Brendan McDonagh is ‘the most welcoming of hosts’ at this half-timbered Tudor B&B on a quiet cul-de-sac in the trendy Old Town. It is ‘a successful combination of stylish and homely, a warm, comfortable, well-cared-for historic house’, writes a trusted reader. Visitors step inside to find a beamed lounge/breakfast room with an inglenook fireplace and a courtyard garden to the rear. ‘An old staircase led to our luxury room overlooking a church,’ another reader relates. ‘Very comfortable bed with lovely, crisp linen, big, soft towels and dressing gowns.’ There is one ground-floor room off the lounge. Brendan’s partner, Lionel Copley (see previous entry, Old Rectory), has brought his designer’s eye to the interiors, creating ‘the most stylish of houses’ without being flashy; bedrooms are all ‘delightfully elegant and whimsical’. Breakfast, cooked by Brendan, brings real orange juice and ‘an amazing selection of locally sourced produce. The smoked salmon and the kippers were particularly delicious.’ Secure parking is a short walk away. (Diana Goodey, Dan Clarke, Eric Heller, Charley Holmes, and others)