Norfolk, Norfolk, East of England, England

REFNO:551268. There are too many good things about The Hobart Spring to list, but suffice to say that it’s every bit as good as it looks. Most of the buildings date to the 1470s, when Sir James Hobart (later attorney general to the king) built his family home. Our favourite room (not an easy decision) is the kitchen, which looks beautifully traditional, but alongside the Aga, has an electric oven, gas hob, espresso machine and more. You can also pick herbs from the raised beds in the back. Either as a gateway to the Broads, or as a destination in itself, you can’t go wrong. Home truths: *Public transport is virtually non-existent in the area – there is space to park as many cars as you need *The track to reach the home is often stern with pot holes, it’s worth driving very slowly *The bed in bedroom 3 is a 4' double so better suited to children or one adult *There is a boot room with a sink and coat hooks *There's one bathroom in The Cottage shared between three bedrooms *The hosts can recommend local caterers, wine tastings from nearby vineyards and a variety of on-site activities such as archery, massages or yoga - just ask on booking *The bathrooms don't have sockets for charging shavers and toothbrushes