Tor Cottage

Turn down a wooded track and keep going (‘you’ll think you’ve gone too far, but it’s a little bit further’): at the end is a rustic B&B where sparkling wine, home-made truffles and Maureen Rowlatt’s ‘charming’ hospitality await. Individually decorated bedrooms are in the main house and in converted outbuildings (a craftsman’s workshop, an ancient cart house, a modest cottage) in the gardens; hammocks hang by the stream. Indulgent seclusion is the name of the game: each garden room has its own log fire, private terrace (some stream-side) or private conservatory. Set away, New England-style Laughing Waters is reached by a woodland walk; summer visitors will want to take advantage of its barbecue area. There are no evening meals, but platters of sandwiches, Cornish pasties, pudding, cheeses and chutney can be arranged; several restaurants and pubs are within easy driving distance. Breakfast, taken on the terrace or in the conservatory, has a copious selection of fruit, home-made muesli; cooked dishes include vegetarian options. The extensive grounds burst with flowers and wildlife; ideal for getting lost. (S and CR)