Approached up a long drive, this ‘beautifully maintained’ 18th-century country house stands in extensive grounds – ‘a delight to the eye’. The Georgian dwelling, thick with legend, has been home to the Green family since 1953; today, Justin and Jenny Green run it as a family-friendly spot with a house-party atmosphere. ‘We were greeted with great charm,’ Guide inspectors say. The public rooms are ‘magnificent’, stuffed with antiques, art and the marks of ‘warm domesticity’. Individually styled bedrooms are supplied with home-made fruit cordial, freshly baked cookies and an espresso machine. ‘Our spacious room had a marble fireplace with an eclectic selection of (mostly Irish) books.’ There’s no television in the room, but plenty to see and do outdoors: a walled garden and bluebell woods to explore; tractor rides for the children; a visit to the distillery in a converted cattle shed. (The house gin, Bertha’s Revenge, is ‘wonderfully fragrant’.) The traditional Irish country house dinner is ‘immaculately but informally served’ (guests may choose to eat communally); in the morning, breakfast is ‘splendid’.