Neil bonner gets a taste of the high life at two of the english riviera’s finest hotels

With a head chef who wowed viewers and judges alike on MasterChef and a head gardener by the name of Titchmarsh, I knew my chosen Devonshire hotel was something special.

The impressive stained glass window above the staircase leading to my room was another pointer to the fact that here was a country mansion fit for a king.

So it was hardly surprising to learn that historic Langdon Court, in a delightfully rural spot just outside Plymouth, has indeed, been favoured by royalty over the years.

Elizabeth I stayed here, as too did the Prince of Wales, before he became King Edward VII. The old philanderer visited with his mistress, the beautiful actress and socialite Lillie Langtry. Pictures of the pair can be seen around the house.

Before them, Catherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII, may have kept her head – but she lost her heart to the delights of Langdon Court… and who could blame her? It was bequeathed to her when Henry died.

Nowadays the listed courtyard manor house, mentioned in the Doomsday Book, is an award-winning luxury hotel and restaurant. Head chef Jamie Rogers made it through to the quarter finals of BBC MasterChef : The Professionals, aged just 23, and has created dishes to die for.

For my first- night starters I chose watercress and potato soup with a crispy egg, followed by rib of beef, potato anna, sauce gribeche with caesar salad, while for dessert I chose custard tart with rhubarb and roasted barley ice cream. All of which came to a shade over £40 and certainly made for a memorable dining experience.

Owners Geoffrey and Emma Ede, who bought Langdon Court in 2007, pride themselves on sourcing all the food for their restaurant from within a 20mile radius, ensuring that it’s fresh and deliciously Devonshire.

All the rooms are individually designed. Mine even featured a comfortable window seat with great views over the garden and beyond.

Over the past ten years or so, head gardener Graham Titchmarsh, who happens to be Alan’s cousin, has worked tirelessly to transform the grounds into a haven of Jacobean formality combined with secret gardens, sweeping lawns and wildflower refuges. He is even developing a vineyard on the 10-acre estate. Actually, I found it quite difficult to tear myself away from these comfortable surroundings but a chap has to be strong. I could have taken a pleasant walk to the beach at Wembury Cove or explored the delights of Plymouth.

In the end, though, I chose to visit nearby Buckland Abbey, near Yelverton, a former home of Sir Francis Drake and now a fascinating National Trust property.

Then, my delightful Devonshire odyssey continued with a stay at Orestone Manor, a Georgian manor house which hides itself snugly in the South Devon village of Maidencombe, between Torquay and Teignmouth. Here I stayed in a room overlooking beautiful gardens and the picturesque Lyme Bay.

There are 12 individually decorated bedrooms, most of which have views of the gardens and the sea. The simple but effectively furnished dining room opens out on to a palm-fringed verandah where you can dine al fresco when the weather permits. It was raining while I was there but my beautifully cooked evening dinner more than made up for that.

Main courses cost around £23 and include wild boar and pan-seared pave of turbot. This time, though I chose good old fish and chips, which were delicious.

Like Langdon, Orestone can lay claim to an interesting slice of English history, this being the birthplace of the Christmas card! The world’s first such greeting was designed here in 1843 by celebrated artist John Callcott Horsley, founder of Orestone Manor. He also provides Orestone with a link to the pioneering engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Horsley happened to be his brother-in-law and the artist responsible for a well-known painting of Brunel that hangs in the National Portrait Gallery. It was painted at Orestone.

Neil and Catherine D’Allen, the presentday owners of Orestone Manor, enjoy their links with the past and point out that throughout the 1850s, the manor would have been the setting for many family gatherings, candlelit dinners, music in the parlour, children’s games and perhaps croquet on the lawn – a genteel pursuit that’s still available to today’s guests.

It’s no wonder they call this part of south Devon the English Riviera – when the sun shines it can certainly give its French counterpart a run for its money. This really is the perfect area for a short break, with some wonderful beaches, historic houses and beautiful gardens to explore – with or without the expert guidance of a Titchmarsh.