Pendragon Country House

Legendary hosts Sharon and Nigel Reed provide ‘thoughtful touches, too many to mention’ at their former Victorian vicarage, themed in celebration of local hero King Arthur. A suit of armour guards the hall. Fires blaze in the drawing rooms with leather sofas and generously stocked honesty bar. Bedrooms are named after Arthurian knights. And so to Bedivere, with a cherry-wood four-poster. Or to dual-aspect Lamorak, with four-poster and ‘such beautiful views’ of Bodmin Moor. Kay has a four-poster built for one, ground-floor Pelleas a wet room. All have complimentary sherry, a choice of bedding, under-floor bathroom heating and handmade herbal toiletries. Guests gather for drinks before a ‘beautifully presented’ dinner of ‘exceptional standard’. ‘Nigel cooked a different meal each evening, and Sharon made desserts.’ A typical dish: rolled blade of beef slow-roasted in red wine, sage-infused roast potatoes, seasonal roots, butter-wilted kale. ‘Breakfast is delicious, with locally sourced and home-grown ingredients’ – free-range eggs, hog pudding and Cornish kipper. (Sally Crowley, Phillip Jesson, Tanya Gist, and others)