In the heart of Constable country, Wendy and Jim Sartin’s ancient manor house is a hotspot for painting courses. But artists aren’t its only appreciative guests. ‘The whole family enjoyed our stay,’ write Guide readers, approving the ‘friendly owners’, the ‘cosy parlours’ with fire and beamed ceiling, the ‘simply and nicely decorated rooms’. A Guide inspector on arrival had a delightful welcome from a kitten who jumped into his car; he glimpsed rabbits skittering in ‘overgrown’ gardens brimming with lupins, poppies, old-fashioned roses. The cottage-style bedrooms, some with exposed timbers, some in converted barns around the studio, have ‘comfortable beds, high-quality linen’, hand-woven rugs. At night Wendy Sartin cooks for residents only, a frequently changing menu of simple, locally sourced dishes, served in ‘generous’ portions. For instance: beef fillet slices, wild mushrooms, red wine. Service is fleet and polite. At breakfast, the vintage china comes out for excellent fruit compote, home-made bread, perfect scrambled eggs. Our readers had an excellent lunch at The Sun Inn, but that’s another story (see next entry). (RG, T and SR)