Dolffanog Fawr

Few guest houses have as magnificent a mise en scène as this one in Snowdonia, set among pretty lawned gardens, with views across sheep-filled pastures to Tal-y-llyn lake and Cader Idris. The 18th-century farmhouse is run by Alex Yorke and Lorraine Hinkins, who have decorated their four simple but stylish bedrooms in neutral colours, with artwork by local artists and cosy throws from a nearby woollen mill. Rooms at the front have garden views framed by the Dyfi and Tarren hills, those at the back look towards the lake. If other guests agree, dogs are welcome in the lounge, which is home to a wide variety of books, maps, and has a fire on chilly days. The set dinner menu ‘is a delight and not to be missed’, with a ‘well-chosen wine list’ and ‘modest mark-up’. A communal breakfast brings sausages, eggs and bacon, cooked any way you like, or perhaps toast made from freshly baked bread with home-made jam. Outside, the garden attracts a wide variety of birds, including the great spotted woodpecker and the siskin. Red kites, buzzards and peregrine falcons can occasionally be seen; cuckoos call in the valley in late spring.