Combe House Hotel

Run with passion and care by committed owners Ruth and Ken Hunt, this Grade 1 Elizabeth Country Manor is perfect for romantic foodies, with a herd of Arabian horses gracing the grounds and pheasants roaming freely across its 3500 peaceful acres. You'll feel welcome here whether you pop in for afternoon tea by the fire or use it as a luxurious base to explore the local area – Gittisham is a pretty little village with babbling brook, church and thatched cottages, and the hotel is near the south west coast path, Exeter and the moors. The 15 bedrooms are all antiques, fresh flowers, natural light and comfort – for a treat, book the Linen Suite, where the original manor house drying rack is suspended from the ceiling and the bath is a gigantic 6ft diameter copper wash tub. In the summer guests can have a bath outside if they so desire, warmed by a clever home-made rainwater heating system, and nearby there's a hand-made 'thinking hut' for you to ponder in. The likes of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall opts for a tad more privacy and stays in the hotel's little thatch cottage - it's colourful and contemporary inside, and you get a stunning, huge walled garden all to yourselves. As for the gorgeous food - see our separate write up on their restaurant.