What’s the hotel like? Think Mansfield Park with mod cons and you’ll be on the right track. Then carry on thinking Mansfield Park, because Lainston House, a gorgeous 17th-century red-brick mansion in 63 acres of parkland, is in the heart of Jane Austen country. Fortunately, the connection ends there, so there’s no corny Darcy Drawing Rooms or Bingley Bars. In fact, the handsome Cedar Bar got its very sensible name when it was panelled from head-to-toe with the wood of one huge tree that fell in 1930.

All 50 rooms are individually decorated, but what they do have in common is sumptuous bathrooms. For full-on wallowing, go for Olive, with its free-standing Victorian bath and enormous double walk-in shower. For escapism, pick Greenwell, an apartment-sized room up in the lofty beams; or the external Garden Suite, with a spa bath. For views, choose Delft, overlooking the house’s mile-long avenue of lime trees.

If you can’t make it out of your bath for the generous full English before 10am, breakfast can be served in your room at any time. Anyone who’s eaten in the hotel’s excellent restaurant the night before will probably welcome a few hours’ extra digestion time.

If you want to do more than sleep off your meal, take a walk around the grounds (there are the ruins of a 12th-century chapel as well as all the greenery); or to the village of Sparsholt. Or have a game of boules, shoot some clay pigeons or borrow the mountain bikes.

It’s still February. We wouldn’t want to cycle too far in the cold... Although Lainston House is suitably countrified, Winchester town centre is an easy 2½ miles away — park up and go for some indoor sightseeing. Start with the splendid cathedral, founded in 1079. King Canute’s bones, Jane Austen’s grave, and the Anthony Gormley sculpture in the crypt cover the centuries nicely. Pay an extra £1 and you can climb up to the Norman Triforium gallery and see the 12th-century illuminated Winchester Bible and a medieval French translation of the Koran. Round the corner is Jane Austen’s house (though as the friendly sign at the window says, it’s PRIVATE and you CAN’T come in). Stroll up the hill to see Arthur’s Round Table hanging, dartboard-like, in the medieval Great Hall (admission free). Then stroll back for one of Winchester’s best pub lunches at the Wykeham Arms (75 Kingsgate Street; 01962 853834).

And further afield? Plenty more, including Georgian Alresford, where the Watercress Line steam railway begins (01962 733810; £9); and Chawton, with another former home of Jane Austen that actually welcomes visitors (01420 83262; £4). The New Forest, about 20 minutes away, has walking and pony-spotting potential galore.

Who should go? Bathing belles.

Who shouldn’t? Hydrophobics.

• Lainston House Hotel 01962 863588, www.exclusivehotels.co.uk. Doubles start at £155, room-only (£130 extra for a junior suite). Weekend breaks from £220pp for two nights’ B&B, with dinners

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