Thomas Hardy fans will be in their element at this local watering hole in Dorset, which was the model for 'The Sow and Acorn' in Tess of the d'Urbervilles.

An Edwardian homage to 17th-century style, this beautiful manor house with rich Jacobean-inspired interiors is run as a luxury hotel with fine-dining restaurant where you can enjoy a 'truly memorable meal'.

Steeped in history and dating in parts from Norman times, this extraordinary hotel has antique-filled bedrooms, an oasis rear garden bounded by the city wall, and a fine-dining restaurant.

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.

Twisty lanes and steep hills ensure this village inn, with its celebrated seafood and views over Beesands beach on Devon's coast, still feels like a wonderful discovery.

'In the middle of nowhere down narrow country lanes', John and Sue Cushing's Georgian manor house hotel sits among five acres of brimming gardens, a prolific source of fruit and vegetables, cut flowers and perennial joy.

You can paddleboard on the river, stroll to see the deer in Richmond Park, and feel a world away from central London at this smart, multifaceted Thames-side hotel.

A Georgian merchant's house and former bank on a square beside the mouth of the Great Ouse is today a stylish hotel, brasserie and popular local hang-out.

There is a ‘wonderful peaceful and calm feeling’ about this boutique hotel in a Victorian gothic gentleman’s residence close to Windermere’s town centre with a bus stop right outside and 'first-class service'.

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.

This beautifully proportioned Queen Anne-style mansion, in a hamlet between the Cotswolds and the Mendip hills, is as traditional as its owner, Baba Hine, who has been at the helm for more than 46 years.

Modern mixes with medieval on the ramparts of what remains of Nottingham Castle, with this sleek hotel the perfect place to escape the bustling city.

With smartly refurbished interiors and imaginative, locally sourced, restaurant-quality food, this dog-friendly country inn on the Lowther Estate is a happy mix of pub informality and country-house comforts.

One of the UK's most unusual B&Bs, this windmill on the old quay in reed beds beside the River Glaven has bedrooms of great character in the mill itself, with more contemporary accommodation in outbuildings.

Behind the solid exterior of an Edwardian park-side villa lies a Scandi-chic boutique hotel and popular drop-in restaurant.

The humble setting of this former coaching inn, half a mile from the Scottish border, belies its chic bedrooms and creative cooking.

From bread to truffles, they cook as much as possible on site in this 'very cosy and friendly hotel' in the rolling South Hams countryside between wild Dartmoor and the sandy beaches of Bigbury Bay.

With the sea to the fore and Tennyson Down rising up behind, this newly refurbished hotel has spectacular views and scarcely less impressive cooking in the revamped restaurant.

Much loved by readers, this hotel, restaurant and social hub beside the Great Ouse is justly as popular as ever under its new owners.

Lakeland luxury at its finest comes courtesy of Gilpin, with its Michelin-starred dining, private hot tubs in the majority of its indulgent rooms and attentive staff. Its flagship rooms are extravagantly large glass-cube spa suites that extend over a pond and offer private garden, spa room and circular bath.

Rescued from closure by two local couples, this gastropub at the heart of a picturesque village, has stylish bedrooms and cooking of a very high order.

With produce sourced from its own farm and organic market garden, and beautifully styled and lavishly equipped bedrooms spread across cottages and above the village shop, this is a truly exceptional gastropub, a great place for foodies.

This quintessential English country house with spa, pools, kids' club, elegant bedrooms and fun tree houses, hits all the right luxurious notes for a romantic or family stay.

Anne Boleyn's childhood home, reimagined by William Waldorf Astor as a fairytale moated castle, the seat of a Tudor courtier, stands in landscaped grounds with an Edwardian 'Tudor' village, home to this exceptional B&B.

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.

Ship-owner Allan Hughes chose the perfect site for this handsome Lutyens-style Edwardian country house, on high ground, with panoramic views across Exmoor to the coast, the approach awash with daffodils in springtime.

A Regency beauty with spectacular views from the balconies, this stylish, dog-friendly country house hotel has a relaxed vibe, beautifully designed bedrooms, and a fine-dining restaurant.

This gastropub-with-rooms is set in a beguilingly pretty 17th-century Bath stone inn with mullioned windows and cascading wisteria, and lovely gardens outside.

Agatha Christie memorabilia, murder-mystery weekends and Art Deco touches set the tone at Hugh and Emma Asher's creeper-clad hotel, former home of the author's doctor friends, in a bustling market town.