The Bell at Skenfrith – Monmouthshire

Contemporary and cosy rarely coincide, but this stylishly-converted 17th-century coaching inn is one place that convincingly combines the two. The Bell has been winning awards since 1999, when it was fully restored. Despite several major floods, committed owner Sarah Hudson has been busy since she took over in 2014, rebuilding and maintaining its warm atmosphere and enhancing its reputation for seasonal food. The hotel has a magnificent setting beside the River Monnow, with oak beams, antique furniture and comfy sofas beside the fires inside, and a pretty garden terrace for warm weather. Dogs are always welcome and even have their own ‘pooch parlour’. In the candlelit flagstone dining room, modern British dishes (with ingredients from the kitchen garden) are supported by a well-organised wine list. Many of the 11 sophisticated bedrooms, each charmingly named after a trout fly, have beams, fourposters and billowing white duvets. Momouthshire is renowned for its miles of country walks and The Bell has created six of its own mapped circular walks in and around the Skenfrith area – a brilliant way to explore. 

Doubles from £185 

+44 (0)1600 750235; skenfrith.co.uk