To The Manor Born

Manor House - Castle Combe Breathtakingly situated on the southern fringes of the Cotswolds

Plumber Manor - Sturminster Newton English to the core, right down to the ancestral portraits on the walls of the gallery, the log-fired lounge and the black labradors padding about

Lords of the Manor - Upper Slaughter The Lords of the Manor has become a byword for elegance and refinement

The Greenway - Shurdington A favourite stopover for the late Queen Mother during Cheltenham Gold Cup week

From Elizabethan treasures in Sussex to grandiose Italianate Georgian mansions in Gloucestershire, many of England's finest manor houses have been transformed into highly desirable retreats.

Some boast glorious gardens and grounds, others are famed for their stunning architecture and fascinating historical connections, but all now offer the bonus of great food and top-drawer hospitality. If you need pampering and fancy getting away from it all, here are some of the UK's top destinations.

Ockenden Manor - Cuckfield Michelin-starred chef Stephen Crane offers a choice of menus and delivers top-end modern food with confidence and creativity

Gravetye Manor - East Grinstead Superlatives come easily when talking about this enchanting Elizabethan manor

Longueville Manor - Jersey The kitchen makes impressive use of produce from the manor's Victorian walled kitchen garden and glasshouses, as well as plentiful seafood from Jersey's local waters