The Inn at Whitewell

Overlooking the River Hodder in the Forest of Bowland, this sprawling 18th-century manor house is joyously traditional, with stone-flagged floors, open fires and bags of atmosphere. Run by third-generation Bowmans, with ‘very friendly and helpful staff’, it is cheery and dog-friendly, with local ales in the bar and an established reputation for its food. ‘The evening meals in the bar were excellent.’ An 11-strong kitchen brigade turns out dishes such as slow-roast lamb shoulder, pan-fried sea bass with olive tapenade, and a famed fish pie; vegetarian dishes, too. The bar is ‘packed every night’ but service is still slick. Readers praised the ‘excellent wine list (and wine shop)’. Bedrooms, with six in converted outbuildings, some up a slope, are wonderfully individual, some verging on the flamboyant. Expect antiques, deep sofas, thick curtains, books and handsome artwork. Many have working fires or wood-burners, some have beams, hand-painted wallpaper, Victorian cabinet baths and four-posters. Go fishing (there are seven miles of river available), borrow an electric bike or enjoy a board game by the fire.