The Howard Arms, Warwickshire
A classic low, firelit pub where the flames are reflected in burnished beams and brass taps. Modern touches have been added with sensitivity, original details retained and even rediscovered – the pub’s original sign was found weathering away on the back of a blackboard. Perfect for a wintry Cotswold pint.
Round off an idyllic walk amid buzzing bees and wild flowers with a meal at the inn, perhaps salmon trio with celeriac remoulade and orange dressing, then beef, ale and mustard pie, then spiced pear and apple flapjack crumble.
The Hundred House Hotel, Shropshire
With The Hundred House Hotel, it’s not just the lovely fireside, or the food, or the old world charm, it’s the sheer exuberance of the place that reels you in. Crops hang from the ceiling, lampshades and curtains fill the place with bursts of colour and there’s a feeling that every and any idea has been greeted with a yes! One decoration to take particular note of though, is the row upon row of AA food award plates that hang on one wall. Their is substance to back up the style and the menu will have you flip-flopping between equally desirable options for a good few minutes.
Crown & Anchor, Wiltshire
The Crown & Anchor is the pub you always imagine when you’re hiking, waiting under the distant curl of woodsmoke to warm and refresh you. The old fireplace is now filled with a more efficient wood burner, but the fireside feeling of a spot to come to a total stop in has not been lost. You can tramp along the Wayfarers Walk, the Test Way, The Kennet & Avon Canal or the Wessex Ridgeway and arrive here pleasantly exhausted, before sinking into the chairs in the warm glow of the fire.
The Litton, Somerset
The welcome from Sally and her team is wonderfully warm and it only gets cosier from there. The pub is all gleaming wood and leather, there are reindeer furs on the sofas, Moroccan blankets and cushions all over the place, an enormous wood–burner in the hearth and firepits outside on the terrace.
Tuck yourself into a corner and order up a Welsh rarebit (ours was the best we’d ever eaten) or some gnocchi. The whisky bar is another temptation all of its own, as are the splendid Sunday roasts.
The Pheasant at Neenton, Shropshire
In 2013, a derelict ruin was purchased by a group of locals and a long refurbishment began. An incredible effort from the whole community has turned that old wreck into the beautiful surroundings of The Pheasant at Neenton. It now waits at the end of many countryside trails, through the woods and up Brown Clee Hill if you fancy, with a great menu and the sort of warm welcome you can only get from a place with this much soul.
Rose & Crown, Durham
The Rose & Crown dates back to 1733 and sits at the heart of a village that feels as if the intervening years have completely passed it by. Scenic spots like Eggleston Hall Gardens, Raby Castle and High Force, England’s tallest waterfall, are nearby, with the cosy fireside ready to welcome you back. The stylish bar and updated rooms, some in the cottage out the back, retain an air of timeless country charm while keeping you in exquisite comfort. The menu draws heavily on produce from the estate, letting the superb flavours of well-reared meats and organically grown vegetables speak for themselves.
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