In wooded grounds near the Forét de Lyons in Haute Normandie, this 18th century house (Relais du Silence) was once a staging post on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. “We stayed a second night because it was so good,” says the reader who discovered it in 2004. “It is lovely unpretentious, decorated in soft colours, with elegant furniture and wonderful floors of marble, flagstones and brick. Our comfortable, pretty room, all blue, was on the second floor.” The owners, Yves and Annick Cardon, are “friendly, charming, not obsequious”: he is the chef, she runs front-of-house. “The food was excellent, fairly simple by French château, with limited choice (e.g., poached artichoke hearts with smoked salmon; turbot with sorrel). “Excellent breakfasts: the best croissants of our holiday.” Children are welcomed. (Hilary J Chapman)