Country pubs with rom-com movie vibes

It was the perfect meet-cute. His tousled blonde curls dappled in mud, her designer coat damp from the rain, their eyes lock over the water bowl. For my dog, Miss Babs and the handsome cocker spaniel, it was love at first sight.

Low-slung beams, polished flagstone floors and always a roaring fire, the best country pubs have Richard Curtis rom-com vibes. When it comes to romance, you can keep your fancy five-star hotels ringing all their bells and whistles, I much prefer hunkering down in a cosy 15th-century coaching inn for the weekend – particularly if my dog is welcome too.

After a long and muddy romp through the countryside, nothing beats settling down in front of a toasty fire with a good Bloody Mary or a pint of the local ale and a browse through the weekend papers. Country pubs are what makes Britain great. These often centuries-old hostelries are laced with history and simply ooze character – like Dick Turpin might pop in for a pint at any moment.

After a couple of drinks, there’s a chance I’ll challenge my boyfriend to a game of Dominoes or thwart his attempts at the cryptic crossword by “helping”. But before too long my thoughts will always turn to dinner.

Of course, the best country pubs live on the reputation of their food. I’m not here for fiddly fine dining. I want a homemade Scotch egg the size of a bowling ball, a proper fish pie and a Sunday roast to rival my mother’s – slow-roasted meat, gallons of gravy and the world’s best Yorkshire pudding.

And when our belt buckles have reached their last notch, we waddle back to our spot by the fire for a nightcap before crawling ‘up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire’, a fitting end to our British rom-com weekend.