The ancient stone-built Bath Arms in woodlands on the Longleat estate gets a big thumbs up from readers for its 'excellent, attentive and pleasant staff', 'appealing menus', real ales and great-value, well-decorated rooms. A fourth venture for the Beckford group (see The Beckford Arms, Tisbury), it has a buzzy but relaxed vibe amid the flagstone and wood floors, assorted brown furniture, walls hung with vintage maps and Vanity Fair caricatures. A maze of corridors leads to rooms in the group's signature style – pastel walls, seagrass flooring, no wardrobe, bathrooms with Bramley toiletries. Numbers 6 and 7 are attic rooms with low ceilings so avoid them if you are tall. A reader who stayed in Room 3 with a shower room liked the 'view in two directions, pleasant decoration and large, comfortable bed'. Food, served in the dining room or snug, or under canvas on the terrace, is locally sourced. 'The chalk stream trout, crab stuffed courgette flower, shellfish bisque, Brixham crab and chilli salad was the outstanding main course at dinner,' report readers who enjoyed everything they ate, though they found the acoustics in the dining room difficult. In the morning, the 'full English is very good'. (John Charnley, and others)