Lewtrenchard Manor

A ‘stunning Jacobean building’ is, astonishingly, largely the creation of Victorian squire, parson and prolific author the Revd Sabine Baring-Gould. Salvaged Tuscan columns, Renaissance woodwork, rococo plasterwork, a Jacobean ceiling from a demolished house in Exeter, with antiques and Gould ancestral portraits, add to a rich ambience. A four-poster in Melton bedroom, overlooking the sunken garden and fountain, once belonged to Charles I’s wife, Henrietta Maria. 'The manor is set in beautiful grounds and the house itself retains all of its charm, full of antiquities along with cosy fires,' writes a reader. 'Staff are friendly, attentive yet unobtrusive; the service was exceptional.' In the atmospheric dining room, with its dark wood panelling, David Brown’s à la carte and tasting menus use produce from the kitchen garden. ‘The food is superb, both in taste and quality of the dishes’ which might include cod loin with mussels or venison loin and haunch with beetroot, gnocchi and port jus. This is a special place with 'fantastic walks', where a ‘forgotten’ Edwardian woodland garden, with waterfall and grotto, awaits discovery. (LO)