As the temperatures drop, it's tempting to find a comfy sofa, curl up next to a roaring log fire, and refuse to come out until Spring.
The Perfect 10: Roaring log fires
Devastated during the floods last November, The Swan has had a £4 million refurbishment before opening again in style this summer, complete with Designers Guild wallpaper and designer furniture. And the boutique bolthole on the shores of Lake Windermere is the perfect winter weekend hideaway.
The restaurant uses local, seasonal food with fine wine to accompany it, and ale on tap at the Swan Inn – as well as snug corners with open fires to keep out the Cumbrian chill. Doubles cost from £99 per night.
The Perfect 10: Roaring log fires
A Grade I Elizabethan manor, Combe House near Exeter was built when fires were not just a bit of luxurious decoration. So there's no chance you'll feel a chill near the enormous log fire in the oak-panelled Great Hall.
The Perfect 10: Roaring log fires
Set in a 3,500 acre country estate, where horses and pheasants both roam free, it's perfect for a romantic walk. But if you can't tear yourself away from the fire, you barely need to – there's also one in the beautiful Green Mural dining room and another in the cocktail bar, so you can simply hop from cosy nook to cosy cranny. The 15 bedrooms include a four-poster room as well as the Linen suite, occupying part of the Victorian laundry. Prices start from £179 per double room per night. A three course dinner with canapés is £48 per person.
The Perfect 10: Roaring log fires
You might associate log fires with country pubs, but there's no reason to miss out just because you're in the middle of a city. Malmaison Liverpool, in the city's Princes Dock, mixes industrial chic with New York gothic, including a modern take on the traditional roaring fire.
In a brazier-style open bowl with a huge pipe towering up to the ceiling, the fire is the eye-catching centrepiece in the lobby – as well as keeping you toasty warm. Doubles cost from £99.
The Perfect 10: Roaring log fires
It's enough to make you envy the cows – Upper Alde Barn, in Swelling, Suffolk, was originally a medieval cow barn, now restored and transformed into a luxurious country hideaway... in miniature. Sleeping two, the living room looks like it's been transported from a castle, as well as a vaulted Turkish bath and galleried bedroom.
If the huge open wood fire doesn't keep you toasty warm, there's underfloor heating, and a large indoor swimming pool so you can take a dip regardless of the East Anglian weather. Rural Retreats offers two nights at Upper Alde Barn from £377 and seven nights from £745.
The Perfect 10: Roaring log fires
You needn't trade boutique luxury for traditional comfort if you want to snuggle up by a log fire – Ice House hotel, in Ballina, County Mayo, is all about chic and you still get your roaring fire in the lounge to keep you toasty.
Overlooking the River Moy Estuary, it's in a restored 19th century ice store designed to mix contemporary style with the building's original history, as well as displaying art from some of Ireland's leading artists. Throw in the award-winning Pier restaurant in the vaulted Ice Store and spa treatments, as well as bathrooms with underfloor heating and California king-size beds and you may not want to venture out at all. Prices start from £120 per room, based on two sharing.
The Perfect 10: Roaring log fires
Built in the 1920s using medieval timber and stone from nearby derelict 13th century buildings, Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa, harks back to its traditional roots with oak panelled passageways set around a rose-filled courtyard, oak beams, four poster beds plus log fires in nine of the bedrooms and suites.
The Perfect 10: Roaring log fires
With Climping beach just minutes away, you can defrost at open fireplaces dotted around the hotel, before chilling out in the award-winning spa and restaurant. Prices start from £225 per night, based on two sharing.
The Perfect 10: Roaring log fires
A roaring fire is definitely a necessity in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland, and back in the 12th century, when Tulloch Castle was first built, the different clans who owned it made sure that there were plenty to go around. The magnificent fortress, now a hotel, still has a 250-year-old panelled Great Hall as well as restored original fireplaces throughout.
The Perfect 10: Roaring log fires
After a hard day tramping through the countryside and marvelling at the mountains, curl up in one of the 20 bedrooms, which cost from £140 per night.