Location: The Pig at Combe is set just outside the Devon chocolate-box village of Grittisham. The nearest train station is three miles away in Honiton, a three-hour ride from London.

First impressions: Driving up the long winding lane to The Pig, we pass auburn-hued Arabian horses, their coats glistening in the sun. At the centre of this lush 1,400-hectare site is a magnificent honey-coloured manor, shining brightly against a cloudless sky on our arrival. Inside, your first encounter is not with a traditional lobby area but with a cocktail bar – that’s when I knew I was going to be as happy as a pig in mud. A few twists and turns around the house and you reach a check-in desk for the welcomingly unstuffy formalities.

The facts: The Pig at Combe is one of a growing litter of Pigs around the country. This Grade I listed Elizabethan property became part of the Pig family in 2016. The hotel has just 30 rooms and they’re all unique. Mine was The Laundry, a massive one-bed suite with a super‑kingsize four-poster bed and a separate lounge area. The pièce de résistance was an enormous copper bathtub with monsoon shower – plenty big enough for two. Suites in the stableyard are rustic and fun; in one of them, The Horsebox, the original stalls separate the bed and a freestanding bath. The decor throughout the property is charming, with a diversity of antiques, hessian carpets and chandeliers that somehow perfectly complement each other. Drawings of flora and fauna decorate the walls, alongside a few items of taxidermy. All of the Pigs take food seriously. Here you’ll find a main restaurant where breakfast, lunch and dinner are served, and a bar, which is hugely popular with guests and locals alike. Elsewhere in the grounds, the Folly serves delicious flatbreads and light bites. Dishes are created with produce from the kitchen garden.

Explore: Ask hotel staff for a map of walking routes from the property. Two in particular are suggested – a three‑miler and a six-miler. Guests with a car can head south to explore the nearby Jurassic coast. And after exploring the beauty of Devon, guests seeking a twin-centre could head to the newest Pig in the litter, at Harlyn Bay in Cornwall.

Wow: The grounds. You could easily spend your entire stay on the property, enjoying the delicious cuisine and gorgeous green landscapes.

COVID policy:thepighotel.com/faq/covid-19

Book it: Agents can book The Pig at Combe through the agent portal of Mr & Mrs Smith. Rates start from £155.

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