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Your support makes all the difference.Where is it?
On Sark, an island in the English Channel which is 45 minutes by boat from Guernsey and famous for having no cars. On arrival in the harbour, take the "toast rack" (a trailer of seats pulled by a tractor) up the steep hill, from where you can walk, cycle or ride in a pony and trap to the end of The Avenue, the island's main drag. Bear left through the meadows and there it is. (The tractor driver can arrange for your luggage to be taken to the hotel.) Those with mobility problems can travel all the way to the hotel on the trailer.
What's it like?
An old farmhouse, parts of which date back to the 16th century, including the Smugglers Bar. Bedrooms are divided between the main house and a wisteria-covered annexe. There's a swimming pool in the grounds.
What's it's USP?
On Sark you leave much of modern life behind. The horizon is never too far away, as Sark is only three miles long and one and a half miles across. Head for the cliff-tops to enjoy breathtaking views. There are no cars, but pushbikes and an increasing number of licensed tractors means the centre can seem as busy as Piccadilly Circus when the day-trippers land.
Service?
Ten to one you'll be greeted by the attentive owner, Paul Armorgie, himself. A good-natured chat with the staff is likely to precede dinner, but they are never pushy.
Rooms?
The rooms are wonderfully quiet, thoroughly clean and simply decorated, with comfortable beds. Prices for the 20 rooms start at £50 per person for dinner, bed and breakfast. Deals for families are often available.
Food?
Stocks prides itself on using local produce. Dinner will almost certainly feature locally caught fish. Dishes are fresh and simple, the quantities large and the quality excellent.
Clientele?
Several well-known thesps regularly stay here. It's far from snooty, though: one visitor who has been coming here for 13 years is known as "auntie".
Ambience?
It's a plush, relaxed, family run hotel.
Things to do?
Explore the lavish, extensive Seigneurie gardens. You can go and see the prison – so small it looks like a granite garden shed. Or there's Venus Pool, a tidal pool of sea water in the cliff side that stays warm enough to swim in all year round. Finding the path isn't easy as the only markers are some piles of stones.
Sark has a richness of flora and fauna. As skylarks sing overhead and the scent of coconut wafts from the flowering gorse, you may see a Hawksmoth caterpillar in a clump of ragwort. Venture across to Little Sark (linked to Sark by a knife-edge path called La Coupée), and you could spot the rare narrow-leaved cudweed.
Address?
Stocks Island Hotel, Dixcart Valley, Sark, Channel Islands GY9 0SD (01481 832001; fax 01481 832130; www.stocks-sark.com).
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