‘There is a timeless feel and magic about the setting’ of this Jacobean manor house. It stands in ‘immaculate gardens’, in Thomas Hardy’s ‘vale of little dairies’. It has been in the same family since it was built, and is run by Richard Prideaux-Brune, with his wife, Alison, front-of-house, while his brother Brian cooks with head chef Louis Haskell. It is, then, a real family affair, dog-friendly, child-friendly, hung with portraits of near ancestors. The ambience is informal, log fires blaze in bar and restaurants, guests feel ‘cosseted and cared for’ by the ‘lovely staff’. Main house bedrooms have been newly refurbished but have largely resisted the boutique treatment in favour of a penchant for stripes, spots, sprigs. Two large rooms have a big Victorian bath, a walk-in shower. However, a 2019 guest staying in a courtyard room was unhappy with its ‘grimy curtains and ancient carpet’. Raconteur Richard mixes cocktails and chats before a dinner of such ‘good, honest fare’ as roasted loin of pork with celeriac and pea mash; vegetable Wellington 
with Madeira sauce; a fish of the day. On summer days you can play croquet, tennis, or just relax in a deckchair.