Where to stay for some of Britain's best countryside and coastal walks
Winter might mean shorter days and colder weather but that's no reason not to get out and explore some of Britain's very best spots. Some of the wildest moors and least-travelled glens are at their most beautiful in the chillier months – and even the country's golden sand beaches can tempt, especially when you realise they're not thronging with summer holidaymakers.
Tie up your boots, zip up your coat, wrap around that scrap and pick your bridleway, tor or forest – we're taking you rambling through the best hotels in Britain for lovely winter walks. And don't worry: they'll be a cosy room, comfortable bed and maybe even a fireplace waiting for your return...
Devon
Two Bridges Hotel
Dartmoor, Devon, England
8Telegraph expert rating
Two Bridges is easily accessible yet has the feeling of being a million miles away, with stunning scenery in every direction. Many winter walks across Dartmoor begin from the doorstep (including to Wistman's Wood, one of Britain's last native woodlands) and end by returning, as mist descends, into a welcoming lounge warmed by log fires and lit candles. The hotel is extremely dog-friendly; good to know if you want a canine companion on your trip. Read expert review From £100 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Saunton Sands Hotel
Braunton, Devon, England
9Telegraph expert rating
Beaches might be the summer go-to but they are just as mesmerising in winter. Take this North Devon speck of shoreline: come December the golden sand isn't too busy, and just down from the hotel is Braunton Burrows, a huge dune system where you could stroll for hours. The Art Deco property gives brilliant views, so you can hide away when the weather doesn't tempt you outside. Read expert review From £128 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Ilsington Country House Hotel
Dartmoor, Devon, England
8Telegraph expert rating
A stay here is in the shadow of the striking granite Hay Tor, which is perhaps the most iconic of the moorland walks. If you're not up for that, there are plenty of lovely paths that are dotted with country pubs for pit stops. There might be plenty of traditional country charm at the hotel but best of all – and ideal for post-walk relaxation – is the spa, with a pool, hydrotherapy, sauna, steam room and massages. Read expert review From £95 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Scotland
Greywalls Hotel & Chez Roux
Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland
9Telegraph expert rating
Playing golf isn't the only outdoor pursuit worth staying here for. During the colder months, take wonderfully chilly walks along the spectacular – and seemingly endless – East Lothian beaches. Even closer is a short ramble around the heavenly walled garden attributed to Gertrude Jekyll, before you warm up in the remarkably unspoilt Lutyens-designed Arts and Crafts house. If you have ever wanted to live in an E M Forster novel, this is the place for you. Read expert review From £126 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
The Grandtully Hotel by Ballintaggart
Grandtully, Perthshire, Scotland
9Telegraph expert rating
The focus here is on good food and good drinks in cosy, comfortable and fun surrounds; while the locals beat a path to this increasingly popular spot, rest easy with an already reserved dinner table and shrug off winter blues with woodland walks in deepest Perthshire's gentle glens. There’s a whisky lounge featuring mustard and deepest turquoise sofas and a quietly witty book collection ranging from foraging to how to do hygge. Read expert review From £110 per night
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The Langdale Hotel
Great Langdale, Lake District, England
8Telegraph expert rating
Choose to stay here if you want a low-key, resort-style hotel in a forested estate in the heart of the Langdale valley close to some great walking. Langdale Pikes and Coniston Old Man are some of the best hill rambles; once you're back and you've taken off your boots you'll find modern edge: interiors have a cool, metropolitan feel, with velvet sofas, retro-style chairs, mirrored pillars and shelves artfully arranged with old books, vases and cleverly-lit wine racks. Read expert review From £155 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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The Borrowdale Hotel
Borrowdale, Lake District, England
8Telegraph expert rating
A traditional Lakeland hotel with enviable views, unpretentious but comfortable rooms and a great location. There are low-level walks from the doorstep, including the lake shore and along the pretty river Derwent. For the more experienced, Great Gable, Blencathra and Skiddaw are possible day walks. Although smart with several lounges and a formal dining room, it doesn't pretend to be more than a traditional hotel with classic wallpapers, patterned carpets, oak panelling and comfortable clusters of leather and plaid-upholstered armchairs and sofas. Read expert review From £85 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Wasdale Head Inn
Lake District, Cumbria, England
8Telegraph expert rating
Walkers have long been the regular guests of this Lakeland inn, which offers simple rooms, robust food and decent real ales. It's found where the road runs out; you really have to want to be here. But for many, this is the real Lake District, with superb walking and climbing on some of the mightiest fells – Scafell, Great Gable, Pillar, to name a few – close to the front door. Clothing and gear for sale, a drying room, packed lunches and maps to borrow make this a fantastic base for winter exploring. Read expert review From £118 per night
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The King's Head Inn
Newton under Roseberry, Yorkshire, England
8Telegraph expert rating
The inn sits at the foot of one of the North York Moors' most recognisable landmarks, Roseberry Topping, a 'mini-Matterhorn' of sandstone (a short but steep hike that starts 200 metres from the pub's door); get a different sense of the coast, moors and industrial Teesside in colder months. Stay on the 'Walk-Inn' rate for an excellent pack of laminated walks, a packed lunch, free pint and a boot-cleaning service. Read expert review From £99 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Yorebridge House
Bainbridge, Yorkshire, England
9Telegraph expert rating
The word ‘stunning’ is much overused but it aptly describes the scenery surrounding Yorebridge House – especially with the photogenic triple-flight Aysgarth Falls waterfall just round the corner (a circular walk can take you to the ruins of Castle Bolton). There are 12 rooms: seven in the main house and four in the schoolhouse, the latter with private hot tubs. Open fires, solid oak and stone flagged flooring dominate the public areas but there is ample chance to fully relax, with in-room massages available. Read expert review From £220 per night Check availability Rates provided by Mr & Mrs Smith
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The Timble Inn
Nidderdale, Yorkshire Dales, England
8Telegraph expert rating
Local reservoirs lure would-be winter strollers from this food-driven village pub, located in a quiet yet surprisingly well-connected spot. Head out on foot to find sweeping views of lower Wharfedale. At the hotel, stone-flagged floors, beams and deep windows have been jazzed up with mauve or cream walls, tweedy-green banquettes and strings of fairy-lights. A pub that does two sittings for Sunday lunch; what better way to follow a weekend of walking. Read expert review From £150 per night
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Boconnoc House & Estate
Lostwithiel, England
8Telegraph expert rating
Miles of ancient trees, lush gardens, a deer park and lake help make this Georgian country estate become a real winter wonderland – and guests can get exploring (possibly following in the footsteps of King Charles I, a former visitor). Such is the spread of parkland, with waterfall and picnic spot, you forget you're not just wandering without borders. Tired legs can head to sleep in opulent rooms, each with decadent fabrics, statement mirrors and comfortable beds. Read expert review From £240 per night
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The Gurnard's Head
St Ives, Cornwall, England
8Telegraph expert rating
It's hard to miss this striking yellow inn on the rugged West Cornwall coastline. The vivid paint job lends a visual reminder of its position as the half-way mark on the 630-mile long South West Coast Path (and a good excuse for a break if you're tackling it in chillier weather). Keep your strength up with something from the seasonal menu (perhaps pork belly, black pudding, mash and rhubarb) or just slip into Vispring beds while gazing out to sea or the sheep-flecked moor. Read expert review From £125 per night
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The Lugger
Portloe, Cornwall, England
9Telegraph expert rating
Keep your face warm if planning walks from The Lugger: you're right on Cornish coast path and so close to the sea that the air is salt-fresh – which seems to sting more during early-year winds. The fishing village of Portloe is truly unspoilt, one of the last of its kind in Cornwall. Within keeping of a 17th-century smuggler's inn, The Lugger is sophisticated, yet homely, with an abundance of character. Shelter post-wander on one of the large sofas next to a log fire, with a local Cornish ale or gin. Read expert review From £166 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
The Peacock at Rowsley
Peak District, Derbyshire, England
8Telegraph expert rating
You'll find this smart country inn in the south-east of the Peak District National Park. The Derwent Valley Heritage Way runs through the village; follow it north and it takes you to Chatsworth and beyond, head south instead and it’s five or six miles to Matlock. The Peacock has a drying room for your gear plus maps and guidebooks to borrow, and you can book a massage immediately afterwards in the rooms, which have an attractive mix of antique furniture and modern amenities. A bus stop is right outside, if the return walk feels like too much effort. Read expert review From £160 per night Check availability Rates provided by Mr & Mrs Smith
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Alstonefield Manor
Peak District, Derbyshire, England
8Telegraph expert rating
You might need a car to reach Alstonefield Manor but then it's all about wrapping up and getting your soles moving. Delve in to the dales – Manifold Valley, or Dove Dale – using maps provided by the owner (who serves tea and cake to get you warmed up again afterwards). Or else head for supper at the cosy pub nearby before retiring to king-sized beds and a view over the gardens from the beautiful Georgian manor. Read expert review From £130 per night
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Dorset
The Anchor Inn
Seatown, England
8Telegraph expert rating
Walks covering country and coast are abundant from this pub-with-rooms, right beside the Seatown shingle. The South West Coast Path cuts right through (you're 40 miles from the end at Poole Harbour) and if you can trek 30-40 minutes up to Golden Cap, the highest point on the south coast – easier than it sounds. Pints of local Palmers ale or impressive cocktails can be anticipated during a walk; if the weather is decent, expect a fight to secure a table (either tucked inside or al fresco) at this destination gastropub. Read expert review From £120 per night
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The Acorn Inn
Evershot, Dorset, England
8Telegraph expert rating
A sleepy village among the hills that inspired Dorset’s most famous author is home to the Acorn Inn; no doubt Hardy would still recognise this rural boozer, the stone exterior skulked by a Virginia creeper. Come winter, the five-mile walk through Melbury Estate parkland keeps you cocooned in old-world Dorset while the grey stone and thatched roofs lend an air of real-life Christmas card scene. All the rooms are traditional in style and food is elevated gastropub grub. Read expert review From £125 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Limestone Hotel
Lulworth Cove, Dorset, England
7Telegraph expert rating
Purbeck swells with tourists during the holiday season so pick winter to get to know the area. Walks along the secluded sands of Lulworth Cove are often paired with a stop at Durdle Door, an imposing natural limestone arch just west; the steep walk from the village, about three quarters of a mile long, gives you a golden Jurassic Coast photo op. Other routes head to Mupe Bay across the Lulworth Ranges – any decent walk will get you hungry for fresh Dorset seafood. Read expert review From £125 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Cheshire
The Pheasant Inn
Higher Burwardsley, England
8Telegraph expert rating
There’s nowhere else quite like this in Cheshire – not only is it a cosy country inn with great food and drink, comfy bedrooms and a friendly atmosphere, it also has glorious views down over the plain to the Welsh hills. It's on the Sandstone Trail, which runs from the Shropshire border to Frodsham; it's a revelation to anyone who thinks Cheshire is flat – at this point the trail follows the wooded escarpment of the Sandstone Ridge, with some dramatic wintry views en route, especially from and around Beeston Castle. Read expert review From £85 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Cotswolds
The Feathered Nest Country Inn
Oxfordshire, Cotswolds, England
8Telegraph expert rating
Wow, what a view. From the restaurant and generous terrace of this handsome, edge-of-village property you gaze (and gaze) across a sweeping tapestry of fields in the sublime Evenlode valley. And if you can tear yourself away from the honey-coloured building, you'll discover wonderful walks right from the doorstep. Fancy sticking close? A big bonus of a stay here is being able to wander through the 45-acre grounds (most of it is open only to residents). The four bedrooms are country-style, with hessian floors and the odd antique. Read expert review From £140 per night
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The Ebrington Arms
Ebrington, Cotswolds, England
8Telegraph expert rating
This hidden treasure set in a gloriously unspoilt village is a modern day version of a country tavern – it’s at once a genuine pub that brews its own very smooth ales; a lovely restaurant with real local flavour; and a charming hotel with rural-chic bedrooms. Exquisite Chipping Campden is a couple of miles away, and there’s a gorgeous walk to the little town whatever the season. If you go on longer hikes, a pint of the pub's very own beer is your reward on return. Read expert review From £165 per night Rates provided by Booking.com
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The Quay Hotel and Spa
Llandudno, Wales
8Telegraph expert rating
A busy spa hotel that's part of a mostly residential complex in Deganwy Marina may not scream winter walks but The Quay offers easy access to the Wales Coast Path – head down and walk if you're experienced, otherwise flit from cafe to cosy pub as you meander. Otherwise a short drive away results in wanderings around Unesco-list Conwy Castle, a lovely backdrop during dusk. Frightful weather outside? The spa offers an extensive range of treatments using ESPA products. Read expert review From £119 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Contributions from David Atkinson, Suzanne King, Linda Macdonald, Natalie Millar-Partridge, Harriet O'Brien, Benjamin Parker, Helen Pickles, Anna Turns and Tina Walsh
