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ENGLAND'S BEST PUBS

General Tarleton Inn, North Yorkshire

Chef Tommy Banks, one of Yorkshire’s favourite foodie sons, is most famous for the Michelin-starred restaurant the Black Swan at Oldstead, but he’s no stranger to pubs. Actually, the Black Swan originally operated as a pub, with Banks serving drinks at his family’s establishment before graduating to the kitchen. Recently, he launched the Abbey Inn in Byland, and he has just started a hospitality arm focused on reviving 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 polished takes on pub classics made with regional ingredients – the perfect fuel for walks along the river and into Nidd Gorge, a scenic local area.

The Bat and Ball, Oxfordshire

It’s dogs by the fire and clergy at the bar at this quaint inn in the village of Cuddesdon, best known for its clergy college. It was opened at the start of the year by the proprietors of Lamb Inn in nearby Little Milton, and the chefs at both locations gained experience at two-Michelin-star 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 dial them up with premium local produce. Five guest rooms have walls painted in rich autumnal shades to match the nearby landscape, which is nestled between the Cotswolds and Chilterns.

King’s Arms, Lake District

This family-owned pub, which reopened at the end of August, is at the center of the Lakeland village of Hawkshead, just a short walk from Beatrix Potter Gallery and Hawkshead Grammar School Museum, where the poet Wordsworth etched his name into his desk. There’s plenty of history in oak beams and slate floors at the King’s Arms too, which dates back to the 17th century. Behind the dark-wood panelled bar is a selection of regional ales including Coniston Old Man Ale and Cumbrian Ales Loweswater Gold, while the food leans towards classic with Cumberland scotch eggs and beef wellington. Just the thing to be enjoying after a stomp up nearby Latterbarrow fell.

The Wellington at Boscastle, Cornwall

Known affectionately as The Welly, this historic coaching house overlooks Boscastle harbour on Cornwall’s dramatic north coast. St Austell Brewery recently splashed millions renovating it, and the results are evident in the snug dining areas, intimate corners and stained glass panelling. The pick of the bedrooms are the turret suites with freestanding baths, but all 14 come with artwork by local artists and ordnance survey 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 round past Pentargon waterfall. Post-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

Recently renovated by influential interior designer Nina Campbell, this country pub is the social hub in the tiny hamlet 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 – supplemented by the pub’s large kitchen garden, currently growing pumpkin, celeriac and winter leaves. In addition to providing almost all the vegetables on the menu, the team also donates 20% of the harvest to local charities and homeless shelters. Upstairs, eight guest rooms are named after game birds, but it’s fly fishing the local main attraction – angling for trout in the world renowned chalk stream of the River Itchen.

Fleur de Lys Inn, Dorset

Pub and restaurant firm Chickpea has nailed the modern country pubs with rooms formula – excellent cuisine, welcoming bar and keen prices for overnighters. The latest addition to the fold is Fleur de Lys, a 17th-century inn in the village of Cranbourne. The novelist Thomas Hardy was a frequent visitor here and makes reference to it in his novel Tess. The renovation reflects its historical character: hops drape over the large open fireplace, candles flicker on tables and, upstairs, nine rooms are decorated in subdued tones. 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 earth-toned palette, the style is minimalist than traditional pub fixtures. Located between Ilkley and Otley in the Yorkshire Dales, the recently opened pub is part of Denton Reserve, a 2,500-acre estate undergoing a sustainably led transformation, 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 beetroot gnocchi. The calming aesthetic particularly suits the five bedrooms (the plum one comes with a standalone tub), with plush beds to sink into after walks across Ilkley Moor, right outside the front door.

The Ship, Norfolk Coast

This summer, Sisters Siobhan and Caitriona Peyton 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 (less than a mile’s walk away), local game is the highlight in autumn. For Sunday lunch, expect roasted venison served with foraged mushrooms instead of the usual chicken or beef, while in the bar relax by the fireplace and enjoy a pork roll or monkfish with a pint of local ale. Outside, the vast skies look especially arresting at this time of year – look out for flocks of migrating pink-footed geese – and trails cut through dunes and salt marshes.

The Leicester Arms, Kent Countryside

Across the road from the entrance to Penshurst Place, this Grade II-listed pub is more attractive than ever after a major renovation last year. No wonder it scooped Kent’s county prize at the national awards: there are plush armchairs by the fire in the bar, authentic Kent ales from a local brewery, and superior cuisine in the dining room. The menu highlights local produce, with Kent lamb scotch egg and oysters from Whitstable, while 11 nature-themed rooms are decorated in a classic style. Four rooms come with rolltop baths for post-walk soaks after a ramble around the Penshurst Estate past River Medway, lakes and ancient oaks.

Swan Inn, West Sussex

The lengthy renovation of this Grade II-listed coaching inn in Fittleworth on the edge of the South Downs was worth the wait. Original features from its 14th-century roots mix with stylish comfort in the bar, restaurant and 12 beautifully designed rooms – though it remains “proudly old fashioned”, says the owner. Dining in the wood-paneled, painting-lined dining room draw on seasonal local produce (wild mushrooms and fresh plum pudding on our visit) and generous breakfasts are served in the barn in the pretty gardens. Historic guestbooks are fascinating: notable guests include JMW Turner, John Constable and Rudyard Kipling. There’s plenty to do nearby, from antique shopping in local villages to downland walks, Petworth House and Arundel castle.

Nevill Arms Inn, Leicestershire Countryside

With its picturesque villages, charming towns and rolling countryside, the Welland valley is in a region sometimes referred to as the Notswolds (similar to the Cotswolds but without the price tag). Nevill Arms in the village of Medbourne was refurbished in 2023, with 10 bedrooms (some with four-poster beds) spread between the pub and its converted stables – and soon they’ll add a three-bedroom stone cottage next door too. Culinarily, meats are sourced from the owner’s farm, while in the blue bar there’s a changing selection of Langton ales on tap – the most popular of which is an amber ale, Inclined Plane, named after the 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 elevated comfort dishes (shepherd’s pie with mashed potatoes and cheese or beef pudding) to be eaten in the beamed dining room beside the fireplace. The bar is filled with locals sipping on