In an enchanting village, this coaching inn retains the ambience of a friendly local, with its beamed bar and real ales. But indulgent main-house bedrooms with private patio together with Michelin-starred chef James Mackenzie's spin on classic British dishes, lift it way above the ordinary.

There are mesmerising views of medieval Alnwick Castle from the Duchy of Northumberland's new hotel, occupying the Georgian Commissioner's house and former school, with further rooms in a modern extension, and 'top-notch' cooking in the restaurant.

Leave the fuss and fret of the AI(M) at Scotch Corner to reconnect with the land at this idyllic hotel, centred on a Georgian coach house amid gardens, parkland and woodland.

You could imagine you were staying in the cherished home of old and dear friends when you book into Walter and Nuala Sweeney's five-star B&B, a handsome Georgian house filled with antiques and artworks, carriage clocks, curios and crammed bookshelves, and with fine original features.

The Buchanan family's 16th-century coaching inn offers a warm Yorkshire mix of traditional pub, smart food and modern bedrooms with character. Overlooking the market square, it's a popular locals' spot both for the ales in the fire-warmed bar and snug and the accomplished cooking.

A neo-Gothic fantasy castle in glorious pleasure grounds and parkland, the Cunliffe-Lister family's hotel offers a taste of country-house living, with opulent interiors, spacious bedrooms and suites, estate-to-plate dining and a spa.

Alluringly re-designed, this Georgian mansion set back from the high street in a smart Huddersfield suburb, is brimming with distinctive spaces in which to sit, drink and dine.

Designers have let rip to create this fun, friendly and affordable hotel with an Alice in Wonderland vibe, occupying new and repurposed farm buildings, and with a wide choice of rooms and suites, a cocktail bar and a restaurant serving pub classics and fancier dishes.

There is a clever mix of the traditional and modern at this Victorian coaching inn with contemporary main-house, poolside and spa suites, inventive cooking in the restaurant, and an all-year heated outdoor pool.

With cool styling and a fun vibe, this Georgian townhouse a five-minute walk from the city walls is home to a child-friendly boutique hotel, abounding in wit and whimsy, with dreamy bedrooms, an interesting bar menu, and creative cooking of local ingredients in the restaurant.

Enjoy Victorian Gothic splendour and fine or more casual dining at this country mansion with a spa and golf course in parkland.

A riverside conversion of a Victorian grammar school and headmaster's house gains an A* for splendid, characterful, boutique-style bedrooms, some with terrace and hot tub, and short, set-price, foodie-pleasing menus.

Against the backdrop of Stag Fell, with glorious views over Wensleydale, this many-gabled stone-built Georgian mansion in peacock-patrolled grounds offers the perfect country-house escape, mixing antiques and original features with modern bathrooms, and giving traditional dishes a contemporary tweak in the fine-dining restaurant.

This historic hotel in a conservation village is home to the barrel-vaulted Crypt bar while bedrooms (most across the road at The Angel) blend contemporary chic and modern comfort with notes of rusticity.

The open-plan restaurant and bar, serving creative modern British dishes, provides a buzzy meeting place at this Victorian townhouse hotel overlooking abbey and park, where individually styled bedrooms have feature wallpaper, designer fabrics and modern bathroom fittings.

A superb base for stargazing at Battlesteads Observatory, this hotel, restaurant and village pub, with five new, dog-friendly eco-timber lodges, is commended for championing sustainable tourism, and for its use of home-grown produce in à la carte and tasting menus for omnivores and vegetarians.

In a wooded valley just a short drive from the city centre, this Arts and Crafts mansion has splendid interiors, a wide choice of individually styled bedrooms, inspired cooking by executive chef Gareth Rayner in Fern Dining Room, and more casual dining from a bar and lounge menu.