Clanville Manor - Castle Cary, Somerset

From the moment you pull up, you can tell Clanville Manor is a proper, dyed-in-the wool working farm. First, there's the platoon of chickens clucking beside the gravel drive; there's the rustic archway to the old barn; and there's Rob Snook, fourth-generation cattle farmer in regulation flat cap and wellies.

Rob's wife Sally has been welcoming bed-and-breakfasters since 1996. Her four cottagey guest rooms are tucked under the eaves of the Georgian farmhouse, with its wisteria-draped windows and honey-hued stone.

Outside, take a dip in the swimming pool, picnic on the riverbank, or stroll two miles into Castle Cary, a trim medieval market town. What you'll remember most, though, is Sally's Aga-cooked breakfasts, all ingredients bought from nearby farms. She can probably even tell you the name of the bee that made the honey for your toast.