British weekend retreats

The Salutation
Is this Lutyens-designed house and garden Britain’s smartest bed and breakfast?

©Mark Bolton Photography

The Lion Inn, Winchcombe
An ancient hostelry in the Cotswolds blends the cosy and the stylish in perfect proportions

Stapleford Park
Revel in the grandeur of a gloriously unhip stately home and a perfect weekend retreat

At the Chapel, Bruton
Be surprised at the arty buzz of a sleepy Somerset country town

©Niall Clutton

Coworth Park, Ascot, Berkshire
Country tweed meets urban chic – and an award-winning super spa

The Grove, Pembrokeshire
Discover ancient sites – and food heaven – in the wilds of Wales

The Pig in the Wall, Southampton
Could a bed and breakfast down by the docks change the hospitality industry?

The Gunton Arms, Thorpe Market, Norfolk
A Norfolk inn offers rich heritage alongside a very modern sense of hospitality

Gilpin Lake House, Lake District
Hidden away between Kendal and Windermere, a mini-hotel provides an idyllic woodland hideaway

Browns Hotel, Carmarthenshire
Once the setting for Dylan Thomas’s legendary drinking sessions, Browns has reopened with sober style

©Helene Binet

Astley Castle, Warwickshire
A ruined castle with a history stretching back a millennium has been reborn as a modern holiday home

The Old Coastguard, Cornwall
New owners have transformed a classic Victorian seaside hotel into a laidback retreat with fabulous food (and a resident seal)

Spitbank Fort, off Portsmouth, Hampshire
A Victorian fort on the high seas has been reopened as Britain’s most unusual luxury hotel

Hideaways for two
Alastair Sawday picks five holiday cottages that are perfect for a romantic retreat