Blue Waters Lodge may not have dramatic sea views or a large secluded garden, but the owners of this Victorian terraced house, Colin and Jackie, more than compensate by providing terrific service, with so many thoughtful extras, in a warm, friendly and relaxed atmosphere. They so evidently love the place and are proud of it; and upgraded it well when they took it over, with quality furnishings and a practical understanding of guests' needs. It's a friendly, unpretentious, traditional B&B, offering quality far beyond its size, and the final judges in this category of the awards were unanimous that it deserved Gold.

These are some of the comments that the judges Hilary Bradt & Janice Booth, authors of the Bradt Guide to Slow Travel in South Devon & Dartmoor made:

Arrival: Victorian terraced house, no off-road parking but free parking in street outside. If it's full, the owners shift their own cars to make space for guests. Warm welcome, log fire burning in lounge, owners Colin & Jackie sat us down to tea & homemade cake, and our bags were straightaway whisked up to our room. Friendly dog kept out of the way until we said we liked it.

Bedroom: Bright, warm, comfortable, well furnished. Small, but everything had been thought of. Plenty of power points, good hospitality tray. Wifi worked well. Good instruction folder, well written. Hot towel rail. Even towelling bathrobes! Bathrooms have recently been upgraded; the shower worked well and was easy to operate. Good lighting, allowing us to read in bed.

Customer facilities: Cosy lounge and well-stocked licensed bar, and a small patio garden. Additional services, eg collecting guests from station, sourcing a disabled buggy, even hairdressing (Jackie is an experienced hairdresser with a salon at home). For those wanting to be car-free there's access to a local tour operator who can take guests out and about including to Dartmoor.