If a break to Northern Ireland is on the top of your list, look no further than the elegant Ardtara Country House near Maghera. Luxurious from inception, the Victorian property was built by one of Northern Ireland’s wealthy linen barons and is in a picturesque setting amid woodlands and lakes.

It is part of the multi award-winning Browns Bonds Hill Collection, a bespoke restaurant group that includes Browns Bonds Hill and Browns in Town, both of which are in Derry city, and Eighteen Ninety Four, a fine dining restaurant near the beautiful beach at Portstewart.

All are owned by hospitality specialist Marcus Roulston and chef patron Ian Orr – well known for his appearances on TV cookery shows such as BBC’s Saturday Kitchen Live. Orr oversees Ardtara Country House’s restaurant, creating amazing dishes with ingredients that are fresh, seasonal and locally sourced – including from its own gardens.

He and Roulston bought the property in 2014, smitten not just by its potential, but by its past. “We have lovingly restored it, combining its romantic Victorian architecture with all the modern comforts you expect in top class hospitality,” explains Roulston.

Its nine bedrooms are beautifully decorated and feature antiques and heirlooms alongside modern conveniences such as flatscreen TVs and Nespresso machines. The bedrooms, and indeed some of the en suite bathrooms, feature original fireplaces and working fires.