Nunsmere Hall Hotel

Approached through pine and birch woodland deep in the Cheshire countryside, Nunsmere Hall sits with its feet almost in the water, encircled on three sides by a glassy private lake. The setting is the star: mist on the water at dawn, herons stalking the reeds, and grand rooms that look straight out over the ripples. Inside it's all polished woodwork, deep armchairs and the quiet confidence of a proper country house. Come for a special-occasion dinner and a night away where the loudest sound is the wind in the trees.

The lakeside woodland setting alone justifies the journey, and it delivers the kind of hushed, cinematic stay guests happily tell friends about.

• Romantic Escape
• Weekend Escape
• Peace & Quiet
• Photographers