The Cattle Shed

To discover you're going to a cow shed for lunch mightn't spark the greatest joy...until you realise that the utterly transformed Cattle Shed is infinitely more exciting than it sounds.

Herefordshire's former celebrity hideaway (for Led Zeppelin, Queen and Monty Python as well as a couple of US Presidents), Penrhos Court has perched on a hilltop overlooking the small market town of Kington and the Welsh border beyond since medieval times. Today, this history-soaked hamlet has period feature packed self-catering cottages plus the award-winning Cattle Shed café and restaurant, where seasonality rules the roost. Lunches are classic, evenings offer a more select candlelit menu.

Pad across the flagstones and settle into the charming rustic byre, surrounded by stone walls, huge wooden beams and chandeliers, and an inglenook fireplace. Stick a pin in the failsafe wine list or take a digestif outside, to relax in the courtyard as dragonflies dance around the large central pond.