In the Good Hotel Guide 2017, edited as ever by Adam Raphael and M. Astella Saw, with their choice of hotels, inns and B&Bs in Great Britain and Ireland, Essex is represented four times. The editors clearly enjoy Constable Country selecting Dedham Hall & Fountain House Restaurant and the Sun Inn, both in the ridiculously pretty medieval village of Dedham. The Pier at Harwich, brilliantly revamped this year and reviewed on this site, also makes an appearance as does the Mistley Thorn in Mistley.

The Good Hotel Guide 2017: Great Britain & Ireland, £19 (including p&p) from The Good Hotel Guide, 50 Addison Avenue, London W11 4QP, 020 7602 4182; goodhotelguide.com or priced £20 from all good bookshops.

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