‘We stumbled across the hotel quite by accident 
– oh, serendipity! We plan to return.’ Newcomers this year to the Hine family’s ‘gracious’ pink brick Queen Anne coaching inn join a loyal following, with praise for its ‘old-fashioned values, excellent food and attentive staff’. Another reader in 2018 lauded the ‘beautifully maintained and furnished interiors’.Now in her fifth decade at the helm, Baba Hine, with son Giles, is a ‘benign presence’. ‘The Edwardian decor is wonderfully quirky. Our generously proportioned bedroom had a comfortable king-size bed, pleasant sitting area, large bathroom and French doors leading to a large terrace.’ All the rooms have leaf teas, ‘proper coffee’, shortbread, fruit and fresh milk; most enjoy leafy views. Dine in the bistro overlooking a sweeping willow, or in the restaurant where long-standing chef Martin Kinahan cooks ‘outstanding’ dishes; perhaps ‘melt-in-the-mouth venison’, or globe artichoke with wild mushrooms off the vegan menu. ‘The cheese trolley was superb.’ A ‘near-perfect’ breakfast includes home-made muesli, ‘deftly cooked’ sausages. ‘They sent us on our way happy and delightfully replete.’ (Brian Griffiths, and others)