On a square beside the Great Ouse in the ancient port town, this fine Georgian Grade II* listed former merchant’s house, once home to what would become Barclays, was debanked in 1869 and is today a buzzy hotel and brasserie. Owners Jeannette and Anthony Goodrich (see Rose and Crown, Snettisham) run a ‘happy ship’, with ‘friendly, intelligent’ staff. Bedrooms range from ‘cosy’ doubles to ‘deluxe’ with super-king-size bed. They are a pleasing mix of period and contemporary styling, with Designers Guild fabrics a tea/coffee machine, fresh milk, Noble Isle toiletries. You can eat in one of three dining rooms or on the terrace, from a regularly changing menu – fish and chips, burgers, maybe heritage courgette, lemon, garlic, Tuscan bean stew, or pappardelle with beef ragù. ‘We had a cosy but comfortable bedroom with superb river views,’ reads one account. ‘The food was delicious and the menu imaginative,’ another reader wrote. After breakfasting on a kipper, full English or veggie, birdwatchers and walkers can board the ferry and follow the Peter Scott way around the Wash. (A and HB, S B-S, and others)