The red-and-white candy-striped parasols outside this wisteria-swagged foodie pub with beautifully styles rooms send an irresistible message: come in, it’s fun.

Free-roaming ponies and donkeys wander past the garden gates of this Arts and Crafts-style single-storey house in the magical surroundings of the New Forest.

In a delightful village, this 16th-century village pub, now part of the Avington Park estate with its trout fishery and leisure facilities, impresses with four beautifully presented bedrooms and some very creative dishes alongside pub grub done very well.

For more than 40 years, Raymond Blanc has held two Michelin stars at this beautiful country-house hotel 'and in our opinion, it's a travesty that he hasn't been awarded three', say Guide insiders.

Life is attuned to nature at this country-house hotel in a Georgian mansion on a working estate. with walled garden, biodynamic farm, luxury spa, and two restaurants that celebrate seasonality and provenance.

Historic features are seamlessly blended with contemporary styling at this riverside gastropub with indoor, outdoor and waterside dining, and a menu of pub classics alongside more inventive dishes.

A Victorian townhouse on the seafront has been transformed into a super-stylish modern B&B with generously equipped bedrooms and a light-filled lounge/cocktail bar/breakfast room.

A bus ride from Greater London, in the Surrey hills, this whitewashed former coaching inn is a good mix of friendly local and gastropub with rooms, a good base for walking, cycling and picnics on Box Hill.

In the heart of horse-racing country, beneath the ancient Ridgeway, this village gastropub has a choice of very affordable rooms and menus ranging from pub classics to seriously sophisticated fare.

An ideal base from which to visit Highclere (aka Downton Abbey) or to spend a day at the races, this dog-friendly, equestrian-themed gastropub has bedrooms in former outbuildings, including the old stables, a wide-ranging menu of pub classics, grills, and imaginative small and large plates.

So handy for Windsor Castle and Great Park, this is a friendly, affordable independent hotel with relaxed dining in restaurant and bar.

Just off the M3, this unpretentious village pub with motel-style accommodation is family friendly and affordable, with a relaxed ambience and a menu of pub favourites, platters and Sunday roasts.

With 100 metres of waterfront, river-view bedrooms, casual all-day dining, and plenty to do, this is a fun, casual hotel with a good choice of bedrooms at affordable prices.

Just a couple of minutes' drive from Petworth, with views over farmland to the South Downs, this gastropub has smart contemporary bedrooms and some exciting menu choices.

'A really nice place to stay, in a lovely quiet village setting,' this beautifully renovated 17th-century thatched inn lives anew as a local pub with rooms. Manager Claire Lenkowiec and chef Valerio Grimaldi-Plant run the show for the owners and, by George, they get it right!

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

With the emphasis on laid-back luxury, this Regency mansion in parkland, once home to Percy Shelley's mother, is today a country-house hotel that is part of the Signet Collection, offering surprisingly affordable bedrooms, a swish spa, a brasserie and pan-Asian restaurant.

An 18th-century mansion built around an older core, this family-oriented and dog-friendly hotel in the New Forest offers flexible dining, high tea for the little ones, a bistro-style restaurant menu and lounge menu, plus bedrooms mixing period and contemporary styling.

Bedrooms are no mere afterthought at this Edwardian mock-timbered gastropub, across the road from the shingle beach, with modern artworks, many thoughtful touches, good bathrooms, a bar and buzzy restaurant serving a short menu of pub classics and more innovative dishes.

You can almost imagine you're in rural France when you stay in one of the luxury self-catering lodges among the vines on this family-run wine estate, with farm-to-table menus in the restaurant, and tours and tastings for visitors.

Between the Thames and Windrush, this 17th-century pub blends all the charm of a traditional village local with rugs on flagstone floors, comfy sofas and log-burner, country-chic bedrooms including the impressive four-poster Blenheim Suite, and gastropub cooking in the atmospheric dining room.