Daisybank Cottage

The name has an Enid Blyton ring to it, and it sits in a dingley dell on the edge of the New Forest, but this single-storey Arts and Crafts cottage is home to an entirely grown-up B&B. Hosts Cheryl and Ciaran Maher have the personal touch, welcoming guests with home-baked goodies and sharing their knowledge of the lovely area. All bedrooms have a mini-fridge, a Roberts radio, an espresso machine, fine toiletries, a king or super-king bed. The decor is chic, with a muted palette and works by local artists. The Courtyard Suite has glass doors to an enclosed, tiled patio, a rattan king-size bed, a power shower. The Marryat Suite has a bath and walk-in shower and opens on to a terrace with patio heater and barbecue; sit out and read Captain Marryat’s classic Children of the New Forest. ‘Everything in our spacious room felt like luxury,’ a reader wrote after a ‘fantastic stay’. Pop your order in a flowerpot outside your door at bedtime, and awake to a full English or full veggie, new-laid local farm eggs, American pancakes. Special diets are catered for too. ‘The breakfasts, delivered to our room, were delicious.’ (Alexandra Rodgers)