’s manor house hotel in a 'delightful Peak District location'.

You can drink champagne in the vaulted bar, as W H Auden did, dine among the ancient stone walls like Philip Larkin, or sleep in a tranquil room once used by Benjamin Britten, at this hotel in the monastic buildings of a dissolved abbey.

‘An impressive building', this Georgian manor house ‘stands at the top of a valley, overlooking fields, rivers and bucolic bliss’.

A tiny lane just off the high street in a bustling market town leads to a striking Palladian villa set by a circular courtyard of hornbeam trees.

In the Lune valley, between the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales, this ‘comfortable hotel with modern, well-appointed bedrooms’ was Andrew Wildsmith’s first foray into the hospitality field.

Built into a hillside on a tidal island, this sleek, white, concrete hotel has a seagoing aspect. Built in 1929 for a wealthy industrialist, it hosted the likes of Nancy Cunard, Noël Coward and Josephine Baker.

‘Strongly endorsed by readers this year: ‘The exceptional ambience of this very fine English country house hotel reflects Richard Lee’s personal, multi-talented approach.’

'Such a romantic spot.’ Deep in the Nadder valley, amid narrow country lanes that are ‘a pleasure to get lost in’, this 17th-century house is owned by Grahame and Prue Senior and Simon and Charlotte Greenwood.

Elizabeth Barrett (not yet Browning) would have known this ‘charming, traditional' white stucco seafront hotel when she moved to Sidmouth in 1832 for the balmy climate.

On a quiet side street in this photogenic town on the River Windrush, the Lamb has been receiving guests since the 1750s.