In the Cambrian mountains, set back from the A483, this red brick former Victorian vicarage-turned-B&B has been praised for its ‘atmosphere of heart-warming hospitality’. Guests are ‘warmly greeted with tea and cakes’. Helen and Tim Withers are ‘charming, helpful hosts’, ‘dedicated to sustainability’ (come by electric car and you’ll find a charging point). Bedrooms, each named after a nearby river, have antiques, a king- or super-king-size bed (which can be set up as twins), perhaps toile de Jouy wallpaper. Severn has two bedrooms, separated by a shared bathroom with shower over bath. Teme, with a view of Glog mountain, can accommodate an additional single bed. In the evening you can have a 2- or 3-course evening meal (ordered 24 hours in advance) or a mezze plate of home-grown salads, meat, cheese, hot-smoked salmon for £12. Breakfast is from 7.30 to 8.30 am (9 am at weekends, still a little early for some) and brings free-range eggs from the hens in the large garden. Afterwards, Powis Castle, with its baroque gardens and deer park, awaits.