The Norfolk Mead – Coltishall, Norfolk

Three cheers for this sophisticated yet gentle address, brilliantly placed for exploring both the Norfolk Broads and Norwich. With a lovely walled garden, perfect for afternoon tea and summer dining, a wildflower meadow that borders a pretty tributary of the River Bure and a private lake, this fine Georgian house set in eight acres of grounds is a haven. It comes with its own boat, in which you can explore the Broads with a delicious picnic; add a massage or facial in the hotel’s treatment rooms and you have the ingredients for a delightful yet affordable break. Husband and wife team Anna Duttson and James Holliday are the hands-on owners and they revitalised this long-established hotel in 2013, creating 16 contemporary rooms and suites. Anna’s background at the helm of a successful catering company (they both worked for McLaren on the Formula 1 circuit, catering for the team around the world) means that the two AA-rosette food – pork belly with beetroot tops followed by cod loin and lemon meringue parfait, say – is as refined as the rest.

Doubles from £135

+44 (0)1603 737531; norfolkmead.co.uk