This traditional dog friendly, child friendly village local and dining pub, with four rooms above and five in a garden annexe, has received a new lease of life under new owner Tom Downing.

Our inspectors enjoyed their stay at Alex Morbey's honeyed-stone gastropub with thoughtfully designed rooms and excellent cooking in the busy restaurant.

A 16th-century cider house right on the village green with views to a duck pond, Archie and Nicola Orr-Ewing's gastropub with rooms combines the ethos of a friendly local with the facilities of a stylish bolthole, serving well-executed pub classics with more exotic flourishes.

Without and within, this dog-friendly, family-friendly, extended 19th-century pub, part of the Butcombe chain, is a mix of traditional and modern, with a relaxed vibe, varied menus and smart, unstuffy bedrooms.