Thyme

More of a country estate than a boutique hotel, the heart of Thyme is the elegant manor house, home to 31 individually-designed bedrooms that ooze country-house style without ever straying into chintz.

Beyond the house, other farm buildings have been converted into the spa, cookery school, shop and the Ox Barn restaurant. The Swan at Southrop is also part of the estate; both create menus using fruit, vegetables and herbs grown on the estate.

Sustainably run, and mindful of the estate’s history, this is one for those who want low-impact luxury and a sense of staying somewhere intensely personal to those that run it.