Ship-owner Allan Hughes chose the perfect site for this handsome Lutyens-style Edwardian country house, on high ground, with panoramic views across Exmoor to the coast, the approach awash with daffodils in springtime.

An Edwardian hunting lodge, this welcoming, opulent B&B is a perfect base from which to explore Exmoor.

Serving cider since 1851, this honey-stone village pub has been attracting attention since a lockdown makeover by enthusiastic new owners. Contemporary-chic bedrooms have good fabrics, a Roberts radio, posh toiletries, views over gently rolling countryside.

A former sports bar and one-time Berni Inn, this handsome pub has been splendidly renovated in Art Deco style for Young’s, recapturing its 1920s glory days, when it housed a cocktail bar.

A Victorian lido, restored and remodelled with spa, poolside bar and Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, now has five chic rooms in a Georgian townhouse just moments away.

In a village close to Bath, one of England's oldest inns offers characterful rooms and above-average pub fare.

At the centre of a glorious, honeyed-stone Georgian crescent, two adjoining mansions are home to an elegant yet family-friendly hotel with an air of opulence, elegant bedrooms, fine dining in Montagu's Muse restaurant, an oasis garden and charming spa.

Trained chefs Caroline Gardiner and Alan Lucas have transformed this former village inn into a restaurant offering sustainably sourced menus of beautifully presented food with rustic-chic bedrooms and lodges, making it the perfect place for a country retreat.

In a medieval village overlooked by a red sandstone castle, the one-time guest house for Cleeve Abbey is now a dog-friendly hotel with an onsite hair and beauty salon, a stunning historic bar and 28 bedrooms, some with contemporary furnishings, some with an antique four-poster.

Saved from decay, completely refurbished and fitted out with flair and a sense of fun, this Georgian coaching inn has bedrooms of great character as well as seriously good food.

With a menu of bistro classics, this little restaurant has a real French vibe along with pristine bedrooms upstairs and above the sister bar.

A riot of wisteria in spring, this crenellated 18th-century reconstruction of a Norman castle, owned by the Chapman family since 1950, has a mix of refurbished, traditional and retro-chic bedrooms, while brasserie dishes are served in buzzy Brazz, light bites and afternoon tea in the drawing room.