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General Tarleton Inn, North Yorkshire

Chef Tommy Banks, one of Yorkshire’s favourite foodie sons, is best known for the Michelin-starred restaurant Black Swan at Oldstead, and he also has deep pub roots. Actually, the Black Swan originally operated as a pub, with Banks working behind the bar at his family’s establishment before graduating to the kitchen. In 2023, he opened the Abbey Inn in Byland, and he has recently launched a hospitality arm focused on reviving other pubs across the UK. First up is General Tarleton with eight rooms in the village of Ferrensby, near Harrogate. The cuisine is exceptional, with refined versions of traditional pub dishes made with local produce – the perfect fuel for riverside strolls and into Nidd Gorge, a scenic local area.

Bat and Ball Inn, Oxfordshire Countryside

Dogs lounge by the fireplace and dog collars at the bar at this charming pub in the village of Cuddesdon, famous for its theological college. It was opened at the start of the year by the owners 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 – it even features a dartboard – and dishes take typical pub fare and dial them up with carefully sourced local ingredients. Five guest rooms have walls painted in rich autumnal shades to match the surrounding countryside, which is nestled between the Cotswolds and Chilterns.

Kings Arms Inn, Lakeland

This independently run inn, which relaunched at the end of August, is at the center of the Lakeland village of Hawkshead, around the corner from the Beatrix Potter gallery and the Hawkshead Grammar School museum, where a young William Wordsworth etched his name into his desk. It’s rich in history in oak beams and slate floors at the King’s Arms too, which originates in the 1600s. Behind the dark-wood panelled bar is a roster of local beers including Coniston Old Man Ale and Cumbrian Ales Loweswater Gold, while the menu focuses on classics with Cumberland scotch eggs and beef wellington. Just the thing to be tucking into after a stomp up nearby Latterbarrow fell.

The Wellington at Boscastle, Cornwall

Known affectionately as The Welly, this centuries-old coaching inn overlooks Boscastle harbour on Cornwall’s dramatic north coast. A local brewery recently splashed millions renovating it, and it shows in the cosy dining rooms, snugs and stained glass panelling. The pick of the bedrooms are the two in the pub’s turret with standalone tubs, but all 14 come with local art on the walls and ordnance survey maps and a South West Coast Path national trail book for walks. The path runs right outside: west to Tintagel Castle, birthplace of King Arthur as per myth, or round past Pentargon waterfall. Post-hike, there’s pints of Proper Job by the fire and plates of fish and chips to look forward to, made with fresh local fish in ale batter.

The Woolpack Inn, Hampshire Countryside

Recently renovated by renowned 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 abundant regional ingredients to draw on – supplemented by the pub’s large kitchen garden, currently growing pumpkin, celeriac and winter leaves. As well as supplying almost all the vegetables on the menu, staff also contribute 20% of the harvest to community charities and homeless shelters. Upstairs, eight guest rooms are named after game birds, but it’s fly fishing the local star draw – angling for trout in the world renowned chalk stream of the River Itchen.

Fleur de Lys Inn, Dorset

Pub and restaurant firm Chickpea has mastered the modern country pubs with rooms formula – great food, welcoming bar and competitive rates for overnighters. The newest member to the fold is Fleur de Lys, a 17th-century inn in the village of Cranbourne. Author Thomas Hardy was a regular guest here and references it in Tess of the D’Urbervilles. The renovation reflects its historical character: hops drape over the large open fireplace, candles flicker on tables and, upstairs, nine rooms are decorated in muted colours. Walking routes loop around Cranborne Estate, with dishes such as Brixham sea bass, venison barnsley chop and toffee pudding to look forward to back at the pub afterwards.

Penny Bun Inn, North Yorkshire

Named after a mushroom found in local woods, the Penny Bun is a departure from your traditional boozer. With its clay-plastered walls and earth-toned palette, the style is minimalist than traditional pub fixtures. Between Ilkley and Otley in the Yorkshire Dales, the new inn is part of the Denton Reserve, a 1,012-hectare estate undergoing an eco-friendly overhaul, shifting to carbon sequestering and sustainable agriculture. It provides many of the ingredients found on the menu at the Penny Bun, such as pork croquette salad or beetroot gnocchi. The serene decor particularly suits the five rooms (the best room comes with a standalone tub), with plush beds to sink into after hikes on Ilkley Moor, right outside the front door.

The Ship, Norfolk

Recently, Sisters Siobhan and Caitriona Peyton revitalized this seaside inn with nine beamed bedrooms in the village of Brancaster. The cooking here has a light Mediterranean touch, and while menus have one eye on the sea (less than a mile’s walk away), game from local estates is the star turn in autumn. For Sunday lunch, expect whole pot-roasted venison shoulders served with local wild mushrooms instead of traditional meats, while in the bar settle in by the fire and tuck into a pork roll or monkfish scampi with a pint of Moon Gazer Ale. Outside, the vast skies look particularly stunning at this time of year – watch for flocks of pink-footed geese – and trails cut through dunes and marshes.

Leicester Arms Inn, Kent

Across the road from the entrance to medieval Penshurst Place and Gardens, this historic pub is more attractive than ever after a major renovation last year. It’s easy to see why it won Kent’s county prize at the national awards: there are plush armchairs by the fire in the bar, real Kentish ales from a local brewery, and cut-above cooking in the dining room. The menu focuses on local produce, with Kent lamb scotch egg and Whitstable oysters, while 11 nature-themed rooms are decorated in a classic style. Four rooms come with clawfoot tubs for soaking after walks after a ramble around the Penshurst Estate past the River Medway, lakes and giant oak trees.

Swan Inn, Sussex Countryside

The lengthy renovation of this historic inn in Fittleworth on the edge of the South Downs was worth the wait. Period details from its medieval origins mix with modern comfort in the bar, restaurant and 12 beautifully designed rooms – though it remains “proudly old fashioned”, says the owner. Dining in the wood-panelled, painting-lined dining room draw on seasonal local produce (foraged ceps and plum pudding on our visit) and lavish breakfasts are served in the barn in the pretty gardens. Historic guestbooks are fascinating: notable guests include JMW Turner, John Constable and Rudyard Kipling. Nearby activities abound, from browsing antiques in local villages to walks on the downs, Petworth House and Arundel Castle.

The Nevill Arms, Leicestershire

With its picturesque villages, pretty market towns and rolling countryside, Welland Valley is in a part of the country sometimes referred to as the Notswolds (like the Cotswolds but more affordable). The Nevill Arms in the village of Medbourne was refurbished in 2023, with 10 rooms (including four-posters) spread between the pub and its converted stables – and soon they’ll add a stone cottage next door too. On the food front, 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 bitter, Inclined Plane, named after the canal lift at nearby Foxton Locks.

New Inn, Lancashire

New owners Ben and Lauren Sandiford took on 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 mash and ewe’s cheese crumb or beef pudding) to be eaten in the rustic dining area beside the fireplace. The bar is filled with locals sipping on