Address: Combe House, Gittisham, Nr Honiton, Exeter, Devon EX14 3AD
Tel: 01404 540400.
Web address: www.thishotel.co.uk

First impressions: Grade I listed Elizabethan manor with dark wood panelling, antique furniture and 400 years of family portraits. But surprisingly unstuffy, friendly and informal.

What are the rooms like? Stone mullioned windows with spectacular views. Japanese lilies. Locally-made patchwork quilts. No chintz.

The bed test: Deeply comfortable, soft without sag, enormous.

The bathroom test: Candles, gilt mirrors. Suitably luxurious.

The restaurant: State-of-the-art modern cooking. Nouvelle cuisine with proper portions. Lunch £10-£16, dinner from £28.50. And worth it.

What is there to see within walking distance? Rolling hills, woodland walks. Gittisham is the kind of village usually found on chocolate boxes and jigsaw puzzles.

What is there to see within a 10-minute drive? That's just long enough to get lost in the winding Devon lanes.

How much a night? Suites/ master bedrooms from £225 a night. Singles £80.

Would you go back? Whenever my bank manager permits, which sadly won't be often. It would be just the place for a stop-over on the way to Cornwall.