ENGLAND
The General Tarleton, North Yorkshire
Chef Tommy Banks, a celebrated Yorkshire chef, is renowned for his award-winning restaurant Black Swan at Oldstead, but he’s no stranger to pubs. In fact, the Black Swan originally operated as a pub, with Banks working behind the bar at his family’s establishment before moving into the kitchen. In 2023, he launched Abbey Inn in Byland, and he has recently launched a hospitality arm focused on reviving other pubs across the UK. First up is General Tarleton with eight rooms in Ferrensby village, near Harrogate. The cuisine is exceptional, with polished takes on pub classics made with regional ingredients – the perfect fuel for walks along the river and into Nidd Gorge, a local beauty spot.
The Bat and Ball, Oxfordshire Countryside
Dogs lounge by the fireplace and dog collars at the bar at this quaint inn in the village of Cuddesdon, best known for its clergy college. It launched 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 – it even features a dartboard – and menu items elevate classic pub food and enhance them with premium local produce. The five bedrooms have walls painted in rich autumnal shades to match the nearby landscape, which is nestled between the Cotswolds and Chilterns.
King’s Arms, Lakeland
This independently run inn, which reopened at the end of August, is at the center of the Lakeland village of Hawkshead, around the corner from the Beatrix Potter gallery and the Hawkshead Grammar School museum, where a young William Wordsworth carved his name into his desk. There’s plenty of history in the oak beams and stone floors at the King’s Arms too, which dates back to the 17th century. Behind the dark-wood panelled 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. Just the thing to be enjoying after a hike up nearby Latterbarrow fell.
The Wellington at Boscastle, Cornwall
Affectionately called The Welly, this centuries-old coaching inn overlooks Boscastle Harbor on Cornwall’s dramatic north coast. St Austell Brewery recently invested heavily renovating it, and the results are evident in the cosy dining rooms, intimate corners and stained-glass windows. The best rooms are the two in the pub’s turret with freestanding baths, but all 14 come with artwork by local artists and OS maps and a South West Coast Path national trail book for walks. The trail passes nearby: west to Tintagel Castle, birthplace of King Arthur according to legend, or east towards 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 influential interior designer Nina Campbell, this rural inn is the social hub in the small village of Totford in peaceful 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 sizeable vegetable garden, right now filled with pumpkin, celeriac and winter leaves. In addition to providing almost all the vegetables on the menu, staff also contribute 20% of the harvest to local charities and homeless 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 nailed the modern country pubs with rooms formula – excellent cuisine, friendly bar and keen prices for overnighters. The latest addition to the fold is Fleur de Lys, a historic inn in the village of Cranbourne. The novelist Thomas Hardy was a frequent visitor here and references it in his novel Tess. The revamp reflects its period charm: hops drape over the large open fireplace, candles glow on tables and, upstairs, the nine bedrooms are decorated in muted colours. Trails loop around Cranborne Manor, with dishes such as Brixham bass, venison chop and sticky toffee pudding to look forward to back at the pub afterwards.
The Penny Bun, Yorkshire Dales
Inspired by a fungus found in local woods, the Penny Bun is a break from conventional pubs. With its clay-plastered walls and palette of earthy browns, the look is more wabi-sabi minimalism than traditional pub fixtures. Between Ilkley and Otley in the Yorkshire Dales, the new inn is part of Denton Reserve, a 2,500-acre estate undergoing an eco-friendly overhaul, shifting to carbon sequestering and regenerative farming. It supplies many of the ingredients found on the menu at the Penny Bun, such as Tamworth pork croquette salad or gnocchi with roasted garden beetroots. The calming aesthetic particularly suits the five bedrooms (the plum one comes with a freestanding bath), with deep beds to sink into after walks across Ilkley Moor, just steps away.
The Ship, Norfolk Coast
This summer, Sisters Siobhan and Caitriona Peyton rebooted this seaside inn with nine rustic rooms 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 star turn in autumn. On Sundays, expect roasted venison served with foraged mushrooms instead of traditional meats, while in the front bar relax by the fireplace and tuck into a pork roll or monkfish scampi with a pint of local ale. Outside, the vast skies look especially arresting at this time of year – look out for flocks of pink-footed geese – and walks cut through dunes and marshes.
The Leicester Arms, Kent
Opposite 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, real Kentish ales from nearby Larkins, and superior cuisine in the dining room. The menu focuses on local produce, with Kent lamb scotch egg and oysters from Whitstable, while 11 nature-themed rooms are decorated in an attractive heritage style. Four of them come with clawfoot tubs for post-walk soaks after a stroll around the Penshurst Estate past River Medway, lakes and ancient oaks.
Swan Inn, Sussex Countryside
The two-and-a-half year refurbishment of this historic inn in Fittleworth on the edge of the South Downs was worth the wait. Original features from its medieval origins mix with stylish comfort in the bar, restaurant and 12 beautifully designed rooms – though it remains traditional, says owner Angus Davies. Dining in the wood-panelled, painting-lined dining room draw on local seasonal ingredients (wild mushrooms and fresh plum pudding on our visit) and generous breakfasts are served in a barn in the gardens. The old visitor books are interesting: notable guests include JMW Turner, John Constable and Rudyard Kipling. There’s plenty to do nearby, from antique shopping in local villages to walks on the downs, Petworth House and Arundel Castle.
Nevill Arms Inn, Leicestershire Countryside
With its honeyed hamlets, charming towns and undulating landscape, the Welland valley is in a part of the country sometimes referred to as the Notswolds (like the Cotswolds but without the price tag). The Nevill Arms in the village of Medbourne was revamped in 2023, with 10 bedrooms (including four-posters) spread between the pub and former stables – and next year they’ll add a three-bedroom stone cottage next door too. Culinarily, meats are reared on the owner’s farm, while in the inky blue-painted bar there’s a rotating line up of Langton Brewery beers on tap – the favorite of which is an amber bitter, Inclined Plane, named after the canal lift at nearby Foxton Locks.
New Inn, Lancashire Countryside
Young couple Ben and Lauren Sandiford assumed the running of this seven-room inn in April. Ben brought his chef experience to the kitchen, which now turns out classy comfort food (shepherd's pie with mashed potatoes and cheese or beef and ale suet pudding) to be eaten in the rustic dining area beside the log burner. The bar is filled with locals sipping on
