Howard’s House

In an ‘unspoilt’ rural village close to the River Nadder, this old stone house seems made for lazy days and unhurried evenings. From croquet rounds in the ‘charming’ garden, abloom in season, to late-evening coffee and dominoes in the fire-warmed sitting room, ‘the whole feeling is of comfort and homeliness’. A long-time favourite of Guide readers, it receives praise for the ‘faultless service’ and ‘excellent food’. ‘We had a wonderful stay,’ say guests this year. Check in to pleasingly decorated bedrooms with countryside, courtyard or garden views; the best, a newly refurbished top-floor room, has an enormous bed and two seating areas. In the evening, find out why ‘the food is a great attraction’. Putting the spotlight on locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, chef (and co-owner) Nick Wentworth’s modern, ‘essentially English’ menus might include roasted loin of Sika deer, creamed savoy cabbage, braised carrots. Start the day right with an ‘outstanding’ breakfast of freshly squeezed juices, yogurts, compotes and your choice of cooked dishes – croquet players need sustenance, too. (John C Walton, A and PC)