ENGLAND
The General Tarleton, North Yorkshire
Chef Tommy Banks, one of Yorkshire’s favourite foodie sons, is best known for his award-winning restaurant the Black Swan at Oldstead, but he’s no stranger to pubs. In fact, the Black Swan started out as one, with Banks working behind the bar at his family’s establishment before moving into the kitchen. In 2023, he launched the Abbey Inn in Byland, and he has recently launched a hospitality arm dedicated to restoring other pubs across the UK. First up is the eight-bedroom General Tarleton in the village of Ferrensby, near Harrogate. The cuisine is exceptional, with refined versions of traditional pub dishes made with regional ingredients – the perfect fuel for walks along the river and into the Nidd Gorge, a local beauty spot.
The Bat and Ball, Oxfordshire Countryside
It’s dogs by the fire and clergy at the bar at this charming pub in the village of Cuddesdon, famous for its theological college. It was opened at the start of the year by the owners of Lamb Inn in nearby Little Milton, and the culinary team at both locations cut their teeth at the esteemed Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons down the road. This pub is the more relaxed option – there’s even a dart board – and dishes take typical pub fare and enhance them with premium local produce. Five guest rooms have walls painted in deep fall colors to match the nearby landscape, which is sandwiched between the Cotswolds and Chilterns.
King’s Arms, Lake District
This independently run inn, which reopened at the end of August, is at the center of the Lakeland village of Hawkshead, just a short walk from the Beatrix Potter gallery and the Hawkshead Grammar School museum, where the poet Wordsworth etched his name into his desk. There’s plenty of history in the oak beams and slate floors at the King’s Arms too, which dates back to the 17th century. At the dark-wood bar is a roster of local beers including Coniston Old Man Ale and Cumbrian Ales Loweswater Gold, while the menu focuses on classics with Cumberland scotch eggs and beef wellington. The perfect meal to be enjoying after a stomp up nearby Latterbarrow fell.
The Wellington at Boscastle, Cornwall
Affectionately called The Welly, this centuries-old coaching inn overlooks Boscastle harbour on the rugged north Cornwall coast. A local brewery recently invested heavily doing it up, and it shows in the cosy dining rooms, intimate corners and stained-glass windows. The pick of the bedrooms are the two in the pub’s turret with freestanding baths, but every room come with artwork by local artists and OS maps and guidebooks for the coast path for walks. The path runs right outside: west to Tintagel Castle, legendary birthplace of King Arthur according to legend, or round past Pentargon waterfall. After a coastal hike, there’s pints of Proper Job by the fire and servings of fish and chips to look forward to, made with local catch in Gem Ale batter.
Woolpack Inn, Hampshire Countryside
Recently renovated by renowned designer Nina Campbell, this country pub is the centre of life in the small village of Totford in the tranquil Candover valley. Set amid fields and forests, so head chef Luke Stradling has plenty of local produce to draw on – complemented by the pub’s large kitchen garden, currently growing pumpkin, celeriac and winter leaves. As well as supplying almost all the vegetables on the menu, the team also donates 20% of the harvest to local charities and shelters. Upstairs, eight guest rooms are themed after game birds, but fly fishing is the local main attraction – angling for trout in the world renowned chalk stream of the River Itchen.
The Fleur de Lys, Dorset
Pub and restaurant firm Chickpea has mastered the modern country pubs with rooms formula – excellent cuisine, friendly bar and competitive rates for overnighters. The latest addition to the fold is Fleur de Lys, a historic inn in the village of Cranbourne. Author Thomas Hardy was a frequent visitor here and makes reference to it in his novel Tess. The revamp reflects its period charm: hops hang over the large open fireplace, candles flicker on tables and, upstairs, nine rooms are decorated in muted colours. Walking routes loop around Cranborne Estate, with dishes such as Brixham bass, venison barnsley chop and sticky toffee pudding to look forward to back at the pub afterwards.
The Penny Bun, North Yorkshire
Inspired by a fungus found in local woods, Penny Bun is a departure from your traditional boozer. With its earthen walls and palette of earthy browns, the look is more wabi-sabi minimalism than traditional pub fixtures. Located between Ilkley and Otley in the Yorkshire Dales, the new inn is part of the Denton Reserve, a 2,500-acre estate undergoing an eco-friendly overhaul, focusing on carbon capture and sustainable agriculture. It supplies many of the ingredients found on the menu at the Penny Bun, such as pork croquette salad or gnocchi with roasted garden beetroots. The serene decor particularly suits the five bedrooms (the best room comes with a freestanding bath), with deep beds to sink into after walks across Ilkley Moor, right outside the front door.
The Ship, Norfolk
Recently, The Peyton sisters revitalized this seaside inn with nine beamed bedrooms in the village of Brancaster. The cuisine has a light Mediterranean touch, and while menus have a focus on seafood (a short walk from the coast), local game is the highlight in autumn. On Sundays, expect whole pot-roasted venison shoulders served with local wild mushrooms instead of the usual chicken or beef, while in the front bar settle in by the fire and tuck into a pork roll or monkfish scampi with a pint of local ale. Outside, the vast skies look particularly stunning at this time of year – watch for flocks of pink-footed geese – and trails cut through dunes and salt marshes.
Leicester Arms Inn, Kent Countryside
Across the road from the entrance to medieval Penshurst Place and Gardens, this Grade II-listed pub is more attractive than ever after a major renovation last year. It’s easy to see why it won Kent’s county prize at the national awards: there are plush armchairs by the fire in the bar, authentic Kent ales from nearby Larkins, and cut-above cooking in the dining room. The menu focuses on local produce, with lamb scotch egg and oysters from Whitstable, while 11 nature-themed rooms are decorated in a classic style. Four of them come with clawfoot tubs for post-walk soaks after a stroll around the Penshurst Estate past River Medway, lakes and giant oak trees.
Swan Inn, West Sussex
The lengthy renovation of this historic inn in Fittleworth on the edge of the South Downs was worth the wait. Period details from its 14th-century roots mix with modern comfort in the bar, restaurant and 12 elegant rooms – though it remains traditional, says the owner. Dining in the wood-paneled, art-adorned dining room draw on seasonal local produce (foraged ceps and plum pudding on our visit) and generous breakfasts are served in the barn in the gardens. Historic guestbooks are interesting: notable guests include JMW Turner, John Constable and Rudyard Kipling. Nearby activities abound, from browsing antiques in local villages to downland walks, Petworth House and Arundel Castle.
Nevill Arms Inn, Leicestershire
With its honeyed hamlets, pretty market towns and rolling countryside, Welland Valley is in a part of the country sometimes referred to as the Notswolds (like the Cotswolds but without the price tag). Nevill Arms in the village of Medbourne was revamped in 2023, with 10 rooms (some with four-poster beds) spread between the inn and its converted stables – and next year they’ll add a stone cottage next door too. Culinarily, meats are reared on the owner’s farm, while in the blue bar there’s a changing selection of Langton ales on tap – the favorite of which is an amber bitter, Inclined Plane, named after the lift at nearby Foxton Locks.
New Inn Yealand, Lancashire Countryside
Young couple Ben and Lauren Sandiford took on the running of this seven-bedroom village inn in April. Ben brought his chef experience to the kitchen, which now produces elevated comfort dishes (shepherd's pie with mash and ewe’s cheese crumb or beef and ale suet pudding) to be eaten in the rustic dining area beside the log burner. The bar attracts locals sipping on
