Special Places to Stay - More than a bed for the night

Puzzling to come across this Edwardian building in the south of Spain, built by the British when they were pushing the railway through the mountains to Ronda. This commingling of northern architecture and southern vegetation and climate is as seductive as it is unexpected. The house stands alone on a hill, surrounded by stables, mill, resplendent gardens; bask in the shade of the trees, gaze onto the Bay of Gibraltar, drop into the deep freshwater pool. Quentin's family has farmed here for generations; now offspring Tom, Lucy and Ben run the show, along with their families. The drawing room is panelled, the dining room elegant, there are books, family portraits, a grandfather clock... a sense of faded grandeur in a much-loved home. Light lofty bedrooms, reached by a grand staircase, are furnished with family heirlooms and have period bathrooms: a festival of tubs and taps. The self-catering apartments lie in the former servants' quarters, the magnolias are intoxicating in spring, and storks chatter high in the trees: the garden is a birdwatcher's paradise.