A ‘cheering spot’ with ‘affable staff’, Margaret and Ian Snaith’s Victorian farmhouse-turned-jaunty hotel stands before a vista of ‘green fields and warm, golden marshes’, within easy reach of the sandy beach at Brancaster. Enter the ‘cosy, mood-lifting’ foyer lounge (mermaid-print wallpaper, a log fire, ‘a comically long chesterfield sofa’, hand-drawn maps for walkers); beyond are a smart bar, a well-regarded conservatory restaurant, comfy bedrooms and a small garden filled with birdsong in the morning. ‘The heroic selection of breakfast granolas are a sterling addition, too,’ Guide inspectors in 2017 point out. Bedrooms range from restrained to richly coloured. ‘We thought our room, in the handsome herb-garden annexe, rather plain, but it was comfortable, nicely warm and utterly quiet.’ At dinner, Eric Snaith, the owners’ son, and Chris Mann cook modern dishes with some surprises. ‘We loved an intriguing soup of mushrooms raw, pickled and fermented; well-cooked plaice came with shavings of raw cauliflower and never-before-seen powdered butter.’ (A simpler menu has more straightforward options – Brancaster oysters; fish pie.) ‘Great twitching nearby.’