Hotel of the week: Rubens Barn, West Sussex

"Tucked away" in a broad valley in the South Downs, Rubens Barn is an ideal base from which to explore this "special slice" of the English countryside, says Mark Rowe in The Independent on Sunday. A b&b with two bedrooms (one double, one twin) housed in an 18th century flint barn on the vast Goodwood estate, it has a delightful garden from which footpaths lead off into the surrounding hills and woods.

The furniture is “comfortable” and the décor “tasteful”; there is a kitchenette with a “well-stocked fridge” for self-service breakfasts; plus, an adjacent tennis court.

Rubens Barn (01243-818187) - from £75 per night, b&b; from £650 per week, self-catering.