Langar Hall

As you head up a long avenue of lime trees past croquet lawns, a 12th-century church and medieval fishponds, the distinctive early-Victorian mansion comes into view. What makes Langar Hall stand out from the identikit country-house herd is that its owner has infused the place with her own personality, so it feels like a particularly elegant family home, furnished with statues, crystal chandeliers, antiques and oil paintings. A romantic marble-pillared dining room or a light and airy conservatory is the setting for dining. The kitchen stocks its larder with pickings from the hotel's garden, together with game from local estates and a fine array of materials from local producers. Start with ham hock, pigeon, chicken and foie gras terrine served with piccalilli and horseradish crème fraîche, then Langar lamb is a staple main course - perhaps served in a hearty stew with dumplings and grain mustard mash - but fish is also a feature; maybe roast fillet of cod with Jerusalem artichoke risotto and toasted hazelnuts. A lush selection of desserts might include a dark chocolate pavé with blood orange, and white chocolate and cardamom ice cream.