There's certainly nothing monastic about this much-loved hotel, in a 'wonderful building with a cleverly added glass dining room' looking out over gardens bordered by the River Frome.

Under the big skies of Caithness, wrapped in woodland and a curve of the River Forss, this Georgian mansion offers the grandeur of Scottish country house living but with modern-day warmth and comforts.

'A jewel set in glorious Welsh countryside', on the edge of Brechfa Forest, this 17th-century country house is 'one of the most outstanding small hotels we have stayed in', readers write.

A former 17th-century inn, which is part of the Duke of Devonshire's 30,000-acre estate at Bolton Abbey, is today an impressive country-house hotel, with fine dining and a spa.

A French-influenced building on the harbourside, this family-friendly hotel and local hub was extensively refurbished by new owners the Original Collection in 2018.

For over 50 years the Prideaux-Brune family have welcomed guests to their ancestral Jacobean manor house in an English country garden with the Divelish stream skipping through.

'Talk about Cotswolds chic,' writes our inspector of boutique hotel Wild Thyme and Honey, which stands alongside The Crown at Ampney Brook. Together, they form part of Grosvenor Pubs and Inns, but are a very personal project for founders Jason and Shara Myers.

Holding court in the centre of Ravenstonedale, 'twixt the Lakes and the Dales, The Black Swan has the hallmarks of a much-loved village inn: home-cooked food, cheery atmosphere and comforting bedrooms.

A Georgian merchant's house and former bank on a square beside the mouth of the Great Ouse is today a stylish hotel, brasserie and popular local hang-out.

Big picture windows frame views of the Dart at this cool, contemporary hotel with a leisure vibe, uncluttered chic bedrooms, relaxed gourmet dining in the riverside restaurant and alfresco.

Occupying two waterfront former warehouses, part of the town's maritime heritage, this new hotel has bedrooms modelled on captains' cabins and lined with reclaimed timbers.

A 'laid-back, fire-in-the hearth, village pub atmosphere' prevails at this charming thatched gastropub with riverside guesthouse on the edge of Salisbury Plain.

Much loved by readers, this hotel, restaurant and social hub beside the Great Ouse is justly as popular as ever under its new owners.

A picturesque cottage-style Georgian coaching inn within a verdant designed landscape on the Lansdowne's estate is today a dog-friendly hotel, pub and anglers' dream.

Huddled below wooded hills, beside a stone bridge over the River Monnow, this whitewashed former 17th-century coaching inn is delightfully at ease in the landscape.

Olga Polizzi's beautifully styled Georgian fishing lodge, built for the Duke of Bedford and scandalous Duchess Georgiana, stands in a picturesque designed landscape with the River Tamar running through.

You can paddleboard on the river, stroll to see the deer in Richmond Park, and feel a world away from central London at this smart, multifaceted Thames-side hotel.

An 18th-century watermill in farmland on the River Wensum, close to the market town of Fakenham, has a new lease of life as a buzzy gastropub with rustic-chic bedrooms, good pub fare in the bar, and inventive use of local produce in the restaurant.

The chef holds a Michelin green star for his superb tasting menus at this neo-Jacobean Victorian country pile in wooded grounds on the edge of Snowdonia National Park, where past guests have included Queen Victoria and Winston Churchill.

Overlooking the River Hodder in the Forest of Bowland, this sprawling 18th-century manor house is joyously traditional, with stone-flagged floors, open fires and bags of atmosphere.

One of the UK's most unusual B&Bs, this windmill on the old quay in reed beds beside the River Glaven has bedrooms of great character in the mill itself, with more contemporary accommodation in outbuildings.

Expect a cheerful welcome at this gastropub-with-rooms, which stands by a bridge over the Union Canal in a conservation village.

People travel from around the world to experience the old-world charms of the Gelletlie family's former coaching inn set in beautifully tended gardens and delightfully lost in time.

A 'sprawling, traditional building in a beautiful setting' at the tip of Windermere, this family and dog-friendly hotel has easy access to lake-based activities as well as a spa.

Behind the Tudor black-and-white facade of this old coaching inn lies a gastropub big on sustainability, with some quirky options for an overnight stay.

Outside Grasmere's village centre, this period property boasts original Victorian features alongside boutique features in the bedrooms.

Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines has created a country house hotel for the 21st century, a foodie destination and place of soft-spoken luxury, in a Georgian mansion overlooking the Exe estuary.

A Victorian mock-Tudor fishing lodge in wooded grounds on the River Irfon is today a spa hotel and foodie destination with a country house ambience and views to the Cambrian mountains.

In gardens bordered by a stream, the Wild family's hotel, converted from three 17th-century cottages, a stroll from its own quayside, has well-equipped, country-classic bedrooms, formal and informal dining in restaurant and brasserie.