The Complete Guide To: British B&Bs

I'VE GROWN OUT OF B&BS

You are not alone. The arrangement where you pay to stay in someone's home (we're not talking pubs or guesthouses here), for which the price includes breakfast the next morning, is not to everyone's taste. Traditionally, the advantages are that this is cheap accommodation where you receive a warm welcome and local insight. But traditionally, also, expectations have been low, with the prospect of an unforgiving bed, a shared bathroom down a chilly corridor, and a plate of cold fried eggs served at a time of the landlady's choosing.

But a quiet revolution has been taking place. Not only do many B&Bs now offer private bathrooms with fluffy towels, today's upscale B&Bs are more like boutique hotels - without the eye-popping price tag. Some offer truly gourmet meals quite apart from an elegant breakfast; some have added extras such as a private sitting room or heated swimming pool. Where they differ from more formal establishments is that the best of them combine impeccable style with an intimate charm.

I WANT ASSURED LUXURY

Much of the country's B&B accommodation is inspected by VisitBritain, which grades locations on a scale of one to five diamonds - one indicating no-frills and limited facilities such as shared bathroom, five being the trumpet call of high quality and exemplary hospitality. It irons out a great deal of confusion: until this year consumers have been bewildered by a barrage of different ratings, from the English, Welsh and Scottish tourist boards as well as from the AA and the RAC, both of whom also inspect and promote properties. During 2006 further streamlining will take place as all these organisations gradually adopt a standard rating for B&Bs of one to five stars rather than diamonds - for further details see www.qualityintourism.com.

If counting stars or diamonds doesn't appeal, you could seek B&B luxury through more exclusive groups. There are several outfits with portfolios of B&Bs so top-notch they are more appositely described in promotional blurb as "privately hosted accommodation". Wolsey Lodges (01473 822058; www.wolseylodges.com) has 169 properties across Britain, most of them country houses ranging from Georgian manors to Victorian vicarages and even the odd watermill. Members are scrupulously vetted for quality not just of the décor and facilities but also of the hospitality.

Unique Home Stays (01637 881942; www.uniquehomestays.com), meanwhile, has more than 60 private homes across the country, all in great locations and with exceptional ambience. Somewhat smaller is the Bulldog Club (0870 803 4414; www.wearefrank.com/bulldog_site) offering properties in London, the Cotswolds and Scotland. Alternatively, consult British Bed & Breakfast (£12.99 including postage from www.sawdays.co.uk), from Alastair Sawday's excellent series of guides, or The Good Bed & Breakfast Guide (£15.99, Which? Books). Not every entry in these guidebooks guarantees the last word in luxury, however all offer quality, innate character and a genuine welcome. But for a short cut from all the above options, here is a selection of some of the finest B&Bs across the country.

A SEASIDE HAVEN?

Head for Cornwall's Lizard Peninsula. At Church Cove, just east of The Lizard, Landewednack House (01326 290877; www.landewednack.uniquehomestays.com; double rooms from £110 per night with breakfast) is a former rectory overlooking the sands of Cadgwith Bay. The views are stunning, the three double rooms (one with an adjoining single) are all furnished with antiques and there's a Jacuzzi, a heated swimming pool and even a resident chef who prepares four-course dinners (freshly caught lobster, meat from the local butcher, vegetables from the garden) for £33 per person. With more than 2,000 bottles, the wine cellar of host Erik Thorbek is one of the most extensive in the county.

Further north, in the Helston River area, is the village of St-Martin-in-Meneage, where you'll find Tremayne House (01326 231618; www.tremaynehouse.com; from £98 double). One of the Wolsey Lodges group, this Georgian manor house is a B&B of great dignity, with three double guest rooms as well as a self-contained apartment to rent. In winter you sink into sofas and enjoy crackling log fires, in summer you sit out in beautifully landscaped gardens. The ample breakfasts (scrambled eggs, fruit compote, organic yoghurt, croissants) may whet your appetite for the elegant home-cooked dinners of local monkfish, crab, scallops and more, which are available on request (around £30). All the rooms have private bathrooms but only one is en-suite. Meanwhile, up near Bude, about a mile and a half from Widemouth Bay, Bangors House (01288 361297; www.bangorsorganic.co.uk; rooms from £78 per night) is a fully organic B&B, as certified by the Soil Association.

SOUNDS LIKE A HAIR-SHIRT OF A PLACE?

Not a bit of it. The painstakingly restored early Victorian house has such delights as underfloor central heating. Its two guest rooms have spacious ensuite bathrooms with roll-top baths and share a private lounge where you can curl up in front of the TV or borrow a book, having helped yourself to the (organic) wine, beer or soft drinks on offer. Downstairs is a restaurant serving dinner on Fridays and, in spring and summer, Cornish teas. Two more suites in the old coach house and stables should be completed by late summer.

OR A COSY INLAND RETREAT

Luxury doesn't come much more tucked away than at Tor Cottage (01822 860248; www.torcottage.co.uk - from £140 double per night, minimum two-night stay). A bridle path beyond Chillaton near Tavistock is the unlikely entrance to this secluded B&B: you drive for a good half-mile down the tree-lined track and pass through two field gates before you reach the house. It is set in 18 acres of gardens and woodland and offers five guest rooms in all: three suites in elegantly converted outhouses; one very private garden house; and a suite in a wing of the main house. Breakfast choices are extensive; supper trays of local produce can be provided; and guests find welcome trugs filled with champagne truffles and fruit in their rooms. Other facilities range from a heated outdoor swimming pool, a barbecue area, and hammocks by the stream flowing through the grounds.

If you don't want to make quite such an outlay, exceptional value is offered nearby at The Old Orchard (01822 854310; www.fireflydesign.co.uk/theoldorchard/ - from £57 per double per night) in Yelverton on Dartmoor. There are two delightful guest bedrooms (one ensuite and one with private spa bathroom), and a guest lounge with log fire, books, TV, DVDs and more.

HOW ABOUT A HISTORIC HOUSE?

You'll find creaking beams, mullion windows and antiques at the magnificent Old Manor at Kingston Maurward in Dorset (01305 261110; www.kingston-maurward.co.uk - from £96 double). This member of the Wolsey group is a Grade I-listed late Elizabethan manor house with strong literary connections, having been featured as Knapwater House in Thomas Hardy's first published novel, Desperate Remedies. There are three guest rooms with ensuite bathrooms and a guest drawing room with views over the surrounding parkland and water meadows. The setting is supremely relaxing, as are the additional facilities: host Mulu Thompson is a qualified nurse and massage therapist and she offers a wide range of treatments from aromatherapy to marine hydration facials. Over in Warwickshire the Old Vicarage at Priors Marston (01327 262626; www.theoldvicarage.uniquehomestays.com - from £97 double) dates back more than 400 years, with Georgian additions. There are log fires, wooden floors and there's even an original walk-in larder. The three double guest rooms have been artfully furnished while adjacent to the house is an old barn turned reception room that can be hired for parties. Host David Adams is a graduate of Raymond Blanc's Manoir aux Quat'Saisons cookery school and he offers four-course dinners for £25 or lighter suppers for £16. The house is well situated for trips to Stratford-upon-Avon and for the Cotswolds.

AND FOR FINE ROMANCE?

Friendly hosts are generally a big part of a B&B's charm, but if you're looking for real romance you'll appreciate being left in peace. Those wanting complete seclusion in a dreamy setting should head for Black Eagle Cottage in the quiet village of Harome near Scarborough. This 15th-century thatched cottage has been converted into two self-contained suites and there's a third very private suite in the grounds. The Garden Shed is a converted outbuilding, very cosy and very atmospheric with creaking beams and exposed stonework. Harome is something of a gourmet getaway, thanks to Andrew and Jacquie Pern who own the properties as well as the Star Inn, which has a Michelin star. So you can feast in style then retreat to your quiet haven where, in the morning, you'll receive your breakfast in a hamper (01439 770397; www.thestaratharome.co.uk - Black Eagle Cottage B&B from £120 per night). The Pembrokeshire coast has a spectacular retreat at The Old Lighthouse, St Anne's Head near Dale (01646 636686; www.oldlighthouse.uniquehomestays.com - from £100 double, minimum two-night stay). The owners offer a self-catering apartment in the former coastguard buildings of the 17th-century lighthouse tower and have also converted two floors of the tower into private B&B accommodation, with a bedroom on the third storey and an observation lounge above it.

I'D LIKE TO STAY ON A WORKING FARM

Further inland in south Wales is a 250-acre dairy farm where you can be accommodated in quite some comfort. Bright and spacious, Bowett Farmhouse (01646 683473; www.bowettfarmhouse.co.uk - from £60 double) near Pembroke has been inhabited by the Morris family for the past 80 years and offers two double guest rooms, with a single room available for a third member of a party. Facilities include a guest sitting room with TV and books, towelling robes, and drying facilities for walkers and cyclists. Breakfasts are huge, and generous packed lunches are available.

OR SLEEP IN STYLE OUT EAST

The winning B&B of the Year in the 2005 Enjoy England Excellence awards was Holly Lodge at Thursford, in increasingly hip north Norfolk (01328 878465; www.hollylodgeguesthouse.co.uk - suites from £80 per night). Here, Robert Greenfield and Michael Bell have shown consummate skill over the conversion of the stable block by their 18th-century house into three sumptuous suites. Each has a sitting room and ensuite bathroom - and beautiful décor: there are Far-Eastern flourishes in one; a four-poster bed and damask in another; while New England charm characterises the third. Generous breakfasts are served in the flamboyant dining room of the main house, complete with suit of armour and a table fashioned from a monastery door. By contrast Marshwinds at Aldeburgh (01728 452695; www.marshwinds.co.uk - double from £80; single from £40) is all clean lines and elegant restraint. The façade of this 1930s suburban house does little to raise expectations as to its wonderfully chic interior and its (newly landscaped) Zen-like garden. Given the almost year-round schedule of cultural events in the Aldeburgh area there is high demand for the one double room and the one single here. Both bedrooms have TV, CD, fridge and more. Ample breakfasts include yoghurts, juices, fresh fruit, stewed fruit, and a variety of hot dishes. Suppers (£30) are available by arrangement, with drinks on the house.

AND NORTHERN STARS?

Located between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, Coldbeck House (01539 623407; www.coldbeck.uniquehomestays.com - from £70 double) offers almost every known comfort in a wonderful setting. The 19th-century stone house is in the pretty village of Ravenstonedale at the foot of the Howgills fells. It has three splendid guest rooms; two acres of beautifully kept gardens; and a great reputation for its food - breakfasts are epicurean feasts, and on request host Belle Hepworth will provide four-course dinners with an emphasis on local ingredients (£25 per person). In Berwick-upon-Tweed, No1 Sallyport (01289 308827; www.sallyport.co.uk - from £90 double) is outstanding: a 17th-century stone house with contemporary furnishings, host Elizabeth Middlemiss has combined style with a very welcoming atmosphere. The five guest rooms are individually designed - a Manhattan-style loft; a suite with leather bedhead and suede sofa - and all are stocked with widescreen TV, CD, books, chocolates, mineral water and homemade cookies. The breakfast choice ranges from vanilla waffles to haggis, a warm-up, perhaps, for the possibility of a homecooked three-course dinner (£35 per person).

CAN I STAY IN A CASTLE?

Absolutely. In the Scottish Borders near Innerleithen is a real B&B gem. Traquair House (01896 830323; www.traquair.co.uk - rooms from £120) is a wonderfully romantic, fortified property dating back to the 1100s or even earlier and still lived in by descendants of the earls of Traquair, the Maxwell-Stuart family. You can stay in one of three guest rooms furnished with antiques and canopied beds, and consume a hearty breakfast in the old still room. Over on the Isle of Mull, Glengorm Castle (01688 302321; www.glengormcastle.co.uk - rooms from £120) is a Victorian construction with turrets and magnificent views. Despite high ceilings, the five guest rooms have a cosy charm. Breakfasts are huge, and drinks are offered every evening, although you'll need to go out for dinner.

HOW ABOUT LONDON

Somewhat surprisingly, there are several very stylish B&Bs right in the heart of London. Aster House (020-7581 5888; www.asterhouse.com - doubles from £170.40) at 3 Sumner Place, SW7 has been a regular winner of the London Tourist Board's Bed & Breakfast of the Year award. With 13 bedrooms it's more of an immaculately kept small hotel than a home, although there are intimate touches such as a little back garden full of wild and domestic ducks. Meanwhile, the Bulldog Club offers seven small and chic London B&Bs. In South Kensington a charming mews house has just one room to let from £115.50 for two (0870 803 4414; www.wearefrank.com/bulldog_site/london_kenandchel).

AND THE ULTIMATE B&B?

Exceptional accommodation with exceptional food is surely a winning combination. And St Ervan Manor in north Cornwall (01841 540255; www.stervanmanor.co.uk - doubles from £140) provides this with a flourish, having been awarded a Michelin star in January. Four miles from Padstow, this handsome Victorian rectory sits in four-acre grounds and provides B&B accommodation in five sumptuous guest rooms in the house and one secluded suite in the garden. Its restaurant, open for dinner from Wednesday to Sunday, is masterminded by chef Nathan Outlaw, who won a Michelin star for the Black Pig in Rock. Fine dining, gracious rooms: who needs a luxury hotel when you can have this?

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