Lavender borders the drive up to the house where you will be warmly welcomed by Jane and Michael with an invitation to join them for tea and homemade cakes – the flapjacks with blueberries are particularly delicious.

The guest room has a romantic five foot four poster bed and is decorated in a gentle blue and yellow Chinese theme. The en suite bathroom is down a couple of steps and whilst not housing a shower – those ancient beams again – does have a spacious bath and plenty of room.

Breakfast, and dinner if pre-arranged, are taken in the dining room where a warming wood burner roars in the winter and the adjacent sitting room offers a comfortable, peaceful end to a day’s sightseeing.