In Beachampton, a picturesque village a short drive from Milton Keynes, a beautifully restored 300-year-old farmhouse with three inviting bedrooms and a well-equipped gym. Breakfast includes freshly laid eggs and honey from the owners’ hives. Footpaths lead across the fields; the village pub is a stroll away. Bletchley Park, Woburn Abbey and Silverstone nearby.

Light and airy, South Lodge, Wavendon, is a contemporary B&B in an acre of landscaped gardens bordering a golf course and fields, five miles SE of Milton Keynes. Spoiling additions to the comfortable bedrooms include soft fluffy robes, homemade biscuits, complimentary soft drinks and fresh milk in the mini fridge, and underfloor heating in sparkling bathrooms. A morning newspaper arrives with breakfast, which may be served in the dining room, on the patio or in one’s room. The Wavendon Arms restaurant is within walking distance; the Stables Theatre is just one mile away.