7 of the cosiest countryside pubs to bed down in
The Bell
We start our journey in the stunning Cotswolds at The Bell on the edge of tranquil Stow-on-the-Wold. Stay in this rustic yet super-stylish country pub, and you can curl up like a mole in a hole (one of the Boutique rooms at Stuart House might also be known at the Mole – and is a real beauty). The bar downstairs is just as welcoming with its toasty wood-burning stove and as-old-as-the-hills stone floors.
Wheatsheaf Inn
Just ten miles down the A429, you’ll find the Wheatsheaf Inn in the quaint town of Northleach. This old-old-old creeper-covered building screams period charm, and it’s easy to conjure a vivid sense of its past life as a coaching inn. Our best bits are the oil-painting-hung Gun Room and the soak-away-your-cares free-standing bathtubs.
White Hart
Jump back on the A429 and head south (35 miles or so) and you’ll reach the White Hart, in the beautiful hamlet of Ford (near Castle Coombe). It’s a true hidden gem surrounded by lots of leafy loveliness with the babbling By Brook meandering through its gorgeous gardens. Every nook and cranny of this 16th-century gem holds a piece of history oozes character and charm.
Pheasant Inn
Now we head south through the scenic chalk downlands of Berkshire’s famed Valley of the Racehorse and come to the Pheasant Inn in the village of Shefford Woodlands. This splendid pub has been providing an idyllic haven for travellers for 450 years. Especially glad of a seat, a pint, and a hearty meal are the weary hikers of our local hills and the worn-out walkers of their dynamo dogs (remember, all our pubs are pooch-friendly).
Carnarvon Arms
A little further south, and we reach to Carnarvon Arms, just outside Newbury (famous for its racecourse) and right next to Highclere Castle (star of the Downtown Abbey series). Its setting among endless rolling hills makes it a spot-on base for all manner of country pursuits. Favourite pursuits in the pub include reading the paper with a pint by the fire, playing something from the impressive stack of board games, and gorging on the magnificent Sunday roast.
Griffin Inn
Now we’re headed to Sussex, to the true olde-wordle charmer that is the Griffin Inn, which overlooks the beautiful Ouse Valley (or Sussex Serengeti as the locals call it) in the sweet village of Fletching. This is a seriously characterful 16th-century pub, with bags of charm and original features (that you dare not touch) and the most breath-taking garden views, ever – like ever.
Carpenter’s Arms
The final stop on our time-for-a-pint-and-a-pit-stop journey takes us to the Kentish countryside, and the Carpenter’s Arms, which sits just outside the pretty market town of Tonbridge (4 miles north of Royal Tunbridge Wells). This gloriously charming pub has had a top-to-toe makeover and she’s sparking, inside and out. There are warm welcomes by the barrel-load, super-indulgent seasonal eats and fireside board games to boot.