The UK's best country pubs with rooms
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Nothing screams quintessentially British quite like a country pub with rooms. These little inns welcome you with open arms, roaring fires, cold ale and deliciously fresh food. The UK has seen a resurgence of country pubs with rooms in the past few years with a focus on snug bedrooms, quirky designs and all the comforts that come with a hotel stay. Whether you’re looking to soak in a roll-top copper bath or tuck into pork belly with baked celeriac, these pubs have it all – so pack your suitcase and get yourself booked in for a lovely weekend break. If you're just on the hunt for a delicious meal rather than a weekend away, then look no further than our favourite country pubs in the UK and Ireland.
Kira TurnbullThe Merry Harriers, Surrey
There’s the Surrey of Dorking, all polite borders and red trousers; then there’s the Surrey of the North Downs, where the stockbroker belt loosens. Not Dartmoor, but still… intriguing. Buzzards fly high and green-funnelled tracks cut deep below the hedgerows. A foodie ecosystem is fermenting around the village of Hambledon. Local boys Alex Winch (front of house at Perth’s Wildflower and Portland in London) and Sam Fiddian-Green (the marvellous Harwood Arms) returned to the area during the pandemic, testing the ground with seasonal lunch menus at Hilltop Kitchen. The young duo took over the 16th-century pub last year, and opened in June 2024 as a family-and-friends project: Fiddian-Green’s sister Goldie (formerly at Heckfield Place) grows the kitchen garden greens, mother Henrietta rears Herdwick sheep. The menu doesn’t stray far from the country pub playbook, but this is expertly cooked stuff: dishes such as lamb loin with laverbread leeks showcase the quality of meat, and standout starters include a sweetcorn chowder with a cake-like slice of cheese-frizzed cornbread; baked Alaska and peach melba bring dollops of ’70s nostalgia. Local design outfit Hutley & Humm uncluttered the pub, allowing wood-beamed history to breathe – the inglenook fireplace is large enough to conceal a Cavalier – with asparagus-green walls in the dining room, candlesticks and low-flying pendants. The garden bedrooms may be quieter, but take one of the four upstairs, dressed in linens and mustard-yellow-and-green headboards. There are morning walks through woodland to the hilltop monument to National Trust co-founder Octavia Hill and I-spy views. Surrey has surprisingly few foodie highlights, but this place is set to grow and grow. Rick Jordan
Address: The Merry Harriers, Hambledon Road, Godalming GU8 4DR
Jake EasthamThe Village Pub, Gloucestershire
When this Victorian pub reopened its doors to loyal locals after a six-month refit, you could almost hear a collective sigh of relief echo through the Cotswold stone of rose-scented Barnsley. A mainstay and focal point of the village, the pub and neighbouring hotel (once Barnsley House, now The Pig in the Cotswolds) were taken over by Robin and Judy Hutson’s The Pig Hotel group a year ago. The Boot, as it was known, has given way to The Village Pub. The no-nonsense approach to nomenclature (a nod to its 19th-century name) is echoed in the decidedly old-school menu. With smoked gammon in parsley sauce, a proper pastry pie of rabbit, leek and bacon, and jugged beef, this is trencher-man’s fare (lighter kitchen garden options are available at The Pig Hotel’s restaurant). There’s a room for walk-ins now, where crackling fires, antique oils of steely ancestors and Paint & Paper Library moss-green walls form a backdrop for pints of Arkell’s and Tom Long ales at the copper bar. Six cosy bedrooms are squirrelled away in the eaves (taller guests, beware). They come with William Morris botanical headboards, teal tongue and groove, and bottles of Bramley camomile, rosemary and sage bathroom goodies. After nights supping the signature Sapling climate-positive gin negronis, there are nostalgic breakfasts of boiled eggs and Marmite soldiers. Jemima Sissons
Address: The Village Pub, Barnsley, Cirencester GL7 5EF
Dave WattsThe Great Bustard, Wiltshire
Named after the bird that was reintroduced to the UK two decades ago in a field next to the village church, this freshly revamped 19th-century pub is already the social hub of the community (there’s even a hitching rail outside for anyone who wants to tie up their horse while having a pint of Great Bustard lager). Now part of the Great Durnford Estate, it has traditional flagstone floors, a beamed ceiling and an inglenook fireplace in the bar – but it feels modern, too, with a glass extension restaurant where chef Jordan Taylor (previously of The Pass at South Lodge in Sussex) whips up dishes such as honey-glazed monkfish and Durnford venison for supper. Game, vegetables and honey all come from the estate; desserts such as meadowsweet parfait are made from flowers foraged nearby. The 10 rooms are mostly split between a pair of new red-brick and larch barn-like buildings, with two above the pub, along with a spa treatment room. All have jute rugs on wooden floors, a nature-inspired palette and artwork by the likes of Turner Prize-winners Martin Creed and Rachel Whiteread. (The best room is Ouzel, which has a balcony). For the summer, there’s a Mediterranean-style courtyard and garden beyond, with a slide and monkey bars for children (Little Bustards). Check-out is in a shepherd’s hut that doubles as a farm shop for locals who stop by for takeaway coffees and jars of the blackcurrant jam served at breakfast. This is a fine place to bed down after shooting and fishing on the River Avon or exploring nearby Stonehenge and Salisbury. Emma Love
Address: The Great Bustard, Great Durnford, Salisbury SP4 6AY
The Black Horse, Oxfordshire
When it comes to pubs with rooms, the Cotswolds are a veritable feast, and visitors are even more spoilt for choice now that The Black Horse pub has opened in the village of Salford, near Chipping Norton and the Neolithic Rollright Stones. Owners, The Lionhearth Group, recently added this beauty to their collection of grown-up gastro pubs (which includes The Chequers in Churchill), bolstering the area’s draw as a foodie destination. The Black Horse has undergone a full-monty refresh, its dark antique wood, classic panelling, and maroon and forest green colour scheme designed with the same unpretentious stylishness as its sister pubs. By a roaring fire, diners chow down on plates of grilled meats from prime cuts of sirloin, ribeye, or pork belly. Afterwards, overnighters will want to rest their bellies in the snug Salford Cottage, whose bedroom suite, elegant lounge and fully equipped kitchenette come in restful Eau de Nil hues. Noo Saro-Wiwa
Address: The Black Horse, Salford, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire OX7 5YW, United Kingdom
The Bull, Charlbury
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more charming and quaint destination than Charlbury. The town screams Cotswolds, with higgledy-piggledy, honey-hued homes lining the narrow streets into the centre of town. The Bull sits in the heart of Charlbury, where passersby are lured in by the inviting fires and promise of a cosy time. The pub’s recent refurbishment was meticulously curated by two Cotswold locals, Phil Winser and James Gummer, the pair behind Notting Hill’s The Pelican. The interiors take a minimalist approach, letting the beauty of the building speak for itself. Wooden-beamed ceilings sit low; plush leather chairs are tucked into cosy corners, and mellow candlelight complements the centrepiece fireplaces. The minimalist design carries into the rooms, where subtle textures and creamy colours create an inviting atmosphere. We were lucky enough to stay in Room Six. Sloped ceilings frame the canopy bed, which leads to my favourite feature – an en-suite bath equipped with a log fire, views of the garden and Charlbury’s chocolate box high street. A long, indulgent soak was the perfect follow-up to a country walk on a brisk winter day. Head downstairs for dinner, quite possibly the best meal you’ll have in 2024. Chewy soda bread infused with seaweed, meaty scallops in parsnip and langoustine broth and creamy leeks served with Lincolnshire Poacher. The main event was the rib of beef, which has to be the most perfectly cooked piece of meat I’ve had in years. Top it off with a tipple by the fireplace, and you’ve got a recipe for the perfect countryside getaway. Amber Port
Address: The Bull, Sheep Street, Charlbury, Chipping Norton OX7 3RR
Fleur de Lys, Bampton, Oxfordshire
The dog biscuits in the Bonne Maman jar atop the bar sum it all up. This delightful new “bistro with bedrooms” is a brilliantly French statement, yet set in the mud-stompingly British village of Bampton – home of Downton Abbey – on the edge of the Cotswolds. Owned by David Buttress, co-founder of Just Eat, and his wife Gemma, and headed up by Frenchman Olivier Bonte, who cut his teeth at Dormy House and now owns two restaurants in Bourton-on-the-Water, it’s an inspired partnership. It’s also the smart refuel that Bampton needs, the early 19th-century building (once The Romany Inn) having lain dormant for years. Gemma transformed the interiors with château finds, antique French fashion plates and flamboyant feather boa lights. The brasserie, with young staff in Breton tops, packs a punch – starting with the raspberry-hued woodwork, wall tapestries, nooks with well-thumbed Michel Roux cookbooks and macramé-dressed bay windows. The spectacular food from executive chef Stuart Banks, former culinary genius of The Chequers Inn in Churchill, includes escargots bathed in garlic butter and sprinkled with parmesan, indulgent beef bourguignon and an exquisite Tarte Tatin that keeps locals returning. Yet the menu still features a full English breakfast and a stonking Sunday roast, using meat from award-winning Patrick Strainge Butchers next door. Eight characterful bedrooms – including Bardot, Bovary and Bonaparte – have charming white wrought iron beds, boudoir dressing tables, sumptuous striped curtains and floral wallpaper. If the Pétanque in the garden spells France again, the Bampton House bathroom products, created down the road, add Britishness. Harriet Compston
Address: Fleur de Lys, Bridge Street, Bampton OX18 2HA
Ed SchofieldThe Queen's Head, Wiltshire
Past patchwork fields, hollyhock verges and emerald-flecked streams sit the village of Broad Chalke, whose handsome abodes include the Queen Anne masterpiece Reddish House, Cecil Beaton’s old home. At the centre of the village, literally and figuratively, is The Queen’s Head. The 19th-century inn has been taken over by the Chickpea Group, proprietors of five pubs with rooms right across Wiltshire, including The Bell & Crown in Zeals. Outside, aged kegs become perches for pints, and sparrows dart from the sky. Abeergarden offers refuge for walkers and riders (a sign reminds equestrians to keep horses tethered). Local ales such as Rude Giant IPA lure a village crowd to the low-ceilinged bar. This is not the hostelry of purring Aston Martins, but an honest local with a menu reflecting hearty appetites. Juicy cheeseburgers and beer-battered haddock and chips grace the ‘pub bangers’ section of the menu, while refined mains include a delicious haddock chowder dressed with samphire. Art curated from the co-owner’s collection adds modern panache to the skewwhiff beams and boot-worn flagstones. A garden festooned with lights and centuries-old oak trunk tables hosts pales of purple dahlia, pergola-trained grapes and scented rosemary. The four courtyard rooms are an easy-on-the-eye meld of teal linens, green lacquered lamps and Fermoie cushions, with Land & Water grapefruit-scented bathroom toiletries. This was once part of the Earl of Pembroke’s estate, and his nearby Wilton House is worth a snoop to see the classic cars. Alternatively, walks across the tuft-edged Chalke Valley offer the chance to work off breakfast feasts of homemade granola and eggs Benedict. Jemima Sissons
Address: The Queen's Head, 1 North Street, Broad Chalke, SP5 5EN, United Kingdom
Andrew Hayes-WatkinsThe Abbey Inn, North Yorkshire
The flower-fringed garden of Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks’s pub with rooms overlooks the Cistercian monastery of Byland, with the forest-clad Kilburn White Horse in the distance. The remastered inn, an erstwhile monk’s farmhouse, has been a project for the whole Banks family. Anne, Tommy’s mother, took charge of the perfectly imperfect interiors with low-slung beams and toasty hearths. Beautifully crafted wooden furniture commissioned from farm-set workshops joins bright wildflowers adorning the tables and antique rugs softening the flagstone. Three sumptuous new rooms include soft, locally milled herringbone cushions and throws, family antiques, roll-top baths, and toiletries from Harrogate-based H2k. On the façade hangs a handcrafted pub sign by paterfamilias Tom Banks. Brother James, of the Banks Brothers tinned-wine brand, created cocktails including a winning Byland spritz, combining Crémant, marigold and rhubarb. The menu centres on reinvented British classics, with Tommy and head chef Charlie Smith using produce from the family farm and garden. The Byland burger stars Oldstead beef from a mile away and an upscaled smoked-haddock pottage. The Sunday roast is among the best around: pork belly that melts in the mouth; glazed pig cheek; toad-in-the-hole; a fruitily sweet Eton mess sundae. Breakfast is served in bed on Royal Doulton china: hen’s eggs, Oldstead charcuterie, cheeses from Courtyard Dairy and sourdough. Rachel Everett
Address: The Abbey Inn, The Abbey Inn, York YO61 4BD
Sam HarrisThe Sherborne Arms, Gloucestershire
In the town of Northleach – call it a village at your peril – they still talk about the New Year’s Eve party at The Wheatsheaf Inn a decade ago. The Wheatsheaf isn’t The Sherborne, but it’s where Tom Noest and Pete Creed met and honed their love for pubs before opening their own. Six years later, the pair have five Cotswolds venues under their belt, all with good times in their DNA and a commitment to the sort of unpretentious food you’d travel miles for. The Sherborne reopened a few years ago after years of neglect. It is deceptively large behind a tiny, missable, town-square frontage – though the Hardy-esque drinkers on the bench outside are a sign. Inside are duck-your-head rafters, a reassuring pubby patina of bottle-green spaces, framed beer labels, and vintage prints. On the menu are comfort-food classics such as chicken Milanese served with cavolo nero and parmesan, and a hearty chicken and leek pie alongside a creamy dollop of mash – but also dishes for more intrepid palates, such as Barrington partridge with bacon and king cabbage. Upstairs are three thick-walled bedrooms, all with bathtubs, striped headboards and views over the church, where regular Steve Winwood has been known to lead the choir. Rick Jordan
Address: Sherborne Arms, B4425, Aldsworth, Cheltenham GL54 3RB
The Bell, Charlbury
Daylesford has a new sibling in town – a 17th-century pub with rooms in the charming village of Charlbury, which opened to applause after a three-year renovation project. Rooms include spacious doubles, a family dorm sleeping four, a roomy loft suite, and a few dog-friendly bedrooms in The Barn, so pooches don’t miss out. The uniquely decorated bedrooms take inspiration from the local woodlands and earthy natural tones of the rural Cotswolds. Four-poster beds are dressed in hand-embroidered fabrics with matching curtains, repurposed shabby chic furniture sits atop woven rugs, and cosy nooks are filled with upholstered armchairs and lit by statement ceramic lamps. There’s a little bar at the centre of the higgledy-piggledy pub, where cosy rooms are stitched together and dominated by an open fireplace. The team scatters fresh wildflowers picked from Carole Bamford’s garden on the heavy oak tables; makeshift lamps are repurposed from old bells and custom ceramics hand-printed with, you guessed it, bells. The standout menu, cooked with ingredients from Daylesford Organic farm, is a cut above your usual pub offering. Head to the Bell on a Sunday, pick up one of the many board games scattered throughout the pub and settle in for a traditional roast. There are also big plans for the walled orchard garden out back, cinema nights, pizza ovens and wellness activities. If you needed any more convincing, staying at a Daylesford property includes a discounted day pass to The Club by Bamford Spa and access to wholesome flower-arranging workshops and cooking classes. Sophie Knight
Address: The Bell, 1 Church Street, Charlbury, Chipping Norton OX7 3PP
Martin MorrellThe Fox at Oddington, Gloucestershire
With all the private members’ clubs popping up like porcini in the Cotswolds, a mere pub with rooms is starting to look decidedly quaint. But this is Carole Bamford’s sequel to The Wild Rabbit down the road, part of her evergrowing Daylesford empire (yes, she’s also been busy opening The Club by Bamford), and so while it may be a little quaint, it’s also lovingly honed and deeply sustainable. Designwise, Lady B hasn’t suddenly gone all Bauhaus: there are crisp ginghams, floral prints, vintage green bottles and milking stools in the bedrooms, which are all pleasingly set higgledy-piggledy up stairs and around corners. Most covetable? The ground-floor Den, with stencilled leaves leading to a private garden, and the family-friendly Hunting Lodge for its additional twin beds. Chef Alan Gleeson has a lot of fun plucking broad beans, artichokes and Gloucester Old Spot for his menus; the bar is still ruddy-cheeked enough to just about imagine a hobnailed farmer wandering in for a pint, shaking his head at the price of heritage tomatoes. Rick Jordan
Address: The Fox at Oddington, High Street, Lower Oddington, Moreton-in-Marsh GL56 0UR
Paul WhitbreadHare & Hounds, Berkshire
For the full experience and some Hunter S Thompson-style people-watching, it’s best to come to the Hare & Hounds on a race day when the bar is packed with visitors before they head off to Newbury Racecourse, taking care not to tread in one of the many dog bowls. Here’s a pub that embraces the area’s traditions but has a bit of fun: a little Fife Arms-y rural deluxe: those tweeds and tartans, bold print wallpapers, antlers for lampshades and chandeliers, log burners every which way. The nooks and crannies befit a 17th-century coaching inn, but also a spacious raftered barn for dining, with a menu that elevates pub classics: pork belly, wild mushroom risotto, beef bourguignon. The prawn cocktail with a spiced seaweed crumb flies out like the frontrunner. Bedrooms are spread around the main building and former stables, each coming with a decanter of sloe gin and some with copper tubs. Donnington Castle is just a stone’s throw away. Rick Jordan
Address: Hare & Hounds, Bath Road, Speen, Newbury RG14 1QY
Steve JoyceThe Three Horseshoes, Somerset
It feels appropriate that Margot Henderson has returned to the pub game three decades after her time at The Eagle: the OG gastropub where she met Fergus and kicked off the narrative that led to era-defining restaurants, including Rochelle Canteen and St John. This one is in tiny Batcombe in the Mendip Hills and is owned by art collector Max Wigram. “Though in places like this, pubs aren’t really owned by individuals – they’re part of the community,” says Henderson. The Three Horseshoes has been renovated, but with antique oak tables, trunks and settle benches, it feels as if it’s been this way for centuries. Upstairs are five rooms with floral, striped fabrics, Conran rugs, and linen throws. The kitchen features handfuls of local produce: cob nuts, apples and greens from no-dig guru Charles Dowding, asparagus and the occasional pig from a nearby small farm. “It’s like Elizabeth David writing about the South of France,” says Henderson. “You get that same sense with England now, eating here, having a pint there – there’s just so many great food and drink producers.” Rick Jordan
Address: Batcombe, Shepton Mallet BA4 6HE
Jake EasthamWild Thyme & Honey, Gloucestershire
The name is almost pastiche Cotswolds – the title for a spoof detective series set in Chipping Norton, perhaps. Opening on the banks of Ampney Brook outside Cirencester at the tail end of 2021, this pub takes itself quite seriously, however, with bedrooms that are more hotel than inn. Timber-clad, they are set along willow-screened corridors, with welcome mats and boot scrapers outside each door giving a pleasing sense of independence – though not as much as the stand-alone cottage with its own sauna. An Alpine-style courtyard – double-sided fireplace and sheepskin throws, sheltered by a tepee canvas – links the rooms with the actual pub, The Crown, which has Enomatic fine wines on tap and serves ramped-up comfort food such as Devon fishcakes, tender pork belly and the signature battered fish and chips. Some guests bag the dining pods along the riverbank but we prefer to be in the thick of the action, in the warm embrace of the wood-lined dining room. Rick Jordan
Address: Wild Thyme & Honey, Ampney Crucis, Cirencester GL7 5RS
We The Food SnobsThe Princess Royal, London
What was once a drab, nondescript Notting Hill pub, suffused with the whiff of stale beer and failure, is now reborn as The Princess Royal, a project from the ever-impressive Cubitt House group. The interior is bold but never brassy, with bright fabrics, bare walls, two bars, a plant-filled conservatory and a rather beautiful garden. The food, which has a Mediterranean burr, is every bit the equal of the design, and is overseen by the group’s chef director, the deeply talented Ben Tish. Seafood plays a starring role, with fresh crudos and tartares, Lindisfarne oysters with chorizo, Cornish crab and smoked anchovies on toast. There’s also good pasta, whole fish cooked over coals, joyous salads and some serious grilled meat. Oh, and proper cocktails, too. Upstairs are four elegant bedrooms, each individually designed, with huge beds, vast tubs or rainforest showers and 100-acre bath stuff. Nothing grand or pompous, just civilised, comfortable and laid-back. Tom Parker Bowles
Address: The Princess Royal, 47 Hereford Road, London W2 5AH
The Beckford Arms, Salisbury
In a pitch-dark Wiltshire valley, The Beckford Arms is a sight for road-weary eyes: an 18th-century pub with rooms, covered in ivy, reassuringly hopping at dinnertime. From outside, you can see two woodfires going full tilt. There’s an even-keel barman passing drinks beneath a chalkboard list of cartridges for pheasant shooting, and servers delivering slices of Stilton with homemade digestive biscuits. As we wait for our room key, my four-year-old hones in on a coin-operated chocolate egg dispenser and a pile of 20ps on the bar, and I have the sense that nobody in here can believe their luck.
The Beckford Arms opened in 2009 and, thanks to its first-rate restaurant, became a destination rather than a stopover – a springboard for exploring the sloping, rook-speckled Fonthill estate, where the pub is located and handsome villages like Tisbury and Hindon. New standalone accommodation followed within the Arch, a Georgian gatehouse marking the entrance to the Fonthill parkland. The interiors – decorated by Beckford owner Charlie Luxton and Patrick O’Donnell from Farrow and Ball – have a below-stairs grandeur: panelling and loaner walking sticks, ship-cabin bunkbeds and vintage Booths china in a discontinued pattern called, pleasingly, “Floradora.” An ox-eye window above the kitchen sink overlooks the rural road to The Beckford Arms, which is a few minutes away by car. The Arch is provisioned for self-catering, but a hot breakfast at the pub is included in the nightly rate – don’t skip it. Jo Rodgers
Address: The Beckford Arms, Fonthill Gifford, Salisbury SP3 6PX
The Bell and Crown, Zeals
Originally renovated in 2019, The Bell and Crown did not just survive through the pandemic, it thrived. It's set in Zeals – a picturesque village in southwest Wiltshire, a short drive from trendy Frome and Bruton. The former coaching inn is owned by The Chickpea Group, an exciting young business that has nurtured several pubs in the area. Now, adding six en-suite rooms upstairs, they have turned a locals' favourite pub into a city dwellers’ weekend getaway, all while keeping the regulars constantly coming back. The rooms are clad in neutral shades and textures, with flashes of colours and prints that reflect the team’s appreciation of contemporary design: Moroccan Berber rugs, handmade fabric lampshades and walls dotted with eclectic, tasteful art. On the ever-changing menu is classic pub fare with a twist guaranteed to have you rolling upstairs to your room before a hearty breakfast just hours later. Out back, the quiet covered seating area looks out on a peaceful arable field – the ideal spot for a sundowner. Every aspect of the pub contributes to a mood of considered simplicity combined with unexpected, thoughtful details, from the weekly pop-up pizza van to the freshly baked cookies waiting in your room, and the friendly staff brimming with energy. Florrie Thomas
Address: The Bell and Crown, New Road, Zeals, BA12 6NJ
The Double Red Duke, The Cotswolds
It’s easy to spot this wisteria-clad 17th-century coaching inn, with its candy-striped umbrellas forming a jaunty Soho House-style beacon. In many ways the revamped Oxfordshire pub (part of the Country Creatures group) draws parallels with the global members’ club. Aimed at city-living weekenders, rooms are decorated with floral wallpaper, botanical block-print lampshades and velvet headboards in burnt orange and teal. Start with a house cocktail crafted with gin, basil, white pepper and lemon. Or a vodka: with a whole page of the menu dedicated to local blends – such as silky-smooth Wood Brothers and Toad Rye – the pre-prandial hour can easily slip into two. Luckily, plenty of delicious fare keeps things on an even keel. Expect beef tartare with beef dripping toast followed by grilled rotisserie chicken or wild seabass before rich sticky toffee pudding to finish – well earned after a stomp around the bosky dells of Clanfield village. Staff are unfailingly enthusiastic, and the only sounds at night are the hoot of an owl and the gentle rustle of leaves. Jemima Sissons
Address: The Double Red Duke, Bourton Road, Clanfield, Bampton OX18 2RB
The Loch & The Tyne, Windsor
The sign that swings outside this Windsor address doesn’t have a castle or crown on it but the words ‘Sustainable British Luxury’, words that will hopefully become as ubiquitous as Red Lion one day. It’s the first pub from chef Adam Handling, who’s had a busy year – pivoting to home dinners in lockdown, cooking for the G7 leaders in Cornwall and opening an outpost of his London Butterfly restaurant near St Ives. As for the sign’s promise, it runs through this place like blue blood through royalty. Water is recycled, furniture is upcycled and the cycles themselves are made from old Nespresso pods. It looks and feels like a proper pub, though, with the chance of a pint and burger at the bar – albeit the best burger you’ll ever have, according to head chef Jonny McNeil, thanks to the lardo he uses. Upstairs are just a brace of bedrooms, well-tailored in bamboo and mango-wood furniture, with Haeckel's bath potions, a cocktail from Handling’s drinks lab, and a terrace with views over the fields. Nourishing on many levels. Rick Jordan
Address: The Loch & The Tyne, 10 Crimp Hill, Old Windsor, Berkshire SL4 2QY
The George & Heart House, Margate
While Margate has long outgrown its up-and-coming tag, the town’s transformation continues to gather pace with the revival of one of its original pubs. On the edge of Old Town – seconds from the beach, the Turner Contemporary and must-try restaurants – this 18th-century inn has been reincarnated as one of its most charismatic places to stay. Owners Kelly Love and Dan Williams first made waves running a tiki bar at street-food hub The Sun Deck; then they set about a major restoration of the George & Heart House, which opened at the end of 2019. This summer, six rooms were added to the wabi-sabi-like top floor, with its wonky floorboards, gold-leaf-adorned staircases and stripped paint revealing decades-old wallpaper. Ranging from shimmering Seventies chic to black-and-gold Art Deco glamour, each one (two shared bathrooms) has been created by a local artist. The Hideaway, for instance, has a freestanding bath at the end of the four-poster bed, a tongue-in-cheek framed quote by Margate-raised Tracey Emin and gold drapes that reveal glimpses of Turner’s beloved sunsets across the rooftops. Guests have exclusive access to Reggie’s Bar, a cute spot for fixing a late-night dram or early-morning coffee, as well as a wellness area and palm-lined garden. Perhaps the biggest draw, though, is the prospect of a bed above one of the area’s best boozers, where a roster of takeovers, Sunday roasts and chef pop-ups ensures you see first-hand why this seaside town is buzzing again. Ben Olsen
Address: The George & Heart House, 44 King Street, Margate, Kent CT9 1QE
Martin MorrellThe Bradley Hare, Maiden Bradley
Wiltshire’s smartest new countryside inn is set in the tiny village of Maiden Bradley, part of the Duke of Somerset’s estate, where waves of barley and manicured tree tunnels shape the landscape beyond. Here, a bunch of ex-Soho House creatives – including James Thurstan Waterworth, former European design director – have given the old-school pub a cool, considered makeover. Provençal-farmhouse interiors come with a touch of flamboyance – a tub for two, say, or a curtained bed tucked in a nook. In the 12 characterful rooms (some are above the pub; the largest are in the Coach House), earthy Farrow & Ball hues are teamed with repurposed fabrics, 18th-century furniture and vintage Persian rugs. Downstairs, the deliberately low-key look – scuffed wooden floors, rickety chairs and cosy corners with roaring fires that have kept villagers returning – belies the skill of the bartenders, who appear with a Limoncello Spritz at precisely five o’clock, and the sustainable approach to the food. Vegetables are grown on the nearby community allotment. The kitchen aims towards zero-waste with a seasonal menu of dishes such as whipped smoked mackerel with rainbow beetroot and a sirloin sandwich with Isle of Wight tomatoes. A brilliant rural stopover, a 15-minute drive from arty Frome. Katharine Sohn
Address: The Bradley Hare, Church Street, Maiden Bradley BA12 7HW
The Taybank, Perthshire
In the postcard-pretty Perthshire village of Dunkeld, the high street is peppered with indie stores such as Aran, the hip bakery from The Great British Bake Off semi-finalist Flora Shedden. By the river is the Taybank, an inn famous for its traditional music scene – it was once owned by Dougie Maclean, who wrote Scottish folk anthem Caledonia. In 2019, ex-polo player and Edinburgh Fringe caterer Fraser Potter took over the place, only to close three months later. Its refurb became his lockdown project. With the help of his friend Anna Lamotte from Guardswell Farm down the road (the kitchen’s vegetable supplier), he redesigned the interiors into five Scandi-chic, tech-free bedrooms, doing most of the joinery himself. Room five in the eaves is the one to book, a cosy cocoon with burnished copper lamps, granite-grey paintwork and a headboard balanced with books, a lute and drip coffee cups made by local potter Ellen Macfarlane. Add luscious bathroom products by Laura Thomas, a hamper for breakfast in bed and civilised noon checkout. The ground-floor bar still has a spit’n’sawdust vibe, with instruments stacked in the corner for impromptu jams. Through the restaurant windows you can gaze over another of Potter’s innovations. The car park and lawn sloping down to the Tay are now a giant canvas-topped beer garden with an outdoor kitchen, pizza oven and fire-pit. Lucy Gillmore
Address: The Taybank, Dunkeld, Perthshire PH8 0AQ
The Lamb Inn, Oxfordshire
This is the quintessential modern pub: a space for Cotswolds locals, visitors and gastronomic hipsters. On a Tuesday evening an old gent from down the road with mutton-chop whiskers and a Laurie Lee lilt tucks into fish and chips under black-and-white photographs by William Waterworth, to a soundtrack of blues. The second inn from talented young chefs Tom Noest and Peter Creed of The Bell in Langford, The Lamb has taken over an old pub in the Oxfordshire village of Shipton-under-Wychwood, and is already a local hub. The junior football team piles in with their parents after training to sup cloudy apple juice and pints of Hooky as the inevitable stream of Londoners descends for over-the-limit Negronis and the famous bone-marrow flatbread. It’s something of a natural history museum, too; moths in frames and stags’ heads line the walls alongside prints from the owners’ art-world friends. Rooms (it opened with five, with five more just added) celebrate the building’s beautiful 14th-century bones, with wide wooden floorboards and sash windows softened with ikat cushions. Food is hearty – the Chalcroft Farm beef burger is worth crossing counties for, and the sticky toffee pudding is a sweet dream. The wine list has weighty white Burgundies and plenty for natural wine lovers. By the end of the evening, everyone is friends, sharing shots of plum brandy, phone numbers and raucous tales. JS
Address: The Lamb Inn, High Street, Shipton Under Wychwood OX7 6DQ
Helen CathcartThe Bear Inn, Shropshire
“I went about this job as if I was designing a private house,” says interiors whizz Octavia Dickinson of her recent work at this spot in the north Shropshire village of Hodnet. Working alongside her was her friend, and The Bear’s landlord, Tom Heber-Percy, whose family own much of the pretty Tudor village, including Hodnet Hall. Out went all legacies of the pub’s long and chequered past, most notably the bear pit, revived for a nefarious spell in the 1970s when the tenants kept two grizzlies on site; in came bold colour and playfulness, fine art and furniture and lashings of fabric sourced from a roll-call of British interior design and auction houses. Each room (there are seven in the main building and five in the coach house, all named after trees) has its own personality – Juniper, Rowan and Ash have small sitting rooms; dog-friendly, ground-floor Sycamore and Birch open onto the courtyard. Food is taken seriously here – more posh pub grub than fine dining with an emphasis on local produce, some straight from the hall’s 200-year-old walled garden. Eat in the open-plan informal dining room and bar, or in one of the stable-style booths by the outdoor area that’s designed to resemble a French village square – the furniture is the same as found in Paris’s Luxembourg Garden. Pamela Goodman
Address: The Bear Inn, Drayton Road, Hodnet, Shropshire TF9 3NH
The Alice Hawthorn, North Yorkshire
With vine-covered cottages and an ancient church overlooking a green where cows graze, the charming village of Nun Monkton near York could have been plucked straight from a children’s fable. Its 250-year-old pub has long been a draw for foodies, who come for the Michelin Guide restaurant. But, in 2017, new owners Claire and John Topham took the risky decision to give the inn a facelift – and it paid off. Upstairs has been renovated to create four restful rooms in muted shades, with beamed ceilings and huge bathtubs. Most recently, new garden rooms built from Douglas fir have modern, chalet-inspired interiors: wood-panelled walls, rocking chairs and sliding glass doors that lead to a balcony opening onto the courtyard. Despite the revamp, the old-world feel is as strong as ever. In the bar, rustic tables and exposed brickwork are paired with framed newspaper clippings on the walls, and come evening, locals huddle around great yawning fireplaces fronted by thick rugs. On the menu, traditional dishes are given a twist: dishes may include seared scallops with crispy pork belly, beef cheek braised in Guinness and roast halibut with creamed celeriac. A peaceful, pastoral escape with culinary kudos that hits the sweet spot. Olivia Morelli
Address: The Alice Hawthorn, The Green, Nun Monkton, York YO26 8EW
The Duncombe Arms, on the Staffordshire-Derbyshire border
“We drove past it every day wondering what on earth to do with it,” chuckles Laura Greenall, referring to a boarded-up, unloved pub on the edge of her and husband Johnny’s Staffordshire-Derbyshire estate. Her casual recollection belies the couple’s hospitality brio, lofty food standards and sharp design eye, responsible for reinstating the Duncombe Arms as the local community hub since 2012. While keeping the key trappings and spirit of the traditional pub – cosy nooks, a roaring open fire and Merlot-hued rugs warming flagstones – they installed an impressive farm-to-fork ethos, working closely with a cattle and sheep farm in the Staffordshire Moorlands, as well as a fresh riff on rustic design (woolly blankets flung over rattan furniture beside fire-pits outside; cushioned chairs, tartan and quirky cow canvases inside).
And while this spot is perfectly placed for Peak District ramblers, particularly as the sun shifts north across the magnificent mass of rock, soft grass and wildflowers, it's the imaginative and elevated menu that pulls in the crowds. House sourdough, buckwheat and barley spring-onion salads and other cosmopolitan delights appear to have drifted north from London’s restaurant scene along with chef Scott Law, previously senior sous chef. General manager James Oddy has worked to curate a wine list worth hanging around for, along with the artfully light English puddings. This can be for the night or longer in Walnut House’s refined rooms, and with a small group in the smartly renovated Old Barn (more a charming cottage), both a stone’s throw away. Why not make a weekend or even a week of it and hunker down with five others in the Garden Cottage, set in a secluded spot on the bucolic Wootton Hall estate? A lovely launchpad for scaling the Peaks and feasting on a legendary Duncombe Arms burger with bacon jam and a Greenhall’s G&T. Rosalyn Wikeley
Address: The Duncombe Arms, Ellastone, Ashbourne DE6 2GZ
The Pheasant Inn, near Hungerford
Having hailed from the Greenall Whitley brewing dynasty, affable and terribly polite Jack Greenall took on the Pheasant Inn, turning a worn-out racing country local on the fringes of antiques-town Hungerford into something more remarkable. Rather than cut the racing ties or alienate its distinctly rural community with new-age know-it-all and predictable urban takes on country interiors, he oversaw a thorough yet measured revamp, keeping the locals and tempting Londoners to chug that little bit further along the M4. Comforting deep-green and red hues still deck the pub despite smartly furnished country rooms upstairs while scrumptiously innovative riffs on old classics. The wood-panelled walls and cosy courtyard are filled with the ruddy-cheeked spirit of a convivial country bolthole where Negronis, cashew-nut hummus starters and modern art sit effortlessly alongside guest ales, venison and shelves of battered leather-bound books. Long, expertly plucked wine lists and cheese boards encourage guests to settle in, which on a Sunday warrants a free night’s stay should they spend more than £100 in the pub. By Rosalyn Wikeley
Address: The Pheasant Inn, Ermin Street, Shefford Woodlands, Hungerford RG17 7AA
Michael Little PhotographyThe Dundas Arms, Kintbury, Berkshire
It's hard to beat this in terms of Trumpton-like charm. There's the railway crossing that ding dings just before it, the canal lock that see-saws when long-boats chortle through and the lovely, trout-fishing river that whirls past on the other side. The pub is at the centre of a certain bucolic bustle, with walkers, dogs, locals, and families all trotting around their business. There's a wooden terrace right over the water where children can feed the ducks with hunks of bread provided by the staff and a heavenly garden with enough twisty trees to play a game of sardines while parents tuck into good cider. It's part of a group of pubs that all share a certain look: traditional structures tuned to their best by being entirely cosy but fresh, with great wallpapers and blazing fires; there's even a Victorian bar here made out of old minted pennies. Staff, who all wear stripes and have a spring in their step, scurry about carrying bottles of good claret – or pots of crayons. The food is simple and hearty: great pâtés, proper roasts, lightly battered fish and chips. Book a River Room with a private terrace right next to the water; breakfast on a sunny Sunday and reading the papers – at this great price – are all rather satisfying.
Address: The Dundas Arms, 53 Station Road, Kintbury, Hungerford RG17 9UT
The Punch Bowl, Crosthwaite, Cumbria
The Friday night crowd here looks like this: the odd City boy getting away from it all, gamekeepers from the local hunt, and walkers whacked out after a day of fresh air in the nearby Windermere fells, all hunkering down by the fireplace in the bar or sitting at wooden tables in the more formal dining room. In either space, you can wolf down feather-light, twice-baked cheese soufflé with tomato chutney or a delicate duck à l'orange. Upstairs, each room is unique: Cooper and Birkett come with contemporary elm four-poster beds. There are Roberts radios on the dressing tables, woollen throws on the beds and pops of colour from sage green to raspberry red. Wake up in the morning, pull back the thick curtains and look out over a patchwork of fields. There's a parish church next door where the bellringers practise religiously and the touristy honeypot of Kendal is just five miles away.
Address: Punch Bowl Inn, Crosthwaite, Lyth Valley, Kendal LA8 8HR
The Bell at Skenfrith, Monmouthshire, Wales
In the shadows of the medieval Skenfrith Castle and with the River Monnow rushing by the front of the building, The Bell has a dreamy setting. Bedrooms are completely on the button, with fresh daffodils on the windowsill, starched cotton sheets, Welsh wool blankets tucked into deeply comfortable beds, and Cath Collins products in the large bathrooms. There's a jug of cold, fresh milk and a jar of home-made shortbread waiting on the tea tray or a bottle of Frapin VSOP cognac and two glasses on the nightstand if you feel like something a bit stronger, but it's the food that brings people here over and over again. The restaurant has roaring log fires and huge squishy sofas, mismatched wooden tables and a well-thought-out wine list. The unfussy menu includes seasonal, locally sourced foods such as roast fillets of Welsh beef, local lamb cutlets, and risotto packed with Pant-ysgwan goat's cheese.
Address: The Bell at Skenfrith, Skenfrith, Monmouthshire, Wales. NP7 8UH
Jake EasthamThe Wheatsheaf Inn, Northleach, Gloucestershire
This 17th-century coaching inn has lived many lives, its latest being a charming pub with rooms under Young's ownership. Locals sip velvety reds beside the fire throughout the fireplace throughout the winter months, enviously eyeing up out-of-towners as they retreat to bedrooms. In summer, it's harder to spot who's who, as drinking and feasting naturally spills outside, passers-by trying their luck for a table as they explore the surrounding countryside. Expect proper pub grub in the dining area, from full English breakfasts and warming bowls of porridge in the morning to devilled lamb's kidneys followed by homemade pies later on – prepare to loosen the belt a notch before dessert.
Address: The Wheatsheaf, W End, Northleach, Cheltenham GL54 3EZ
Jake EasthamThe Kingham Plough, Kingham, Oxfordshire
This bolthole is full of personal charm (there are even pictures of their children on the walls). In the heart of the quaint village of Kingham, it is brilliantly located to explore nearby Stowe, Chipping Camden and Burford, and is a 20-minute walk along the back roads to Daylesford Organic's mothership. It's the kind of place where if you'd had one too many but forgotten to book a room, they wouldn't kick you out. Pick on grazing plates in the comfy bar to soak up craft ales and excellent wines, or settle in for a feast of pub classics; think British with a Mediterranean touch.
Address: The Grn, Kingham, Chipping Norton OX7 6YD
Jake EasthamThe Devonshire Arms, Somerset
This 17th-century former hunting lodge sits at the edge of a picture-perfect village green. There's a church peeking out from one corner, the old school house is opposite, and a gathering of sheep bleating in a nearby field. Step inside, and there are flagstone floors and flickering church candles, all illuminated by a crackling log fire. Most of the big oak tables are laid for dinner at the weekend. Everything's fresh from the countryside and the portions are robust. A tiny bar at the back gets packed with locals supping Harry's Somerset cider and Moor beer, both made in the village. Dinner over, it's off upstairs, where most of the cosy bedrooms overlook the green. Number six is the grandest, with a mahogany four-poster, cream-coloured walls and a vast bathroom that has a walk-in shower and stand-alone bath.
Address: The Devonshire Arms, Long Sutton, Langport TA10 9LP
The Lamb at Hindon, Wiltshire
This 12th-century coaching inn is quite the stop-off for fans of historical hideouts. Landlady Ellie and her merry team oversee proceedings in the cosy Wiltshire spot, now part of the Young's pub group. It's a short drive from Stonehenge and Longleat Zoo, making it a popular spot for families searching for lunch or an early supper that'll please all tastebuds, from fussy to discerning. The 18 bedrooms are exactly what you'd expect from a pub with rooms in this corner of England's countryside – exposed beams, eye-catching feature walls, plush headboards and plump cushions you'll be ordering for your own pad.
Address: The Lamb, High Street, Hindon, Salisbury SP3 6DP
Matthew BuckThe Ram Inn, Firle, East Sussex
The wonky beams, heavy puddling curtains and charcoal-grey palette here work just as well during the winter months as the pretty walled gardens and quintessential cricket pitch do in the summer. Right in the heart of the South Downs, this pub has a big catchment area: creative types scoot up from Brighton, a media-savvy crowd schleps down from London. The snug bar, with a dartboard and cricket bats, is where you warm up with a pint of Sussex bitter, and there's relaxed, candlelit dining in the stable room. There's nothing predictable about the menu, with seriously good game from the Firle estate and fishermen delivering their catch each morning. When the pub recently had a spruce-up and opened four bedrooms in the ramshackle eaves, the village collectively sighed for fear that their secret was out, but so far the place has kept its integrity. Rooms have village views through huge (although slightly drafty) sash windows. One is tongue-and-groove panelled, another has a free-standing bath. This isn't high design but it's concise and comfortable, and leaves the pub and stable room to take centre stage. Employ some restraint at breakfast (locally made sausages, eggs from the village) if you plan on staying for a Sunday roast – unless you sandwich a blustery country walk in between.
Address: The St, Firle, West Firle, Lewes BN8 6NS
The Pilsley Inn, Derbyshire
This cosy, welcoming inn with rooms on the Chatsworth Estate is the sister property of another Devonshire Arms. Which, confusingly, is also a cosy, welcoming inn with rooms on the Chatsworth Estate. This one at Pilsley is most definitely the more pubby of the pair, while its bedfellow in nearby Beeley concentrates more on its much-garlanded restaurant. The former, in a time-warp hamlet that could be the backdrop for a Foyle's War episode, has the Duchess of Devonshire to thank for its interior design. Along with her husband, the 12th Duke, she has played an active role in developing the business, and the pair often pop over from 'the big house' for Sunday lunch. The menu is neither pretentious nor flash, with a focus on hearty English dishes.
Address: The Pilsley Inn, High St, Pilsley, Bakewell DE45 1UL
Alan DonaldsonThe Black Horse Inn, Kirkby Fleetham, North Yorkshire
This is a quirky little place in a village smack-bang between the Dales and the Moors. Inside, it's country-fête cosy, with pastel-painted distressed tables, gingham-covered chairs, white bunting and garden views. In contrast, the menu includes great steaming beef and ale pie and venison saddle. Locals swing by for juicy beefburgers and signature fish and chips but stay long into the night, drinking ale from local breweries and finishing up with shots on weekends. Needless to say, avoid staying in the large room directly above the bar at the weekend. For a charming countryside amble, head five minutes to the farm shop, where friendly staff stock displays with pâtisserie treats and freshly baked bread as freshly ground coffee scents the air.
Address: The Black Horse Inn, 7 Lumley Lane, Kirkby Fleetham, Northallerton DL7 0SH
The Drunken Duck, Ambleside, Cumbria
This 200-year-old inn, set in 60 acres of private land above Lake Windermere, is one of the most popular pubs in England's most popular national park – and it deserves its feathers. A combination of its situation, at a hilltop crossroads between the pretty villages of Ambleside and Hawkshead, and its on-site microbrewery have made it a long-standing favourite on ramblers' maps. But what really puts walking boots under tables here is the food, which is truly outstanding. Visit in a group and order the full handful of starters to share before moving on to the main event – dishes include venison loin and squash and sage dauphinoise.
Address: The Drunken Duck, Barngates, Ambleside LA22 0NG
The Bell, Ticehurst, East Sussex
There's nothing remarkable about a pub with a big open fire, chunky beams and weekenders sipping ale with wet dogs in tow. But The Bell in Ticehurst is so much more than that. The building dates back to the Tudor period, when it would have been quite the showy residence, and has since been extended and refurbished over subsequent centuries. The proprietors are just as passionate about the building's history as they are the local produce on offer from suppliers in the surrounding countryside – ask the team, and there's likely a story behind everything from the eggs to the beer. It's a tasty stop-off for all, but a sleepover opportunity for fans of all things quirky. Forget sleek lines and whitewashed walls; The Bell is all about the finishing touches, be it a glittering chandelier or tree trunks winding over the billowy bed.
Address: The Bell, High Street, Ticehurst, Wadhurst TN5 7AS
The Gunton Arms, Thorpe Market, Norfolk
There's no backdrop like a 1,000-acre deer park. Especially in flat and eerie Norfolk, where the twilight dawdles as the mists engulf the estate. Part gallery, part B&B, this is as close as you'll come to climbing inside the minds of decorator and textile collector Robert Kime and owner Ivor Braka, a Chelsea art dealer. There are mounted tarantulas jostling for wall space with lewd Emin plates, and neon lights spell out 'I said don't practise on me' while a Paula Rego female vomits. All this set against gouache wallpaper, Persian carpets, and a family seat's worth of antiques sourced by dealer Robert Young. The look is old money drenched in big-hitting art. It could so easily be hipper than thou, and yet it's relaxed and unpretentious. Muddy-booted grooms and chino-clad old duffers prop up the bar, and the restaurant is buzzing even mid-week. Chef Stuart Tattersall (ex-Mark Hix) mans the gaping 16th-century French open fireplace, knocking out superlative steaks that draw people from all along the north Norfolk coast.
Address: The Gunton Arms, Norwich NR11 8TZ
The Crown, Amersham, Buckinghamshire
The Crown is the sort of place you can't believe someone hasn't told you about already. A red-brick, oak-beamed, Elizabethan wonky wonder with sharp-as-a-tack rooms, just three quarters of an hour from central London on the Metropolitan Line. Designer Ilse Crawford has brought a fresh aesthetic to this traditional coaching inn with her signature natural tones. Rooms, with pitched ceilings, underfloor heating, handmade rush matting and enough wardrobe space for a two-week stay, have a modern Scandi vibe. The ones off the courtyard are deliciously big with four-posters and deep mattresses. There are also smaller but just as smart rooms in the main building. Little quirks include vintage Penguin Classics on the bedside table, shearling rugs thrown over rocking chairs, and homemade jams at breakfast. The food is the main event, with thoughtfully sourced ingredients such as Dedham Vale beef. Afterwards, get a pint of ale and kick back by the fire, turn your hand to a game of pétanque or wander down Old Amersham High Street and window-shop for antiques. Breakfast is a treat, too; wake up to a trestle table brimming with yoghurts, mueslis and pitchers of fresh juices, followed by generous plates of eggs Benedict. This is how to get out of town without the dastardly motorway mission.
Address: The Crown, 16 High Street, Amersham HP7 0DH