Langrish House, Petersfield, Hampshire

Tucked away in a quiet spot in rural Hampshire, you feel as though you are in the middle of nowhere. However, you are just a few minutes off the A3 and an eight minute drive from Petersfield train station with fast links to London. It's great for walkers as you can pick up the South Down Way from the grounds. Visit Jane Austen's house at Chawton, which is a 20-minute drive away, or pick up the Edward Thomas trail from the village of Steep, just a ten-minute drive away.

By car: the drive from London takes around 1 hour 45 minutes. From Birmingham, the drive is 2 hours 45 minutes. There is parking at the hotel.

By train: the closest train station is Petersfield. Trains from London Waterloo take around 1 hour 10 minutes and 40 minutes from Portsmouth. The hotel is an 8 minute taxi ride away. Book trains to Petersfield.

Don't expect to find the bespoke interior design here. It's a wonderful old house dating back to the Civil War when it housed sympathisers of Oliver Cromwell. Family-owned, it's packed with inherited items of furniture, paintings and knick-knacks. Character comes from comfortable sofas you can sink into, an antique rocking horse and a row of wellies.

The staff here are all lovely and have worked for the family for many years. The owners are often on hand to greet guests, make sure everything is running smoothly and give guided walks of the grounds. Wellies are provided and dogs are particularly well looked after.

• Gardens
• Room service
• Child-friendly
• Dog-friendly
• Free parking

• Free Wi-Fi

The rooms have period dimensions; high ceilings and large windows frame the English idyll outside. The chintz might not be to everyone's taste, but it suits the rooms and adds to that feeling of staying with a relative rather than in an anonymous hotel. The bathrooms are large and have heated towel rails and robes.

Room types: Luxury B&B Rooms

Key amenities: ensuite bathroom, TV, tea and coffee-making facilities, stunning views over the extensive grounds, free Wi-Fi

The family decided to stop operating a restaurant in the spring of 2019, but the breakfasts here are still superb with a buffet table laid out in a small corridor full of local fruits, yoghurts, honey and preserves, as well as fresh pastries and cereals. Hot breakfasts are cooked to order.

Breakfast: Buffet-style table and cooked-to-order hot breakfasts.