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wagging tail leads you through the gate and grazing horses lift their heads to check out the new arrival. Before you can pat the dog, though, Sheila and Moira pop out and welcome you under the thatched roof of their cottage.

If this sounds more like visiting friends than your average B&B, that’s because, well, it is. With the expanse of New Forest National Park just a few minutes’ walk away, not to mention the seven acres surrounding the cottage, staying at this 300-year-old listed home is about as ‘country’ as it gets.

Bring your walking shoes, golf clubs, bike or horse (they’ve got space), or forgo all that and just relax in your en suite room with a good book.

Your hosts lay on a huge English breakfast in the morning, which should give you enough energy for a day’s wildlife spotting. And by that time you’ll be ready for an ale in The Rising Sun, down the road.