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.

There is star quality indeed at Olga and Alex Polizzi's updated version of a historic Tudor inn, in a charming medieval South Downs village.

A beacon of hospitality on a remote cliff-top between the English Channel and the rolling downs, this decommissioned 19th-century lighthouse found new purpose in 2010 as a unique B&B. It offers superb 360-degree views from the lantern room, taking in the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs and the South Downs. test

If you're outward bound for France, this farmhouse B&B, just ten minutes from the port of Dover and Eurotunnel, is perfect for a stop-off – but you might not want to leave. 'This didn't feel like a hotel, it felt like a home,' writes one contented reader.

Overlooking the reed beds and salt marsh of Pagham Harbour Nature Reserve, in an 'atmospheric location with great birdwatching from the doorstep', this excellent restaurant with rooms serves 'great food with especially imaginative vegetarian dishes'.

Amid 1,000 acres of historically important gardens, pleasure grounds and woodland, this romantic Elizabethan manor house, built by an ironmaster for his bride, forms an impressive backdrop for Michelin-starred cuisine.

For 40 years, Raymond Blanc has held two Michelin stars at this beautiful country-house hotel 'and it's not surprising – every mouthful of every meal is a triumph', say Guide insiders.

Anne Boleyn's childhood home, reimagined by William Waldorf Astor as a fairytale moated castle, the seat of a Tudor courtier, stands in landscaped grounds with an Edwardian 'Tudor' village, home to this exceptional B&B.

Eat inside or dine alfresco under a striped parasol, at this exceptional gastropub with super-stylish rooms, some for a family, some dog friendly with access to the garden.

East Coast America meets South Coast England at this single-storey, coastal-chic hotel with interesting room choices, good, locally sourced food, and uncrowded sandy beach just over the spectacular dunes.

A New Forest bolt-hole, this country house hotel has an easy glamour, romantic and family-friendly rooms, heart-warming Italian food and top-notch spa.

Indulge in a Pornstar Martini in the sea-facing cocktail bar at this stuccoed, bow-fronted Georgian seafront hotel, for this is Brighton, after all – hip, tolerant and fun.

'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!

At the heart of the South Downs National Park, this village pub with rooms is the rural sister of the seaside Crab & Lobster, Sidlesham (see entry). It is country but no bumpkin.

With their background in TV and film, Sara Curran and Peter Sussman, new owners of the former North House, are experts in presentation.

Do you remember an inn, Miranda? Hilaire Belloc certainly remembered this Georgian coaching inn, from which he described setting out in The Four Men.

With the Goodwood Estate down the road and the South Downs on the doorstep, this rural, dog-friendly former coaching inn is popular with Barbour-wearing country-sports enthusiasts and hikers.

A fine base for exploring the Chilterns, this urbane hotel is just outside a picturesque riverside village near historic houses and vineyards.

This former coaching inn is now an equestrian-themed gastropub and restaurant, with affordable boutique bedrooms spread across four annexe buildings.

Saved from closure by film producer Tim Bevan and his artist wife, Amy Gadney, this honeyed-stone 17th-century village pub reopened in the summer of 2020, beautifully refurbished, with cosy bar, beautiful rustic-chic bedrooms, very superior pub grub and a full calendar of events.

Amid a wide sweep of Berkshire countryside, this thatched inn is now a gastropub with an interesting mix of bedrooms and innovative cooking.

Old-meets-new in this revived 16th-century coaching inn, now a 'busy, cheerful pub' in a historic Wealden village.

Between the South Downs and the Sussex coast, the Newbon family's revived village pub enfolds locals and visitors alike in its warmly welcoming atmosphere.

Like all Butcombe gastropubs with rooms, this whitewashed Georgian village local retains its personality while offering smart bedrooms and creative cooking along with pub classics.

History meets the modern world at this Elizabethan manor house, a luxury e hotel in eight acre-grounds, with gracious drawing room, state-of-the-art spa and fine-dining restaurant.

Close to Canterbury, this village gastropub has four stylish bedrooms, informal dining inside and out, and imaginative menus of locally sourced produce.

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.

On a remote corner of the Isle of Sheppey, this former inn on the Swale Estuary is a birdwatchers' paradise, with smart bedrooms and a waterside restaurant serving highly inventive dishes of locally farmed and foraged ingredients, with produce from the dynamic kitchen garden.

Bohemian Brighton is artfully encapsulated in this Regency townhouse with its cool vibe, quirky furnishings and neighbourhood café-bar.