Ten Cosy Hotels in the UK by Ben Cooper
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Dramatic tales have been dominating the news lately: of the Scottish border town of Hawick being cut off; of abandoned cars littering the sides of roads; of grit supplies running low; of New Year reveller's being stranded in the highest pub in England.
Providing you can reach them, here are 10 cosy hotels in the UK where you certainly wouldn't mind getting snowed in for a night or two...
1. The Wheatsheaf, Combe Hay, Somerset
The Wheatsheaf feels very much like what it is: three comfortable guestrooms set around an excellent country pub. So it really comes into its own when the weather gets ugly: you can settle in at the bar and work through an inspired selection of fug-inducing real ales before moving on to tackle a menu of heavy, gamey dishes and other locally-sourced ingredients.
Recommended room: There are only three to choose from, but Buttercup is the most suitable for a snugly self-contained stay.
Doubles from £105 - Find out more about The Wheatsheaf
2. Knockinaam Lodge, Portpatrick, Dumfries & Galloway
You don't get voted "Scottish Romantic Hotel of the Year" without having a certain something or other up your sleeve. In the case of this former shooting lodge it's a killer location. Set in its own bay on a craggy stretch of coastline, it may err more to the "cosy" rather than the "stylish" end of the spectrum, but with views like these, even Philippe Starck wouldn't be disappointed.
Recommended room: Bay, for its fetching Victorian bed and ocean-facing views.
Doubles from £260 - Find out more about Knockinaam Lodge
3. No 12, Cirencester, Gloucestershire
No 12 is a luxury B&B housed in a rather grand-looking Georgian townhouse. But with only four rooms, it is cosiness and intimacy personified. On top of the gorgeous premises, style-wise there's not a hint of chintz in sight, while the rooms, with plenty of elegant furnishings and inviting sleigh beds, would be well suited to a long winter's hibernation.
Recommended room: Room four, for long soaks in a claw-foot bath and views of the snowy garden out the back.
Doubles from £90 - Find out more about No 12
4. The Bath Arms, Horningsham, Wiltshire
Handsome ivy-clad exteriors and stylish-as-you-like Miv Watts-designed rooms don't necessarily scream "cosy". But the Bath Arms has more than enough original features to compensate for the contemporary styling. If the inviting bar (with obligatory fire flickering in the grate) doesn't quite cut it, there's a skittles alley out back to liven up a dreary winter's night. Also worth a mention is its pretty-as-a-picture sister hotel, The Master Builder's (doubles from £65) in Buckler's Hard, Hampshire.
Recommended room: Bird in Hand, for its overwrought Louis XV-style bed tucked away up in the attic.
Doubles from £80 - Find out more about The Bath Arms
5. Pool House, Poolewe, Gairloch, Scotland
Grander by a long chalk than the rest of this selection, it's got the price tag to match. It's worth it, though, for a place that's bursting with antiques, stunning Victorian wrought iron fireplaces and a general feeling of glamorous detachment. And if it gets a bit dreary outside - or "driech" as they say in Scotland - The Rowallan Room has a billiards table and a fine collection of single malts on hand ...
Recommended room: HMS Whimbrel, for a relatively affordable stay and gasp-inducing Atlantic views.
Doubles from £245 - Find out more about Pool House
6. The New White Lion, Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, Wales
The New White Lion brings more than a touch of quirky city-slicking chic (think flock wallpaper and coquettish flourishes) to rural Wales. In contrast to the rooms themselves, the atmosphere downstairs is that of an old-fashioned inn: homely and warm – with folk nights, storytelling events and (glory be!) an honesty bar laid on.
Recommended room: Physicians of Myddfai, for lying back in the bath and admiring a lovely little original fireplace.
Doubles from £115 - Find out more about The New White Lion
7. The Peacock at Rowsley, Rowsley, Derbyshire
The Peacock at Rowsley is a small manor house without any of the usual airs and graces. Yes, it's got the casement windows with lattice panes and the odd crested doorway. But with just 16 rooms (stylishly decked out, admittedly) and a bar with reassuringly thick, exposed stone walls, it's more an upmarket country inn at heart.
Recommended room: A toss-up between room three with its gorgeous four-poster, and room four with its deep-set stone fireplace and colossal crossbeams.
Doubles from £145 - Find out more about The Peacock at Rowsley
8. The Victoria, Holkham, Norfolk
On a foul January evening, with snow flurries whistling in from the North Sea, it'd be hard not to feel a pang of relief at the twinkling lights of The Victoria in Holkham. Inside, the striking bare bones of the place are clothed in bohemian Rajasthan-inspired decor; outside, crunchy winter walks around the grounds of Holkham Estate beckon for the energetic.
Recommended room: The Stone, for being swallowed up in a gargantuan king-sized bed.
Doubles from £120 - Find out more about The Victoria
9. The George in Rye, Rye, Sussex
Rooms at 16th-century coaching inn The George in Rye are panelled, snug and really rather fabulous. Long dark nights can be whiled away down in the bar, where low ceilings and twisted beams are the order of the day, or in an excellent restaurant serving fish freshly hauled in from the harbour. During the day, weather permitting, you can slip and slide your way around the antique shops and tea rooms that chocolate-boxey Rye specialises in.
Recommended room: Room 14 - a junior suite tucked away up in the eaves of the hotel.
Doubles from £125 - Find out more about The George in Rye
10. Linthwaite House, Lake Windermere, Lake District
As soon as there's even a rumour of snow in Britain, you can pretty much guarantee it'll be piling up in the Lake District. But you wouldn't mind in the slightest if you were within striking distance of Linthwaite House as the drifts began to mount. You'd simply settle back into a comfortable chair with a glass of something or other and watch the white stuff gently settle around Lake Windermere. Snow be damned ...
Recommended room: Room 33, for its cheery, if electric, fire.
Doubles from £220 - Find out more about Linthwaite House
Looking to hole up somewhere out of the way? See our collection of hideaway hotels in the UK; alternatively, see our full selection of luxury hotels in the UK.
(This article originally appeared on Guardian.co.uk as 10 Cosy Hotels to Beat the Big Freeze.)