Thomas Hardy fans will be in their element at this local watering hole in Dorset, which was the model for 'The Sow and Acorn' in Tess of the d'Urbervilles.

Reopened in 2024 after a £1.6 million refurbishment, this former coaching inn in a picture-perfect village is a pleasing mix of original beams, exposed stone and smart decor, with well-appointed rooms, a friendly atmosphere, and a restaurant serving pub classics alongside more inventive dishes.

Roses festoon this family and dog-friendly 17th-century pub with rooms, in a thriving village close to the RSPB's Snettisham Nature Reserve.

Rescued from closure by two local couples, this gastropub at the heart of a picturesque village has stylish bedrooms and cooking of a very high order.

The catch of the day could be Shetland hake in the restaurant or nifty fielding on the sands at this pub-with-rooms overlooking the Firth of Forth, with its own beach cricket team.

Huddled below wooded hills, beside a stone bridge over the River Monnow, this whitewashed former 17th-century coaching inn serves delicious food and has great walks from the door to help you justify eating it.

Winding country lanes lead to this popular local and gastropub with a welcoming vibe, smart New England-style bedrooms and a restaurant serving the freshest fish and seafood.

With smartl interiors and imaginative, locally sourced, restaurant-quality food, this dog-friendly country inn on the Lowther Estate is a happy mix of pub informality and country-house comforts.

Chef-proprietors Guy and Brittany Manning have brought skills honed at triple-Michelin-starred Per Se in Midtown Manhattan to this thatched gastropub on the edge of Salisbury Plain, with 'stupendous' food in the bar/restaurant and garden, and stylish guest bedrooms across the road, with decking from which to watch the ducks on the River Avon.

Historic features are seamlessly blended with contemporary styling at this riverside gastropub with indoor, outdoor and waterside dining, and a menu of pub classics alongside more inventive dishes.

A lovely, wisteria-swagged, 17th-century Bath stone inn, this is a gastropub with a wide choice of characterful rooms, a serious attitude to food, regular comedy nights and an irrepressible sense of fun.

A bus ride from Greater London, in the Surrey hills, this whitewashed former coaching inn is a good mix of friendly local and gastropub with rooms, a good base for walking, cycling and picnics on Box Hill.

Ideally situated beside Corsham Court at the heart of the village, this former coaching inn has smartly refurbished bedrooms, a friendly, casual ambience and a menu of pub classics and fancier dishes, using produce from the kitchen garden.

A 17th-century thatched rural village pub with two boutique bedrooms has become a foodie destination with menus sourced from the owners' farm.

Just off the M3, this unpretentious village pub with motel-style accommodation is family friendly and affordable, with a relaxed ambience and a menu of pub favourites, platters and Sunday roasts.

A former sports bar and one-time Berni Inn, this handsome pub has been splendidly renovated in Art Deco style for Young’s, recapturing its 1920s glory days, when it housed a cocktail bar.

In a village close to Bath, one of England's oldest inns offers characterful rooms and above-average pub fare.

Expect a cheerful welcome at this pub with rooms, which stands by a bridge over the Union Canal in a conservation village.

Guests staying at this beautifully furnished and dog friendly pub can enjoy hearty, locally sourced fare or dine at sister property Another Place where they have use of all facilities.

An ideal base from which to visit Highclere (aka Downton Abbey) or to spend a day at the races, this dog-friendly, equestrian-themed gastropub has bedrooms in former outbuildings, including the old stables, a wide-ranging menu of pub classics, grills, and imaginative small and large plates.

Just off the main street of this popular Cotswolds town, this family-run 16th-century former coaching inn is well liked for its three tasteful bedrooms, pub classics done well alongside more adventurous dishes, and an oasis garden at the rear.

Within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB, this dog friendly former coaching inn, part of the Chestnut Collection, with interiors inspired by the landscape, has rustic-chic and contemporary bedrooms, a bar menu, and modern dishes served in a light-filled dining room and outdoors.

An ideal base for exploring the Peak District, this sympathetically updated 16th-century coaching inn offers a wide choice of rooms at very reasonable price, and a menu of locally sourced dishes to please all tastes.

Cosy, low-ceilinged and fire-warmed, this smartly refurbished 17th-century pub in the centre of a Lake District village has walks from the door and is just a short stroll from the Michelin-starred restaurant at Askham Hall (see entry).

With views over the Vale of York, this village inn has all the warmth, character and robust food expected of a 300-year-old country pub. Owners Michael and Sasha Ibbotson ensure that guests, and their dogs, are well cared for.

You drive down a single-track road on the edge of Dartmoor National Park and cross a brook to reach this dog-friendly, very ancient, thatched and whitewashed village pub, redolent of history, serving excellent, locally sourced pub classics, with rustic-chic bedrooms and two resident ghosts.

Serving cider since 1851, this honey-stone village pub has been attracting attention since a lockdown makeover by enthusiastic new owners. Contemporary-chic bedrooms have good fabrics, a Roberts radio, posh toiletries, views over gently rolling countryside.

Tom and Michaela Kitchin preside at this gastropub in a coastal village at the heart of golfing country, where Victorian interiors have had a smart-casual Scandi-Scotia makeover, and you can dine on superior pub classics in the Broc Bar, or get the nosebag on for Tom's nature-to-plate dishes in the converted stables.

With far-reaching views over the Vale of York, this dog-friendly village inn blends olde-worlde beams, rustic-chic bedrooms and luxury Scandi-style garden suites, while pub classics vie with creative modern dishes on eclectic menus using produce from the kitchen garden and local suppliers.

Perfect for a country weekend, this 17th-century thatched pub close to Newmarket has contemporary, rustic-chic bedrooms in a 'barn', beams, bar stools, banquettes and bare boards, superior pub grub, and a separate menu for your pooch.