Homewood Park - Hinton Charterhouse

Homewood Park creates a memorable first impression with its romantic looks and verdant setting. The mansion stands in 10 acres of prizewinning gardens and grounds over the Limpley Stoke valley south of Bath, and it remains one of the loveliest country house hotels in the West Country.

There are several dining rooms, each with fine views of the gardens, and visitors can look forward to meticulously crafted modern food inspired by abundant supplies of British produce. To start, the kitchen might offer parsnip soup with bacon lardons and silverskin onions or pumpkin and Stilton risotto ahead of a duo of venison and duck accompanied by black pudding, caramelised apples and cider cream or fillet of red mullet with bubble 'n' squeak, tomatoes and courgette tortellini.

Bringing up the rear are cleverly fashioned desserts such as passion fruit parfait with tangerine sorbet and cranberry syrup; otherwise try the selection of British and European cheeses. The serious wine list is unashamedly biased towards France, although the New World is also strongly represented.