A charming, family-run guest house in York has been crowned the best bed and breakfast in England after taking home Gold at the prestigious 2026 VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.MonkBridge House, an elegant eight-bedroom Victorian property run by husband-and-wife team Paul and Fiona Hemsley, beat guest houses from across the country to be named England’s B&B and Guest House of the Year in the national finals.Silver in the same category went to One Drake Road and Apartments in Tavistock, Devon, while Holly Lodge Boutique Bed and Breakfast in Norfolk claimed bronze. The coveted award is the latest accolade for the couple, who previously won North Yorkshire Guest House of the Year in both 2024 and 2025, further cementing the B&B’s reputation as one of the finest in the country. Just an eight-minute walk from York’s historic City Walls, the five-star property dates back to 1864 and is still packed with Victorian character today, all while offering the comfort and luxury of an upscale boutique hotel. York Minster is just a 10-minute stroll away, while The Shambles, the famous medieval street visited by thousands each year, is located 15 minutes away, making the B&B an ideal base for exploring one of England’s most historic cities. MonkBridge House, an eight-bedroom Victorian property run by husband-and-wife team Paul and Fiona Hemsley, recently took home Gold at the prestigious 2026 VisitEngland Awards for Excellence Just an eight-minute walk from York’s historic City Walls, the five-star property dates back to 1864 and is still packed with Victorian characteThe house features eight individually designed en suite bedrooms that are each named after a former resident of the building. The Rymer Room is named after a former occupant, who served as Lord Mayor of York between 1883 and 1891, while other rooms honour the likes of Sykes, clerk to the Guardians of the York Workhouse, and Powell, who served as superintendent of St Mary’s Home for Girls. Each room is equipped with underfloor heating in the en suite, a television, USB sockets, a minibar fridge and complimentary tea, coffee and snacks. The standout Rymer Room also boasts an antique French oak four-poster bed, a spacious walk-in shower, and views across the picturesque River Foss. But one of MonkBridge House’s biggest draws is its breakfast, which has previously been voted the best in York, reports Time Out. Guests can choose from a traditional Yorkshire breakfast complete with fried bread, homemade bagels topped with smoked salmon, Craster kippers, avocado on sourdough toast, marmalade, and a rotating selection of daily specials. The guest house has earned hundreds of glowing online reviews over the years, amassing an impressive rating of 4.9 stars on TripAdvisor. One person who’d stayed at MonkBridge House last month wrote: ‘Perfect. It’s a great location for visiting York. The B&B is beautiful and spotlessly clean. Amenities – they have thought of everything, great attention to detail. The breakfast is amazing – don’t miss it.’Another said: ‘This has been our 3rd stay here during the last year and it has been exceptional and would not stay anywhere else. Each individually designed en suite bedroom is named after a former resident of the building Rooms feature underfloor heating in en suites, a television, and a minibar fridge stocked with tea, coffee and snacks’The room is spotless, has everything you need, Paul and Fiona have thought of every small detail to make your stay so comfortable. We stayed in the Thompson room which overlooks the garden it’s a very quiet room.’ In June, another reviewer described their stay at MonkBridge House as a ‘better experience than most five-star hotels’. Meanwhile, on Google, reviewer Mike Curtis described the breakfast as ‘top notch’, while Michael Gregson said it was ‘one of the highlights of our stay’. Another guest recommended visitors make sure they try the homemade marmalade.Away from the bedrooms, guests can relax in the communal lounge or enjoy the property’s garden, while a fully licensed honesty bar and wine fridge offer somewhere to relax after a day exploring. For visitors looking to book England’s best B&B, it’s worth noting its prices reflect its five-star status. A two-night stay for two adults in one of the standard twin rooms starts from around £307 during quieter periods, while upgraded king rooms cost approximately £366. The luxurious four-poster Rymer Room, on the other hand, is available from around £376 for a two-night stay, according to Metro. With only eight bedrooms and a new national title to its name, the award could increase demand – rooms are often booked months in advance. The guest house has earned an impressive rating of 4.9 stars on TripAdvisor, with many reviews left by returning guests A two-night stay for two adults in one of the standard twin rooms starts from around £307 during quieter periods, while upgraded king rooms cost approximately £366Meanwhile, the owner of what was named England’s best B&B in 2025, where rooms are £65-a-night, reveals how he gets through 19-hour work days in the summer – and what tourists didn’t mind 20 years ago but won’t accept now. Owned by husband-and-wife team Anthony, 39, and Larissa Duffey, 37, Sunnyside Bed and Breakfast scooped two accolades in VisitEngland’s 2025 tourism awards, including Best B&B in England, and a second commendation for Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism. Over the last 18 years, Sunnyside owner Anthony says he’s learned exactly what does and doesn’t work.The father of one reveals just how much his business has changed since he first opened it with his mother nearly two decades ago, when he was just 20 years old.’We’ve actually got less rooms than when we first opened,’ Anthony tells the Daily Mail. ‘We’ve found that what guests expect from their stay has completely changed over the last 18 years. It’s unbelievable.’ The experienced B&B host, who now runs the establishment with just his wife, shares how two of the rooms originally had no bathroom and have since been removed to make the other bedrooms larger and they all now have en suites. The guesthouse now boasts ten bedrooms.Anthony and Larissa pay attention to the finer details, from ensuring they have locally sourced breakfast ingredients to the small ‘personal touches’ in the bedrooms.The pair make their own honey and jams, using fruit from a nearby farm, and even the walls are decorated with work from local artists. Anthony emphasises that ‘it’s not just about the kind of room and kind of fixtures and fittings in the room’, but the ‘whole experience of their stay’.