Maureen Rowlatt is the ‘charming’ hostess at this B&B in a private valley, surrounded by gardens that extend into woodland and fields – an ideal spot for exploring Dartmoor and the Tamar valley. A welcoming trug is filled with fudge, fresh fruit, flowers and sparkling wine, while the in-room fridge provides a degree of self-sufficiency. Guests may swim in the heated pool, or sit and watch for herons and deer. Four bedrooms are in the garden – one with log-burner, conservatory and terrace; another with a log fire and a garden by a stream. Individually styled, they include a room aiming for a 1920s mood with an Art Deco-style cabinet and fireplace tiles, feather decorations and a porthole; another has a New England feel (much light timber, maple furnishings). No cooked dinner, but the hosts can supply a platter of sandwiches, salad, pasties, lemon posset, cheeses. For dining, there are many nearby Guide hotels – perhaps The Horn of Plenty, Tavistock (see entry), 15 minutes away by car. Breakfast, in the conservatory or outdoors, offers abundant fruit, home-made muesli and Greek yogurt, kedgeree, full English or a vegetarian version with sauté potatoes or hash browns. Reports, please.