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Country Pubs

Gloucestershire

ANCHOR
Church Rd, Oldbury-on-Severn, BS35 1QA. Tel: 01454 413331 • This 200-year-old pub is the perfect focal point for a day’s walking in the beautiful countryside of the Severn Estuary. Relax and recharge with a delicious meal from the restaurant’s huge range or a well-earned pint of real ale, including Bass, Butcombe, Otter, the rather potent Old Peculier, Mr Perret’s Stout (or Old Arnold) plus weekly changing guest. Traditional English home-cooked food using local produce, served in both dining room and bar. Under-18s not allowed in the bar but welcome in the lovely garden and dining room. • Around 14 boules pistes out back.

BATHURST ARMS
North Cerney, nr Cirencester, GL7 7BZ. Tel: 01285 831281, web: www.bathurstarms.com • Set in the picturesque village of North Cerney, right on the edge of the River Churn, the Bathurst Arms offers the intimacy ofa traditional inn, combined with high standards of food, wine and accommodation. The restaurant, all stone fireplaces and antique settles, offers an ever-changing menu with fresh fish and much use of local and organic produce. Two changing guest ales, Stowford Press and Carling, but it’s the Cotswold Lager which is especially noteworthy, brewed in Oxfordshire using equipment shipped from New York State. At least 10 wines available by the glass. Three twin and five double rooms plus a converted flat for families. A pretty flower-filled garden runs down to the river. • Wine event last Wed of the month.

BELL @ SAPPERTON
Sapperton, nr Cirencester, GL7 6LE. Tel: 01285 760298 • Logic might suggest that as the Thames’s easternmost end is famed for its geezers’ dodginess, its western extreme should be synonymous with good breeding. Venture here, 10 minutes’ walk from the source of the river featured on a certain soap’s credits, and you’ll find proof via links to Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Lord Lichfield, Donald Campbell, Gina Lollobrigida, Sade and Liz Hurley, husband and nipper. The surroundings are smart but not stuffy, although a sign asks children to be quiet, well-behaved and to stay at the table. Fine wines plus four real ales including Bath Ales’ Spa and Uley Old Spot. Locally sourced ingredients go into dishes like caesar salad, salmon with scrambled eggs, beef burger, lamb rack plus Sunday menu. Smoke on the garden’s gravel or on the terracing out back or, if you’re really posh, have your butler do it. • One of the UK’s top 10 pubs, according to the Good Pub Guide.

BLACK HORSE
Cranham, GL4 8HP. Tel: 01452 812217 • Cranham village is just off the main road between Painswick and Cheltenham, a couple of miles from Gloucester city centre; if you reach Prinknash Abbey, you’ve gone too far. This cosy, well-worn 17th-century pub has gorgeous log fires in both of the tiny bars, and high-backed wall settles, not to mention stunning views over the valley below. Ales include Stroud Brewery’s award-winning Tom Long, as well as Doom Bar and Butcombe, with Beck’s, Stella, Carling and Stowford Press also on draught and traditional scrumpy from the box. Wonderful food. • Very steep hill up to the car park, so make sure your hand brake’s working.

BOARS HEAD
Main Rd, Aust, BS35 4AX. Tel: 01454 632278 • Traditional pub with 16th-century roots conveniently located for easy access from both Bristol and Bath with a huge beer garden supplementing the beams, fireplaces and an extensive, impressive menu that includes excellent options for children. Beers include Pedigree, Bath Ales’ Gem and changing guest, and there’s a terrific wine list too. • In 1966, Bob Dylan was photographed standing outside the Aust Ferry ticket office, just down the road from the pub. The photo was used to publicise Martin Scorsese’s 2005 Dylan documentary ‘No Direction Home’. So there.

BOAT INN
Ashleworth Quay, Ashleworth, GL19 4HZ. Tel: 01452 700272, web: www.boat-inn.co.uk • A peaceful, unspoilt red brick cottage on the west bank of the River Severn. Expect to find draughts such as Vicar’s Ruin, Grave Digger, Fallen Angel and Old Rosie to enjoy while lazing on the grassy banks or in the cosy front parlour. Closed all day Mon except bank holidays (when open for lunch only) and Wed morning. Filled rolls served noon-2pm. • Serves Westons Bounds Brand cider - suitable for vegetarians and coeliacs.

BOWL INN
Church Rd, Lower Almondsbury, nr Bristol, BS32 4DT. Tel: 01454 612757, web: www.thebowlinn.co.uk • 16th-century inn (licensed since 1552) in a quintessential English village, only minutes from the Almondsbury interchange. An excellent selection of food, from freshly baked baguettes to salads, and more hearty main meals to enjoy in the traditional bar area, with a full a la carte selection available in the Lillies restaurant. Six or seven cask ales always available alongside a good range of wines; several characterful rooms available for B&B-ers. • The pub derives its name from the shape of the land surrounding the Severn Estuary, which can be seen from the inn.

BULL INN AT HINTON
Hinton, nr Dyrham, SN14 8HG. Tel: 0117 937 2332 • Boasting around 500 years of history, this is your archetypal pub (in a converted dairy). Two huge fires welcome customers drawn by the setting, the great selection of drinks and the regularly changing menu. Huge lawn with outdoor seating. • A pleasing short spin from Castle Combe Circuit.

BUTCHERS ARMS
Sheepscombe, GL6 7RH. Tel: 01452 812113, web: www.butchers-arms.co.uk • A traditional Cotswolds village pub which features in just about every good beer guide going. Unwind in the garden, taking in the pastoral surrounds of the valleys, or enjoy a real log fire while sipping ales such as Butcombe Gold, Otter and Wye Valley’s Dorothy Goodbody - a fine lady. Other draughts include Stowford Press, Amstel and Foster’s. A good selection of traditional and modern dishes available in the restaurant, famous for its fresh, locally sourced homemade food, with bar menu also available. Child-friendly and wheelchair-accessible in that the pub is the same level throughout. Quiz first Thur of the month. • Dates from about 1670, and comes complete with log fires, thick stone walls and mullioned windows.

CHEQUERS
Ferry Rd, Hanham Mills, BS15 3NU. Tel: 0117 967 4242 • Large riverside pub with an eye-catching curved frontage and attractive scenery all around. There’s dining and drinking pedigree here, with AA-rosetted chef Danny Jordan recently arrived from the Berkeley Square Hotel. On draught you’ll find Olde Trip ale, with links to Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, a pub in Nottingham claiming to be England’s oldest (1189, since you ask). Other draughts include Blackthorn, Bulmers, Beck’s Vier, Foster’s and Stella, with plans for some interesting additions come summer. Already added are the new floor and tub chairs via a recent refurb. Danny’s top-notch, locally sourced food includes a seven-vegetable Sunday roast with three meat choices served noon-8pm. Popular for 18ths, 21sts, weddings and wakes. Boat trippers phone ahead to eat in the restaurant which offers glorious views of the river Avon when the ferry moors. Heaters and covers on the sheltered patio. Live music Sat, Christmas Eve discos remembered fondly by your author. • Classy food and ale in a beautiful setting.

DANEWAY INN
Sapperton, GL7 6LN. Tel: 01285 760297, web: www.thedaneway.com • Flagstone-floored local in charming, wooded countryside, with terrace tables and lovely sloping lawn. Well-kept Wadworth IPA and 6X among four real ales on tap, Westons cider, and reasonably priced food. Small family room, traditional games in inglenook public bar. Good walks by canal, with tunnel to Coates. Two tables with covers outside. Alongside the large garden lies the Camping Sauvage site, a small campsite at really reasonable rates. The second Sat in June sees an annual music fest, so you’ll have to wait until 2010 for the next or drop in on Tuesdays for friendly jamming of a bluegrass or traditional Irish nature. • Amazing floor-to-ceiling carved oak fireplace.

DOG INN
Badminton Rd, Old Sodbury, BS37 6LZ. Tel: 01454 312006, web: www.cotswold-way.co.uk/doginn • This pub’s claim to fame is the enormous size of the menu - large selection of fresh fish, and veggie selection, all at great value, with mains starting from around a fiver. Children have their own extensive menu. The atmosphere’s cosy and dark inside, with a small courtyard and garden to enjoy the sunshine, and the range of real ales includes 6X, Wickwar BOB and Doom Bar. Open all day, with food available lunch and dinner seven days a week. • Letting rooms available.

EDGEMORE INN AND RESTAURANT
Edge, nr Stroud, GL6 6ND. Tel: 01452 813576, web: www.edgemoor-inn.com • This Cotswold free house offers great views and great home-cooked food to match. Extensive range of daily blackboard specials, with plenty of veggie options: the Edgemoor prides itself on using local produce, including a large amount of fresh fish. Three or four ales on at any time, plus Stowford Press, Beck’s Vier and Stella. • Big terraced patio with comfy seats overlooks the Painswick panoramas and surrounding countryside.

FARMER’S ARMS
Ledbury Rd, Lower Apperley, GL19 4DR. Tel: 01452 780307, web: www.farmersarmslowerapperley.co.uk • Delightful village pub, with Henry’s IPA, 6X and Stowford Press on draught. They used to brew their own beer here until Wadworth took the place over and moved the equipment to Devizes where it’s still used for their Pint Size Brewery operation. Excellent reputation for food and 20 wines from which to choose. • Last year’s proposed smoking area still due, with heaters and covers planned.

FOX AND HOUNDS
Acton Turville, GL9 1HW. Tel: 01454 218224 • On the outskirts of Chipping Sodbury, this is quite the foodie gem, with a secluded beer garden too. Offers creative catering to stimulate everyone’s taste buds, with delicious traditional and innovative food. Extensive selection of yummy daily specials complements the huge house menu. Two real ales, regularly changing, but including the likes of Old Speckled Hen, Abbot and Spitfire. Covered smoking area. • The place for real food, and real value for money.

KINGS ARMS
The Street, Didmarton, nr Badminton, GL9 1DT. Tel: 01454 238245, web: www.kingsarmsdidmarton.co.uk • Built in 1652, this lovingly restored, grade I-listed, 17th-century coaching inn is just at the edge of the sprawling Badminton Estate and only two miles from Westonbirt Arboretum. Fresh game is a speciality, and the seasonal menu, complemented by fresh daily blackboard specials along with a creative selection of lighter snacks and hearty meals, uses the freshest ingredients and the best local produce. Three real ales always on, expect offerings like Uley, Otter and Timothy Taylor’s Landlord. Tasteful garden and patio to rear for roll-ups. • Annual rook pie alas no more.

LIVE & LET LIVE
Clyde Rd, Frampton Cotterell, BS36 2EF. Tel: 01454 772254. Web: www.bathales.com • Managers Lloyd and Alex preside over a boozer operating as much as a community centre as a pub. “We’re a meeting point for extended families across the area,” said Lloyd when our man called. There’s a also a big family feel to the pub’s set-up, with ‘excellent’ waitress Chloe around since Lloyd and Alex’s arrival, ghost-hunting chef Mary receiving drinks sent back by appreciative diners and bookkeeping barmaid Sheena offered books to keep by witty regulars. When the wit gets too dry, there are four Bath Ales beauties on offer - Gem, Spa, Golden and Barnstormer - plus Sagres, Budvar, Foster’s and Bounders cider. Bottles include Erdinger, Peroni and Corona, with a decent wine range also stocked. Freshly made, home-cooked food includes steak and Bath Ales ale pie, liver and bacon, wild mushroom and spinach pasta and ham, egg and chips. Welcomed German visitors in October as part of Frampton Cotterell’s twinning with Kelbra, a town in the former East Germany

THE MASONS ARMS
94 Gloucester Rd, Rudgeway, BS35 3QJ. Tel: 01454 412370 • The Masons is a pub for all occasions, whether you’re out celebrating with friends, having lunch with the family or simply wanting to unwind and recharge your batteries. Draughts include Butcombe and Sharp’s Tribute, Strongbow, Bulmers, Carling, Carlsberg, Stella and San Miguel, with bottles offering Corona, Budweiser and Beck’s. The menu ranges from snacks and quick bites through to full meals and chef’s specials. • Alfresco dining and drinking areas with parasols.

MAJOR’S RETREAT AT THE PORTCULLIS INN
Tormarton, GL9 1HZ. Tel: 01454 218263 • This creeper-clad treasure of a country pub, set in the pretty Cotswold-stone village of Tormarton, is comfortable, warm and cosy. Around six real ales on tap, with Bass and Pig’s Ear permanent. Oak-panelled dining room/restaurant seats up to 40. Great a la carte menu and a weekly specials range, with huge portions and horrifically calorific desserts. • Fascinating trees and shrubs in the garden, perfect for hide-and-seek.

NEW INN
Waterley Bottom, North Nibley, GL11 6EF. Tel: 01453 543659 • What was a 19th-century farm cottage, then cider house, morphed eventually into a pub among Britain’s top 500, according to Roger Protz. The large terrace enhances the alfresco facilities where you can eat the traditional home-cooked food from a menu that changes every three-six months. Dishes like lamb cutlets with creamy mash in orange and mint sauce, pork tenderloin in wholegrain mustard sauce and fine cod fillet topped with tiger prawns evince the menu’s high standards. The cider’s fine too, with five draughts and nine bottles bagging the New Inn a Gloucester cider pub of the year award. Cotley, Wye Valley plus guest real ales. • Garden among the nation’s top 10, according to The Times.

OLD LOCK AND WEIR
Ferry Rd, Hanham Mills, BS15 3NU. Tel: 0117 967 3793 • Splendid waterside pub with plenty of real ale - expect to find sups like Otter, 6X, Gem and Hobgoblin - and absolutely shedloads of space to sit and bask in the sun outside. It does a roaring trade during the warmer months - no surprise at all in this location - with a heated smoking area adding to the attractions. • Spontaneous jam sessions often form when it’s sunny!

OLD SPOT INN
Hill Rd, Dursley, GL11 4JQ. Tel: 01453 542870, web: www.oldspotinn.co.uk • CAMRA’S national real ale pub 2007, wherein up to 10 regularly-changing ales are always on. Previously the Fox and Hounds, the name change was a nod to nearby Uley Brewery and, naturally, the county’s distinctive porkers. They’ve gone the whole hog in kitting out the place with paintings, photos and ceramic pigs, nothing being done by halves here. Regulars rapidly pick up the 200 newsletters left on the bar and gave the piñata what for on a well-supported Mexican night. Affordable food includes homemade cottage pie, fresh fish and fajitas. • Your eyes will light up when you do; this pub’s smoking area is the best our chap’s seen.

PLOUGH
Pilning St, Pilning, BS35 4JJ. Tel: 01454 632556 • Boasts a barbecue area used by private groups (often in conjunction with a boules piste for fun team-building) and wonderful children’s play area with adjoining paddock and orchard. The new manager here was placing his first beer order as DOW went to press, with 6X and Henry’s IPA first on a list which was set to include two guests. Stowford Press also got the nod, with lagers yet to be decided. A refurbished kitchen will be sorting out decent homemade food before long. • Plenty of space in which the nippers can run around.

RAGGED COT
Cirencester Rd, Hyde, GL6 8PE. Tel: 01453 884643 • Dating from the 17th century, The Ragged Cot is set beside 600 acres of National Trust common land just outside the market town of Minchinhampton. This traditional coaching inn has a beamed bar with exposed Cotswold stone walls and open fires, offering a warm welcome to dogs, wellies and the local community. The dining room serves classic rustic dishes using ingredients from local suppliers as well as those grown on site; fresh daily soups, sharing fare and mains like braised mutton casserole with rosemary dumplings, Cornish turbot and braised ox cheek with Somerset potato gratin. Picnics for walkers and hampers for long, lazy afternoons on the lawn. Cream teas and freshly baked cakes add to the gentility. A private dining room hosts parties of up to 12 people. Eclectic ales include Hampshire’s Ringwood and Cumbria’s Jennings’ Cumberland. • Accommodation in guest rooms all named after Penguin Classics.

RAM INN
South Woodchester, GL5 5EL. Tel: 01453 873329 • Very friendly country pub, with six real ales, some of which are from local brewers, so expect Old Spot from Uley alongside offerings from Stroud Brewery, Nailsworth Brewery etc and around 6-10 different ales monthly. Stowford Press, Strongbow and Bulmers pear for your ciders. Food’s good, too - an Egon Ronay-listed menu that’s had a fearsome reputation for decades - with an ever-changing choice, all mains Mon-Thur just £6. Sunday roast a very reasonable £5.95 (£5.50 for nippers) plus loads of chef’s specials and light bites. Terrace with furniture, the heated courtyard has a timber-enclosed area and all is in keeping with the Cotswold stone background. Wonderfully scenic views. Limited wheelchair access. Regular venue for Stroud’s Morris men. Quiz Sunday. • Has gone into more books than Roy Keane - Good Beer Guide, Good Pub Guide etc.

ROSE AND CROWN
44 High St, Wick, BS30 5QH. Tel: 0117 937 2198 • This lovely old Cask Marque-accredited pub - a veritable jewel in the Chef & Brewer crown - doubles up as a pretty good destination dining experience too, serving food that’s a distinct cut above standard pub grub fare at downhome prices. Find Courage Best, Wells Bombardier and three monthly guests at the bar, and enjoy your perfectly-pulled pint in either the gorgeous beer garden (with covered, heated smokers’ area) or at a candlelit table by a blazing log fire. • Back in the 13th century, John Gulley - the UK’s first bare knuckle fighter - lived here. Today, the regulars play nice.

ROSE & CROWN
Parkfield Rd, Pucklechurch, BS16 9PS. Tel: 0117 937 2351 • Sweet little ivy-clad pub en route to what was once the Parkfield Colliery (which closed in 1936). There’s a tiny snug on one side and a bigger room that serves a dual purpose as a dining room on the other, and a selection of Wadworth classics alongside Bath Ales’ Gem and Stowford Press cider at the bar. Sturdy pub grub and a children’s menu too. • Children’s play area in the beer garden.

SNOOTY FOX
Market Place, Tetbury, GL8 8DD. Tel 01666 502436 • At the heart of glorious Tetbury stands this historic pub with plenty of heart of its own. Built as a coaching inn in 1594, it’s considered to be ‘Clifton in the country’, and with a distinctly smart, yet undoubtedly friendly atmosphere, that’s a fitting title. Expect to find a dry stone waller nursing a pint after a day of toil chatting to a Lamborghini owner in an atmosphere where all are welcome. Expect, too, ales from the likes of Cotswold Spring, Wickwar and Moles breweries, with Peroni and Heineken on draught and the lesser-spotted Bristol Port Cider also available. Be warned, it comes with a kick! Top-notch food’s conjured up by a chef who has cooked for the Princess Royal, Kiri Te Kanawa and Sir Jackie Stewart on the same night. • Pub Great Dane Fred ensures the nippers have a plaything.

THREE CHOIRS VINEYARD
Newent, GL18 1LS. Tel: 01531 890223, web: www.threechoirs.com • OK, so it’s not exactly a pub, but the Three Choirs Vineyard is one of the jewels in Gloucestershire’s crown. Visitors can tour the winery or Whittington’s brewery, which produces Cat’s Whiskers and Nine Lives ale, or stock up on cases of wine or sumptuous local produce from the vineyard’s shop. The estate also boasts one of Gloucestershire’s finest restaurants, the proud bearer of two AA rosettes. Open daily, hotel accommodation is also available, with far-reaching views across the spectacular vineyards and towards the glorious Malvern Hills. • Diners can enjoy lunch or dinner prepared by Café Royal and Nico-trained chef Darren Leonard.

TIPPUTS INN
Bath Rd, Horsley, Nailsworth, GL6 0QE. Tel: 01453 832466 • In a renovated 300-year-old building, pub meets restaurant with eclectic furnishing, exquisite wines and champagnes personally chosen and imported from small vineyards worldwide, and some great beers. They describe their food as “Not Marco Pierre White, but if we applied for a rosette we’d probably get one”. It’s served 11am-3pm and 6-10pm weekdays, 11am-10pm weekends - check for bank holiday details - but whenever you dine, you’ll enjoy admirably relaxed service. Expect to find ales like Abbot, Otter and Tom Long with other draughts along the lines of Stowford Press, Heineken, Beck’s, Guinness and Strongbow. In the fridge you’ll find Corona, Budweiser, San Miguel and Beck’s regular and low-alcohol incarnations. • Bollinger awning - very swish.

TROUBLE HOUSE
Cirencester Rd, Tetbury, GL8 8SG. Tel: 01666 502206,web: www.troublehouse.co.uk • Les Routiers’ Dining Pub of the Year in 2003, taken over in recent years by Martin and Neringa Caws (the former’s pedigree including stints at London’s Michelin-starred Pied a Terre and as head chef at Marco Pierre White’s now-gone Mirabelle). A pub consistently rated in the UK‘s top 50. With a menu drawing heavily on British/French cuisine, dishes change constantly but have included mains like braised ox cheek with snails, potato puree and sauce bourguignon. Wadworth’s 6X and IPA plus Stowford Press on tap, and around 60 different, carefully selected wines. Closed all day Mon, including bank holidays and Sun evening. • The 1754 building is haunted by the ghost of a Lady in Blue.

WEIGHBRIDGE
Minchinhampton, nr Nailsworth, GL6 9AL. Tel: 01453 832520, web: www.2in1pub.co.uk • Who says two into one won’t go? This beautifully situated 17th-century pub in the middle of the Cotswolds is home to the magnificent two-in-one pie. This unique speciality consists of a large bowl, half of which contains the filling of your choice, the other half brimming with homemade cauliflower cheese topped with homemade melt-in-the-mouth pastry. Absolutely delicious. The rest of the menu is great too. • Fine range of ales and enormously friendly service.

WHITE HART
Littleton-on-Severn, BS35 1NR. Tel: 01454 412275 • Ancient whitewashed country pub in the tiny picturesque village of Littleton on the Severn Estuary. This former CAMRA and Bristol Evening Post pub of the year has four real ales on tap (two Young’s, two guests) and an extensive wine selection. Menu includes standards like steak and fish and chips and the not-so-standard Welsh dragon sausages. Beautiful, spacious garden. • Tell the nippers the story about the whale - they’ll love it!

WILD DUCK INN
Ewen. GL7 6BY. Tel: 01285 770310, web: www.thewildduckinn.co.uk • Award-winning 16th-century inn in the heart of the Cotswolds, with 12 rooms for accommodation. Great selection of six real ales and excellent-value menus, rated very highly by the top food guides, including Egon Ronay. Ales change weekly, but usually include their own Duck Pond Bitter. Children welcome. Award-winning garden, too. Help available for wheelchair users. Food served 12noon-2pm and 7-10pm, all day at weekends. Smoking area has umbrellas and heaters. Regular live music. • Surrounded by the Cotswold Water Park, with 80 lakes providing fishing, swimming, sailing, water and jet skiing.

WOOLPACK INN
Slad Rd, Slad, nr Stroud. Tel: 01452 813429, web: www.woolpackslad.com • Popular with ramblers and scrumpy drinkers, this historic old inn has been the centre of village life for centuries. Serves fine local ales, like Uley’s Old Spot or Pigs Ear beside guests like Spingo from Helston and Westons or Stowford Press ciders. Locally sourced ingredients go into English grub served lunchtimes and Tue-Sat night. Bring along your own instrument for a jam on Wed. • Made famous by Laurie Lee, author of ‘Cider with Rosie’, who was a regular here.

Somerset

ANCHOR
Ham Green, nr Pill, N. Somerset, BS20 0HB. Tel: 01275 372253 • Picturesquely situated with panoramic views across the valley out back. Find a vast range of reliable, hearty, traditional pub fare at honest prices, served all day (including good veggie options and selection of baguettes) and Courage Best and Bass on tap. While the kids enjoy the play area in the garden, competitive grown-ups play pool, skittles or darts. • Overlooks the village cricket ground.

ANGEL INN
172 Long Ashton Rd, Long Ashton, BS41 9LT. Tel: 01275 392244, web: www.theangel-longashton.co.uk • Historic, traditional country inn situated next to a graveyard whose residents date back 600 years and featuring a cobbled courtyard (with heated, covered smoking area), recently refurbished accommodation and lots of lovely, homemade pub grub delights on the menu. Find four real ales, three premium lagers and up to six ciders (including draught and barrel varieties) at the bar, alongside an extensive wine list. • The Angel has been an inn since at least 1485.

APPLE TREE
Shoscombe, BA2 8LS. Tel: 01761 432263 • Set in the centre of a beautiful rural hamlet, this welcoming, 250-year-old pub offers the best of traditional English fare and three real ales on tap. There’s good wheelchair access to all facilities and a pretty, family-friendly garden attached. • Menus boast an extensive fresh fish selection direct from Cornwall, making booking essential.

BAR ONE NINE
19 High St, Keynsham, BS31 1DP. Tel: 0117 986 1974, web: www. www.spreading-chestnut.com • Part pub, part café-bar, part lively community hostelry (but generally reassuringly rowdy-free), Bar One Nine offers an all-things-to-all-people experience. Pop in for a coffee and a slice of cake or a tasty bite from imaginative, seasonal, largely locally sourced menus, or make full use of a bar that features an impressive wine list, well-kept real ales and a fair selection of lagers - the choice is yours. • Commendably strong emphasis on environmentally friendly practices, fairly traded produce and support of local suppliers and related business.

BEAR AND SWAN
South Parade, Chew Magna, BS40 8SL. Tel: 01275 331100, web: www.bearandswan.co.uk • “I’m in a Shirazy mood and the fantastically bodied beauty checks out wonderfully,” wrote our man of a gorgeous Victorian boozer with the feel of a wine bar. Roomy and airy, reclaimed floorboards, big bay windows, log fire and candles all add to the atmosphere. Draughts are Stella, Carling, Staropramen, Beck’s Vier, Foster’s, London Pride, ESB, Butcombe, Blackthorn, Ashton Press and Scrumpy Jack. Around 20 reds and as many whites accompany the top-notch food - expect to find variety like supreme of duck, calves’ liver, corned beef hash and homemade fishcakes. Ensuite accommodation if you spend the night. • Umbrellas and heaters on the terrace, with leisurely locals getting their beers passed out through an open window!

BLACK HORSE
Clevedon Lane, Clapton in Gordano, BS20 7RH. Tel: 01275 842105 • A fabulously old-fashioned hostelry complete with snug, flagstones, settles, shuttered windows and an immense hearth - all the components of a true country pub. Real ale goes large here, with around six available from jacketed casks (including Butcombe and Spitfire) while traditional ciders and a small wine selection complete the merry line-up at the bar. Food available Mon-Sat lunchtime. • The lovely garden includes a heated, covered smoking area.

BLUE BOWL
West Harptree, nr Bristol, BS40 6HJ. Tel: 01761 221269, web: www.thebluebowl.co.uk • Beautiful 18th-century Cask Marque Trust-rated pub at the foot of the Mendip hills, just half a mile from Chew Valley Lake. A large beer garden, big children’s playground and massive menus that include Chew Lake trout (seasonal) add to the broad appeal, while an extensive range of excellent pub grub, an appealing kids’ menu, a fab Sunday lunch and a superb selection of real ales and an extensive wine list complete the scenario. If you can’t bear the thought of leaving (and why would you?), there are a selection of lovely rooms (including a family room) available upstairs. • Children welcome up to 9pm; good disabled access and facilities.

BLUE FLAME
West End, Nailsea, BS48 4DE. Tel: 01275 856910 • Extraordinary, unique and characterful boozer comprising several rooms in an old stone-built house and offering an (increasingly rare) warm welcome to all-comers across the generational divide. There are usually three real ales (including London Pride and Butcombe) and a guest on tap, and there’s local cider (including Thatchers Traditional and Mendip Magic) served straight out of the wood. The landlord is happy to let you bring your own burgers to barbecue in the covered garden area, but book in advance as the facilities are - as you can imagine - very popular with all who’ve discovered this hidden gem. A covered pergola area plus cheerful chimenea keep puffers cosy; table skittles provide maximum entertainment. • Expect to find yourself part of the impromptu community singing events on any given night of the week.

BOATHOUSE
Newbridge, nr Bath, BA1 3NB. Tel: 01225 482584 • Huge, strikingly attractive pub and restaurant serving freshly cooked traditional pub food alongside plenty of treats-with-a-twist. Very family-orientated, there’s a lovely children’s play area next to the beer garden, both of which offer fabulous views of the nearby river. There’s a thoughtful range of draught beers, real ales and decent wines at the bar, and the Sunday carvery has an excellent reputation locally. • Very popular summer wedding location.

BRASS MILL
Avon Mill Lane, Keynsham, BS31 2UG. Tel: 0117 986 7280, web: www.vintageinn.co.uk/thebrassmillkeynsham • Sizeable pub with a lovely beer garden and a really inviting, warm feel indoors. Beers include delights from Butcombe, Tribute, the St Austell Brewery Co and Fullers, Smith & Turner, plus plenty of lager and cider options to boot. Find freshly cooked traditional faves on the menu, and visit the website for news of wallet-friendly, regularly updated lunch/dinner offers. • Keynsham itself is said to be named after St Keyne, who was warned that the nearby marshlands were swarming with snakes. St Keyne prayed to the heavens and turned the snakes to stone - a myth backed up the many fossilised ammonites to be found in the area. Three cheers for St Keyne, then!

BULL TERRIER
Croscombe, BA5 3QJ. Tel: 01749 343658, web: www.bullterrierpub.co.uk • Historic, 15th-century inn comprising three bars, a family-friendly dining room and a walled garden with lovely views. Find four traditional ales on tap alongside lagers, Guinness and Thatchers Original cider, and a well-chosen selection of wines. Food is of the sturdy, home-cooked, classic pub grub genre, there’s excellent wheelchair access and overnight accommodation available to those seduced by the general bonhomie. • Officially one of Somerset’s oldest pubs, first licensed (under the name The Rose and Crown) in 1612.

CAREW ARMS
Crowcombe, nr Taunton, TA4 4AD. Tel: 01984 618631, web: www.thecarewarms.co.uk • Relax in proper countrified style (indeed, stay overnight if you wish) at this tastefully refurbished 16th-century inn. Food is top notch and always features locally sourced ingredients on an imaginative, impressive menu, while an excellent range of real ales, wines, ciders and spirits proliferates at the bar. Gorgeous south-facing gardens are filled with well-established shrubs, fruit and herbs, and the views from every aspect are simply stunning all year round. Lovely. • Visit the website for news of special events throughout the summer and beyond.

CARPENTERS ARMS
Stanton Wick, nr Pensford, BS39 4BX. Tel: 01761 490202, web: www.the-carpenters-arms.co.uk • Another splendid Chew Valley pub in a fabulously picturesque village. Make yourself at home on plush leather armchairs in front of one of the big fireplaces or settle down at a chunky farmhouse table, having made your choice from a bar menu that features real ales (Butcombe, 6X and at least one guest on tap) alongside a thoughtful wine list and all manner of other quaffable delights. And might we suggest that you make time to enjoy something from the regularly changing menu to accompany your tipple? You’d be daft not to. The kitchen here uses only the best local, seasonal produce (be it fish directly from Cornwall or, when in season, local game), and a dedicated children’s menu keep the youngsters happy too. There’s a lovely terrace garden attached and ensuite letting rooms available all year round. • The pub was created from a terrace of ivy-clad, stone-fronted miners’ cottages

CASTLE OF COMFORT
East Harptree, TA5 1LE. Tel: 01761 221321, web: www.castle-of-comfort.co.uk Directions: On A4134 between Burrington Combe & Wells • This historic, 17th-century pub with an incredible history fully lives up to its name, not least of all because it’s surrounded by fouracres of parkland and serves morning coffee and cream teas on the lawn. There’s also a well-managed beer garden, while indoors is just as quaint, cosy, welcoming and well-appointed. Food is of the well-executed traditional variety, and an admirable bar selection features four real ales, lagers, wines and carefully selected spirits (in both liquid and supernatural form). • Mrs William Wordsworth (aka Dorothy) mentions a visit to the Castle of Comfort in her 1798 diary.

CHURCHILL INN
Bristol Rd, Churchill, BS25 5NL. Tel: 01934 852251 • Nice, straightforward traditional pub divided into two distinct areas of main bar and separate restaurant (although you can eat or drink in either). Two real ales (Butcombe bitter plus changing guest) are both served straight from the cask and the wallet-friendly, well-mannered food has earned the Churchill a well-deserved local reputation for excellence. • Alfresco decking area seats up to 80 and is covered by automatic canopy when the sun refuses to play nice.

COMPTON INN
Court Hill, Compton Dando, BS39 4JZ. Tel: 01761 490 321, web: www.thecomptoninn.co.uk • Quintessential English country pub with a strong community feel at the heart of the idyllic village of Compton Dando, offering a winning combination of excellent drink, food, ambience and hospitality. Find four real ales and three ciders on draught, supplemented by an impressive wine list. Menus scale the upper reaches of traditional pub grub heights and read like a who’s who of local suppliers, while forthcoming ‘Theme Nights’ include curry, gourmet, seafood and barbecue parties. • Beer gardens to front and rear plus boules/petanque facilities.

THE CROWN
500 Bath Rd, Saltford, BS31 3HJ. Tel: 01225 872117 • 17-th century roadside inn today featuring a beer garden (with bouncy castle for the kids during summer months), skittle alley, big-screen sports and a range of wallet-friendly, reliably good food alongside a selection of real ales at the well-stocked bar. • Heated, covered smoking area.

CROWN INN
The Batch, Skinners Lane, Churchill, BS25 5PP. Tel: 01934 852995 • Exceptionally well-kept beer served from barrels has earned this established real ale pub CAMRA awards left, right and centre. Throw in its secluded but accessible location, gloriously rustic interior with beams, flagstones and settles and perfectly pretty patio, and you’ve arrived at your destination of the day. If you’ve worked up a hunger cycling, walking or skiing (Avon Ski & Action Centre is nearby), the sturdy, home-cooked grub tastes even better. • The historic Church of St John the Baptist, just down the road from the pub, is well worth a visit too.

THE DOVECOTE
Ashton Rd, Long Ashton, BS41 9LX. Tel: 01275 392245, web: www.vintageinn.co.uk/thedovecotebristol • Traditional inn offering a warm welcome courtesy of open fires, regularly changing guest ales and a strong emphasis on really good pub grub. Expect to find London Pride, Tribute and Butcombe on tap at the bar, alongside a surprisingly diverse wine list. • Originally a farm cottage, the building dates back to the 1650s

DRUIDS ARMS
Bromley Rd, Stanton Drew, BS39 4EJ. Tel: 01275 332230 • Located near a prehistoric stone circle and boasting several standing stones of its own, the Druids Arms hosts occasional boules tournaments and barbecue parties and serves enormous portions of sturdy, homemade pub grub at other times. Find Butcombe, 6X and Doom Bar alongside locally brewed guest ales on weekly rotation at the bar, and keep an eye out for local druids and morris men in the beer garden. • The village of Stanton Drew itself was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Stantone, which loosely translates as ‘the stone enclosure with an oak tree’.

FAILAND INN
Clevedon Rd, Failand, BS8 3TU. Tel: 01275 392220 • Victorian coaching inn just 15 mins from Bristol city centre. The menu boasts plenty of wholesome home-cooked food - curries, chillis, lasagnes etc - while a rear garden offers respite from the traffic that rumbles along the busy road to the front. • Watch out for 1989 Turner Prize winner Richard Long - a Lower Failand resident - at the bar.

FOX & BADGER
Wellow, nr Bath, BA2 8QG. Tel: 01225 832293, web: www.foxandbadger.co.uk • Sturdy 16th-century pub and CAMRA member, exceedingly popular with ramblers who strut their booted stuff along the many footpaths and byways running through the surrounding hills and valleys just six miles from Bath. Food is suitably substantial and includes a lively range of homemade pies, fresh fish, lively veggie options and a dedicated children’s menu. Sunday lunches go large here and the traditional puds are worth their weight in the ensuing waistband expansion. You could, of course, opt to walk the treats off afterwards… if, that is, you manage to drag yourself away from the bar, which offers a fine selection of real ales (hence the CAMRA endorsement) alongside Thatchers Cheddar Valley, Stowford Press cider and some rather good wine, too. Regular charity quiz nights (usually 8pm on the first Thursday of the month) and a traditional Irish music ‘session’ every Sunday evening keep the locals lively, while the courtyard is very popular with puffers. Children and dogs very welcome. • Specialises in ploughman’s lunches, with a fine choice of cheeses selected by landlord Eric Hobbs, himself a master cheesemaker.

FOX AND GOOSE
Bridgwater Rd, Barrow Gurney, BS48 3SL. Tel: 01275 472202, web: www.thefoxandgoose.com • Pretty, family-friendly pub with a restaurant that specialises in traditional pub grub favourites (including a children’s menu) and a bar that includes Marstons Pedigree on draught amongst a range of tipples. The beer garden offers panoramic views over the nearby reservoir, and the letting rooms are particularly popular with travellers stopping over on their way to and from Bristol airport. • Heated, sheltered smoking area.

FOX AND HOUNDS
Farleigh Wick, BA15 2PU. Tel: 01225 863122 • Traditional, Bath stone roadside inn, providing two or three alternating real ales - currently Gem and Butcombe - and a full selection at the bar, including a fine range of new world wines. Cuisine covers Mediterranean flavours and traditional touches, with plenty for the veggies - little wonder, then, that the place is often packed with happy diners. • Covered smoking area.

GARDENERS ARMS
35 Silver St, Cheddar, BS27 3LE. Tel: 01934 742235, web: www.gardeners-arms.net • Offering fantastic views of Cheddar Gorge, perfect upper-crust pub grub and an exceedingly good supping selection at the bar (including Butcombe, Hooky Bitter, Sharp’s Doom Bar, Thatchers Gold and Addlestones Premium Cider), this Cask Marque/Caskforce-registered pub ticks all manner of good times boxes. Rear garden with kids’ play equipment and decking; dart board, table skittles and card games. • Originally built around 1560 as four farm workers’ cottages for the local estate, converted into a pub in 1871.

THE GEORGE
High St, Norton St Philip, BA2 7LH. Tel: 01373 834224, web: www.thegeorgeinn-nsp.co.uk • Reputed to be one of the oldest continuously licensed houses in England, this grade I-listed building has been an inn for over 700 years and boasts a long, complex history combining inn-keeping with the wool trade and a rebellion against the crown. There are two bars, two well-appointed dining rooms, a guest lounge and eight luxurious guest rooms on site, the beer garden overlooks a picture perfect valley and food comprises the kind of hearty, well-sourced fare that many pubs aspire to but few manage to attain. • According to one volume of Samuel Pepys’s diaries, he, his wife and their servants dined here on 12 June 1668.

GEORGE
Manor Rd, Abbots Leigh, nr Bristol, BS8 3RP. Tel: 01275 372467, web: www.thegeorgeinn.uk.com • Traditional 18th-century village pub with a lovely, secluded garden, four real ales and a couple of spiffing wines at the bar and a locally sourced, seasonal menu that includes what’s possibly the nicest Sunday lunch for miles around. • Not stopping? Select your grub to go from the takeaway menu (excluding Sunday lunch).

GEORGE & DRAGON
High St, Pensford, BS39 4BH. Tel: 01761 490516 • Handsome, historic former coaching inn, with roaring open fires, exposed brickwork and original beams a-plenty. Beer garden, pool and bar billiards tables and a skittle alley keep attention levels up, while food is traditional pub fare, done with flair. • Family- and dog-friendly.

THE GLOBE INN
Newton St Lowe, nr Bath, BA2 9BB. Tel: 01225 872891, web: www.vintageinn.co.uk/theglobenewtonsaintloe • Big, welcoming, traditional inn situated just far enough away from a busy roundabout to offer a peaceful traveller’s pitstop. Above-average pub food served all day from 12noon; find Butcombe, Tribute and London Pride amongst other delights at the bar. • Has the sun got his hat on? There’s seating for up to 110 in the massive beer garden.

HOLCOMBE INN
Stratton Rd, Holcombe, BA3 5EB. Tel: 01761 232478, web: www.holcombeinn.co.uk • Polished country inn-with-rooms in a tasteful, sensitively refurbished, 17th-century, grade-II listed building. Find a range of guest ales, keg beers and a 20-strong wine list at the bar, and super-stylish gastropub faves (including a special kiddie-orientated selection) on the menu. • Gorgeous view of Downside Abbey from the beer garden.

HUNTER’S LODGE
Priddy, BA5 3AR. Tel: 01749 672275 • Restful rural pub with a garden popular with cavers, walkers, cyclists and locals. Beers are Butcombe Bitter and Blindman Mine with one guest, Wedmore cider plus Kronenbourg on tap. The ploughman’s lunch, meanwhile, is reputed to be one of the best in the West. • Landlord Roger Dors arrived at the Hunter’s as a wee six-year-old.

HUNTER’S REST
Clutton, BS39 5QL. Tel: 01761 452303, web: www.huntersrest.co.uk • Originally built around 1750 as a hunter’s lodge for the Earl of Warwick, this independent, family-friendly free house features log fires, a lovely beer garden, a toy chest to keep the little ones occupied, five ensuite rooms… and a miniature steam railway that takes passengers on a trip around the landscaped garden. Massive menus offer established crowd pleasers (including massive pasties, curries and a children’s menu) and there’s an excellent range of real ales, beers and ciders at the bar. • Covered smoking area.

JOLLY SAILOR
Mead Lane, Saltford, BS31 3ER. Tel: 01225 873002 • Jolly by name and jolly by nature, this lovely, lively pub makes full use of its riverside location. You can, of course, arrive by car, but the Bristol-Bath cycle path runs right alongside it - if that’s not an ‘on your bike!’ rally call, we don’t know what is. But don’t pack a picnic; there’s an enormous selection of quality bar snacks and more substantial meals available all day, while a choice of four real ales and a decent wine list should be enough to slate any thirst. Jolly good! • Heated patio with river views.

KINGS ARMS
Litton, BA3 4PW. Tel: 01761 241301 • This quintessential, 15th-century country pub is undergoing a change of management and a total refurbishment at the time of going to press, but the new brigade hope to reopen in time to make the most of the summer months. Keep an eye on Venue’s Food and Drink pages for updates/further information.

KINGS HEAD
High St, Wells, BA5 2SG. Tel: 01749 672141, web: www.kingsheadwells.co.uk • Lively pub in a building that dates back to the 14th century, at the heart of the historic, picturesque cathedral city of Wells. Food is of the modern Brit-trad persuasion (incorporating locally sourced ingredients wherever possible), and best accompanied with a tipple from the well-considered, people-pleasing range of beers, ales etc available at the bar. Regular events include live music, quizzes and DJs at the weekend. • Look up! That medieval trussed roof is a fully authentic original fixture.

LANGFORD INN & RESTAURANT
Lower Langford, Langford, nr Churchill, BS40 5BL. Tel: 01934 863059 • An excellent reputation for quality food and drink attracts families and foodies alike. Bar snacks are available daily until 6pm (including prawns by the half pint), or choose from an extensive a la carte menu, with especially good fish and steak dishes, and regularly changing specials. Excellent traditional roast on Sundays, and a great range of Cask Marque-rated beers and guest ales; delightful courtyard at the back and a children’s play area in the garden. • Recently added seven ensuite bedrooms to the array of delights on offer.

LOCK KEEPER
Bitton Rd, Keynsham, nr Bristol, BS31 2DD. Tel: 0117 986 2383 • Fantastic location, five minutes from both the cycle path and train station, in breathtakingly pretty surroundings. Food is reliably fresh and hearty, and there’s a good selection of real ales - including Bombardier, Marris Otter and plenty of Young’s specials - at the bar. • Located on its own island between the river and canal at Keynsham Locks.

LORD NELSON
Cleeve, BS49 4NR. Tel: 01934 832170 • Greene King/Hungry Horse hostelry offering a full range of beers (including Greene King Abbot and IPA) amongst a standard bar selection. The large garden features an adventure playground for the kids, and the restaurant serves sturdy home-cooked food, including a sturdy, home-cooked Sunday roast. • Covered smoking area.

MILL AT RODE
Rode, BA11 6AG. Tel: 01373 831100, web: www.themillatrode.co.uk • It may not be a working mill anymore but, my goodness, this place makes quite a splash. In the historic village of Rode on the river Frome and surrounded by landscaped gardens, the glorious building retains much of the character of its past (including the original waterwheel) while a multitude of super-pretty alfresco opportunities includes a play den where the little ones can safely go wild in the country. A relaxed bar and dining area offers seasonally changing menus and exceedingly wallet-friendly offers such as the popular ‘7 ‘til 7’ menu (two courses for £7.97, 12noon-7pm) or the two-course weekday supper (£14.95) that belie the quality on offer . Meanwhile, the wine list offers lots of taste tips to guide the inexperienced, and the nippers are well catered for with a selection of organic kids’ meals and the added bonus of a PlayStation and XBox in the games room. • Free wi-fi access throughout the building.

MINER’S REST
Providence Lane, Long Ashton, BS41 9DJ. Tel: 01275 393449 • Friendly, unpretentious 18th-century inn high above Long Ashton, just a short hike (oh, OK - short drive) from Bristol. The beer is always in superb condition - fabulous pints are drawn straight from the wood, as are the traditional ciders. Food (served lunchtimes only, but including a Sunday roast) is wholesome and homely, as is the general vibe. • Large garden, suntrap patio and lovely views across to Dundry.

MOOREND SPOUT
Union St, Nailsea, BS48 4BB. Tel: 01275 855336 • Allegedly haunted former jailhouse offering a very decent range of excellent beers and ales and homemade kitchen treats, all strongly recommended by those knowledgeable CAMRA folk - and us. • Heated, covered smoking area.

NEW INN
Dowlish Wake, TA19 0NZ. Tel: 01460 52413, web: www.newinn-ilminster.co.uk • Ooh, now this is a really pretty one! A quaint 17th-century inn-with-rooms conveniently located for Perry’s Cider Mill Museum, set in lush, rolling countryside and featuring a large secluded beer garden. Find local beers, ales and cider on tap, while an extensive wine, bar and a la carte menu offers all-comer appeal • Regular steak, fish, quiz and jazz nights… and occasional duck racing, too.

NEW INN
86 West Town Rd, Backwell, nr Bristol, BS48 3BE. Tel: 01275 462694, web: www.newinnbackwell.co.uk • What’s in a name? Not much, it seems - the New Inn is actually 450 years old. Find St Austell Tribute, Webster’s Green Label and Courage Best at the bar alongside at least three guests and a decent wine list, too. Food runs from casual snacking to the full-on a la carte experience, and the traditional Sunday roasts are especially good. • Planning on visiting the website? Hold off until the autumn - it’s currently just a holding page in the process of being updated to include events etc.

OLD BARN
Bristol Rd, Wraxall, BS48 1BU. Tel: 01275 819011 • This lovely little pub has enjoyed quite a few changes since new management took over in March of this year - as one of their friendly bar staff put it “the Old Barn has moved into the 21st century”. Don’t worry, though - he’s not talking about big screens and shooters; quite the contrary, in fact. The range of real ales has been increased and now includes London Pride, Doom Bar, Tribute, Butcombe and Butcombe Gold, while the wine list runs to a vast and varied selection. Although there’s no restaurant as such, fresh rolls and sandwiches will be arriving at the bar any moment now, and even the garden has been scrubbed up to exacting standards. • Heated, covered smoking area.

OLD CROWN INN
Kelston, nr Bath, BA1 9AQ Tel: 01225 423032, web: www.butcombe.com/crown.htm • Quiet, massively inviting Butcombe pub (and B&B) with a large, mature garden to the rear (including a very civilized heated/covered smoking area), pavement seating out front and open fires, flagstone floors and antique fittings within. Find Butcombe classics, Bath Gem and traditional ciders amongst a sturdy bar range and get supping while the kitchen busies itself sending out treats from the extensive, eclectic, well-priced menus and the rich and varied specials board selection. • Formerly a 17th-century coaching inn.

OLD INN
18 Paul’s Causeway, Congresbury, BS49 9DH. Tel: 01934 832270 • Once a 16th-century cottage, now a small but perfectly formed classic pub in the heart of a friendly village with a very attractive garden to the rear. Plenty of real ale on tap (this is, after all, a Young’s pub) and a nicely balanced wine list, too. • The historic St Andrew’s Church - just down the road from the pub - was consecrated in 1215.

OLD STATION INN
Hallatrow, nr Bath, BS39 6EN. Tel: 01761 452228, web: www.theoldstationandcarriage.co.uk • Cask Marque-accredited pub featuring an a la carte restaurant in an authentic old Great Western Railway carriage, now permanently moored (if indeed, that’s the correct term for it) in the lovely sunny beer garden. Indoors, an eclectic selection of antique knick-knackery provides an equally fascinating experience, while home-cooked food, real ales and overnight accommodation make the Old Station a popular touristico hotspot during the summer months. • The last train from Hallatrow Station left in 1968. How kind of the railway master to leave a restaurant behind!

PLUME OF FEATHERS
Rickford, nr Blagdon, BS40 7AH. Tel: 01761 462682 • 300-year-old pub in a gloriously pretty stream-side location serving quality home-cooked food from a menu that changes daily (all prepared from local produce) and a selection of real ales, including Butcombe and Doom Bar plus Thatchers Traditional available at the bar. • Covered smoking area in small beer garden out back.

PONY & TRAP
Newtown, nr Chew Magna, BS40 8TQ. Tel: 01275 332627 • Charming, well-heeled, exceedingly picturesque country pub/restaurant with a big reputation for upper-crust fine dining and a strictly local philosophy at the heart of the amazingly creative menus. Inside, low beams and original 200-year-old fixtures and fittings blend seamlessly with contemporary flourishes, there are real ales (including a monthly guest) at the bar and a suitably sophisticated wine list. Meanwhile, the glorious garden offers equally glorious valley views. • Chew Magna is aiming to be the first village in the UK to achieve ‘Zero Waste Status’, leading a Guardian journalist to refer to it as ‘possibly the greenest parish in Britain’. Litter louts have been warned.

PRINCE OF WATERLOO
Winford, BS40 8AR. Tel: 01275 474930, web: princeofwaterloo.com • Slate floors, oak beams, a terraced beer garden to the front, family-friendly sloping garden lawns to the rear and a warm welcome… everything you’d expect from a pub with a history that dates back to the 16th-century, then, including local ales, beers and ciders and hearty, traditional grub. • Rumoured to be haunted

QUEEN’S ARMS
Celtic Way, Bleadon, nr Weston-super-Mare, BS24 0NF. Tel: 01934 812080, web: www.butcombe.com/queen.htm • The original section of this traditional inn was once a 16th-century Mendip cottage. Today, it’s a gently lively four-room affair incorporating three inviting bars, a dining area and a nicely refurbished patio to the rear. Find Butcombe Brewery classics at the bar alongside Ashton Press and Thatchers Traditional ciders and a thoughtful selection of wines, while menus offer well-executed versions of traditional favourites. • Sunday night is quiz night.

RING O’BELLS
Compton Martin, nr Bristol, BS40 6JE. Tel: 01761 221284, web: www.ringobellscompton-butcombe.com • This characterful Butcombe Brewery old-timer (the oldest in their roster) nestles at the foot of the Mendips and boasts a gorgeous beer garden. It’s a CAMRA fave too, serving up to four cask beers on tap, three ciders and loads of different wines by the glass. Good pub grub served seven days/evenings a week; separate heated and covered smoking area. • Table skittles; long-established meeting place for a number of classic car clubs, arts groups, fishing clubs and mother and toddler groups.

RIVERSIDE INN
The Shallows, Saltford, nr Bristol, BS31 3EZ. Tel: 01225 873862, web: www.riversideinnbristol.co.uk • Situated in a peaceful, picturesque riverside location, this sprawling family-friendly pub offers a new take on ‘Tales from the Riverbank’-style battery recharging. Eat posh at Marmell’s Restaurant, enjoy something more casual from the bar menu or try something totally unique from the Blackrock Grill (barbecue-friendly food served on a black rock heated to 460 degrees for you to cook to your personal taste). Or, of course, you could just choose to sit and sup; a huge bar selection offers something for everyone. • Lots of live music events (visit website for regularly updated details) and a crazy golf course; licensed for civil ceremonies.

RUDGLEIGH INN
Martcombe Rd, Easton-in-Gordano, BS20 0QB. Tel: 01275 373959 • Two-bar roadside pub handy for the M5 (junction 19) offering a small selection of cask and keg ales and easygoing, straightforward pub grub. • Sizeable beer garden (with children’s play area) overlooks the cricket pitch.

SEYMOURS ARMS
Bath Rd, Blagdon, BS40 7TH. Tel: 01761 462279, web: www.3ales.co.uk/seymourarms/seymourarms.htm • Sturdy 16th-century pub with a decent restaurant and accommodation attached, close to the super-pretty Blagdon Lake (and therefore particularly popular with local anglers and visiting twitchers). There’s Old Speckled Hen, Butcombe Bitter and Lady of the Lake ale at the bar alongside an extensive range of crowd-pleasers, and menus offer a varied selection of classics from Brit-trad (rack of lamb, chicken supreme, sturdy steaks, locally fished trout), to globally-themed delicacies including dim sum, plaice veronique and moules mariniere. • Keep an eye out for the Ruddy Darter dragonfly - just one of the lesser-spotted species that congregate around the lake’s nature reserve.

SHIP AND CASTLE
High St, Congresbury, BS49 5JA. Tel: 01934 833535, web: www.shipandcastle.com • This beautiful, historic inn has finally been given the TLC it so thoroughly deserves and is now a tastefully scrubbed-up pub, restaurant and boutique hotel serving traditional ales, sophisticated spirits and wine from an exceedingly well-kept cellar. Menus (including excellent breakfasts and a spiffing Sunday lunch) revolve around locally sourced, seasonal ingredients and offer a selection that’s sure to keep even the most diligent foodie in your party very happy indeed. All in all, totally gorgeous. • Breakfast also available in take-away format.

STOKE INN
Bristol Rd, Chew Stoke, BS40 8XE. Tel: 01275 332120 • Picturesque country pub close to Chew Valley Lake. There’s always Butcombe and a couple of guest ales at the bar, and on the food front you can choose to eat in or take their glorious fish and chips away with you. • A new chef has recently been installed in the kitchen; he’s promising to seriously up the food ante, but says the fish and chips are safe!

THE SWAN
Bath Rd, Swineford, BS30 6LN. Tel: 0117 932 3101, web: www.bathales.com • Atmospheric mid-19th-century country pub (converted from three cottages in a row of six) in Swineford, a tiny hamlet in the parish of Bitton. This being a Bath Ales pub, there’s an exceedingly well-stocked bar (find Gem, Wild Hare, Barnstormer etc amongst a fulsome selection of delights) and top-notch, chef-led grub on the menu. Lovely. • Umbrella-covered roadside beer garden offers splendid views of the surrounding hills, valleys and meadows.

THE SWAN
Rowberrow, BS25 1QL. Tel: 01934 852371, web: www.butcombe.com • Established in the late 1700s, this charming, traditional pub - originally a row of miners’ cottages before becoming licensed as a cider house - overlooks the heather-strewn beauty of the Beacon Batch (the highest point of the Mendip Hills, doncha know) and offers low-beamed, log-fired olde worlde charm within, a lovely beer garden without, a full range of Butcombe beers and ales at the bar and an all-encompassing food menu . All this, and a heated, covered smoking area, too. • Giddy-up! There are hitching posts for horses outside.

TALBOT INN
Mells, nr Frome, BA11 3PN. Tel: 01373 812254, web: www.talbotinn.com • This award-winning, Egon Ronay/Good Beer Guide/AA/ Les Routiers-sanctioned inn has been providing classy respite for travellers since the 15th century, when it was built as a rest stop for coaches running on the London-Wells road. Today, it’s a destination diner, stylish B&B and gloriously traditional pub laden with stylish contemporary flourishes that politely fail to detract from the inn’s original charm, with alfresco opportunities (including a heated, covered smoking area) and character a-plenty. But please, please arrive hungry; food here is not to be missed, and runs the full gamut of gastropub gorgeousness. • The Tythe Barn bar - featuring a mural painted by local artists Fleur Kelly and Diana Byrne - is worthy of a mention all of its own. So we’ve given it one.

TUCKERS GRAVE
Faukland, BA3 5XF. Tel: 01373 834230 • An absolute one-off, known around these yer parts as ‘The Pub That Time Forgot’. This enchanting inn doesn’t even have a bar; real ales, beers and traditional ciders are served straight from barrels, and skittles and shove ha’penny add to the truly traditional feel. There’s no kitchen either, but who cares? The atmosphere alone provides more than enough sustenance. • Beer garden.

WHEATSHEAF
Combe Hay, nr Bath, BA2 7EG. Tel: 01225 833504, web: www.wheatsheafcombehay.co.uk • This stylish refurbished ancient inn set in breathtakingly pretty surroundings offers an unforgettable, multi-sensory experience. The lanes, valleys and meadows that surround the village of Combe Hay itself provide much of the produce you get acquainted with on the plate when you tuck into dinner from an extraordinarily competent menu, accompanied by your choice from an impressive array of wines, local ales and superb ciders served at the bar. Wonderful. • The immaculate, multi-level garden offers stunning views across the surrounding countryside, while heaters on the patio chase the chills away

WHEELWRIGHT’S ARMS
Church Lane, Monkton Combe, nr Bath, BA2 7HB. Tel: 01225 722287, web: www.wheelwrightsarms.co.uk • Nestled in the peaceful village of Monkton Combe, the Wheelwright site dates back to around 1750 so, as you’d expect, there’s a fascinating history within these walls. But hey, you’ll find all that on the website; for our purposes here today, we can highly recommend this characterful pub-restaurant with a lovely garden (and overnight accommodation) attached for its spiffing array of refreshments - both liquid and otherwise - alone. Find well-kept real ales and a grand selection of wines at the bar and top-notch gastropub classics on a menu that demonstrates a strict adherence to a local-sourcing policy wherever possible. • Staying over? Treat yourself to a session with a fully qualified therapist who uses certified organic, chemical-free products to pamper you into a state of bliss.

WHITE HART
Wrington Rd, Congresbury, BS49 5AR. Tel: 01934 833303 • Cheerful, traditional pub with a strong community vibe and an inherent, unforced sense of fun infused into all that’s on offer. A sturdy selection of real ales include Tanglefoot and Badger First Gold, there’s a ‘Gin Bar’ (we kid you not) and the house wine is highly recommended. Meanwhile, menus seethe with homemade, comforting classics (including splendid veggie options) and the regular Turkish Nights - complete with appropriate music and belly dancing - are the stuff of local legend. • Great garden.

WHITE HART
The Folly, Cold Ashton, SN14 8JR. Tel: 01225 891233 • Charming, former 16th-century coaching inn steeped in Cotswold history and tradition. Real ale, a welcoming atmosphere and reliably good food await all who venture here. • Purchased by Ushers Brewery in the 19th century for £1,978, 13 shillings and 8 pennies. Bargain!

WINFORD ARMS
Bridgwater Rd, Dundry, BS41 8JP. Tel: 01275 392178, web: www.winfordarms.co.uk • It may be just five minutes away from Bristol International Airport but this well-heeled, atmospheric mock-Tudor country pub (built in the 1800s) offers a far-from-the-madding-crowd experience. There’s a grand selection of all kinds of everything (including real ales) at the Cask Marque-accredited bar, while the reasonably priced, well-maintained menus include good vegetarian options and a broad range of crowd-pleasing dishes. • Large garden with children’s play area; heated, covered smoking area.

WOOKEY HOLE INN
Wookey Hole, Wells, BA5 1BP. Tel: 01749 676677, web: www.wookeyholeinn.com • A fab, funky interior hides behind the traditional frontage of this historic inn in the beautiful Mendips, making for a gently eclectic - and slightly surreal - experience… but in a good way. Find four regional guest ales, Bath Ales’ organic lager and Stowford Press/Wilkins cider at the bar, alongside eight Belgian (yes, Belgian) beers on draught. The wine list, meanwhile, is extensive, to say the least. Hungry? The scrumptious food is all made from locally sourced and free-range ingredients, gently pushed towards a vaguely Mediterranean theme in style. Next stop: a walled sculpture garden (honestly - we’re not just putting all this in to see if you’re keeping up at the back!) that seats over 100 sun worshippers and features a sunken area and boat deck for truly decadent afternoon lounging. And the show’s not over yet: the final flourish comes in the form of five ensuite, individually designed rooms with Japanese king-style beds and personal cult video libraries. Phew! • Visit the website for details of forthcoming events including live, Sunday afternoon jazz.

WOOLPACK INN
Beckington, nr Bath/Frome, BA11 6SP. Tel: 01373 831244, web: www.woolpackhotel.com • Traditional 16th-century coaching inn steeped in history and serving traditional Greene King real ales. The main area on the ground floor is divided into the bar, with its stone floor and open log fire, and a separate dining area which, together with the Oak Room and Garden Room, makes it an ideal place for a quick snack or a full-on blowout. The dinner menu features everything from homemade pizzas and soups through to dishes using game from the local shoot and fresh fish delivered daily from Brixham, while regular pie, Oriental and steak nights (visit website for details) are always popular. • Beckington achieved prosperity in the Middle Ages as a result of the wool trade, hence the name.

South Wales

ANCHOR
Opposite the Abbey, Tintern, Monmouthshire, NP16 6TH. Tel: 01291 689207 • You’ve got to hand it to them Cistercian builders, who knocked up Tintern Abbey way back in 1131. Did a fine job, they did; the roof’s gone but pretty much everything else looks as new as the day they put it up. Check for yourself while visiting this historic boozer, parts of which date back as far as the abbey. Ponder all this extraordinary engineering over ales like Doom Bar, Bass and Hancocks HB, Stowford Press and Bulmers ciders and Grolsch and Carling lagers. Bar meals include fish and chips, steaks etc. Large garden. Live music twice monthly, beer festival in September. Smokers can make like Rihanna, garden furniture-wise. • Pre-or post-refreshment, stroll across the bridge and along the path the other side, a walk which greatly impressed your author’s Parisian mates.

THE BLACK BEAR
Bettws Newydd, Usk, NP15 1JN. Tel: 01873 880701 • Characterful 16th-century inn overlooking the Vale of Usk, the Black Mountains and Sugarloaf. Two ales on include Wye Valley’s Butty Bach, accompanied by a local cider. Wonderfully off the beaten track and equally wonderfully tiny, you’re doing well to get 30 people in. Open Wed-Sat from 6pm as well as Fri-Sun 12noon-3pm. Two basic but comfortable letting rooms, hearty fires indoors, patio and garden outside. Some live music. • The archetypal ‘real’ pub - drop in and all becomes clear.

THE BOAT
Lone Lane, Penallt, Monmouth, NP25 4AJ. Tel: 01600 712615 • The Boat Inn is one of those places you can’t forget, reached by crossing an iron bridge which takes the traveller from England into Wales across the River Wye. Nice, old-fashioned pub with few frills but bags of charm. Tiered beer garden with lots of seating and good pub grub-style food. Up to eight real ales available in summer (expect a figure nearer four when it’s chillier) plus a couple of local ciders and the obligatory real fire for the colder days. Tuesday sees a gentler groove brought by solo guitarists, duos and folk performers while things are (relatively) cranked in the direction of 11 when rock gets played on Thursday. Hopes for a beer festival in September. • Unusually, built against a solid rock face. Look out, too, for the raft race on September’s first Sunday.

CLYTHA ARMS
Clytha, nr Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 9BW. Tel: 01873 840206, web: www.clytha-arms.com • Multi-award-winning charmer three miles from Raglan with its famous 15th-century castle. August’s bank holiday will see a beer and cheese night, with around 20-30 beers and 20 cheeses on offer. You think those figures are high? They serve up around 350 beers annually here. Regularly stages the Welsh Cider Society’s perry and cider festival. Seven ales on as we go to press include Felinfoel Double Dragon plus Rhymney Bitter with Westons Old Rosie among the two ciders, with perry on hand pump too. Welsh specialities mix with a truly pan-global selection in the restaurant, with theme nights taking in Argentinian and Caribbean flavours. Veranda for the smokers, who may get a heater in the autumn. Oh yeah, and two acres of grounds. Well worth the bridge fare. • Hungry? The leek and laverbread rissoles, served with beetroot chutney, are rather good.

FOUNTAIN INN
Aberkenfig, nr Bridgend, CF32 0EW. Tel: 01656 721392 • The Fountain is a well-kept secret. The restaurant, just off the main bar, serves above-average pub food with a little bit of flair, and the Sunday lunches are always fully booked. Good family atmosphere and a quiet bar to retreat to afterwards. Carling and Worthington on tap. • Very popular with both locals and day trippers.

GWAELOD Y GARTH INN
Main Rd, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, CF4 8HH. Tel: 0292 081 0408 • A proper pub with real characters, where landlady Barbara Evans and her team have put a lot of effort into getting the mix just right. Five real ales at any time, plus Peroni and Stella. Food served. Umbrellas and heaters under which you can enjoy your tobacco. • Three Welsh ciders, including Gwynt y Ddraig Gold Medal.

VINE TREE INN
Legar Rd, Llangattock, Crickhowell, Powys, NP8 1HG. Tel: 01873 810514 • The Vine Tree has an old stone cottage feel and a pleasant, friendly atmosphere. Rhymney and Thwaites ales, plus Stowford Press, Strongbow and Carlsberg Extra Cold. The extensive menus include locally caught trout. Benches outside but no heaters or covers. • Great place to stop after a hike around the Beacons.

Wiltshire

AT THE SIGN OF THE ANGEL
Church St, Lacock, nr Chippenham, SN15 2LB. Tel: 01249 730230 • Elegant, traditional 16th-century inn with original oak panelling, antique furniture and low ceilings. The restaurant, candlelit on evenings, is renowned for its traditional English cooking. Daily-changing range of specialities include Lacock beef, fish direct from Cornwall, veggie choices plus a full a la carte. One real ale - Moles - plus Black Rat cider in bottles among other drinks. • Perfect place for a weekend break or romantic evening.

BATH ARMS
Crockerton, nr Warminster, BA12 8AJ. Tel: 01985 212262 • This sleepy little village houses one of the finest gastropubs you’re likely to encounter. A beautifully restored country inn in a pretty Wiltshire village, with two fantastic suites, the Bath Arms offers romantic weekending or comfortable executive overnighting. The restaurant offers Great British food in a light and airy dining room: baked mushroom Welsh rarebit, loin of pork chop with black pudding and parsnip puree, and Bath Arms fishcake with Cornish crab and broad beans are just a few of the delights that await you. Bar food and teas also available. Three real ales always on tap, including two from local brewer Hobdens Wessex. Children welcome in restaurant and beer garden. • Occasional jazz.

THE BELL INN
High St, Wylye, Warminster, BA12 0QP. Tel: 01985 248338, web: www.thebellatwylye.com • Owned by The Hidden Brewery, this quintessential country pub is situated five minutes away from the brewery in the Wiltshire countryside, and is easily accessible from the A303 and A36. It serves three-four beers including the brewery’s award-winning real ale; Grolsch, Carling and Stowford Press with Red Eye cider on at time of going to press. Selection of wines, locally sourced food. • Charity concert in the pipeline.

BUNCH OF GRAPES
14 Silver St, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1JY. Tel: 01225 863877 • Centrally located in picturesque Bradford on Avon, this is one of the town’s most prized hostelries. Complete with beams, fireplaces, candles and a fabulously warm, cosy ambience, this is a truly great pub. Excellent menu, monthly changing guest ales and good wine selection. The Sunday carvery is fantastic: two meats to choose from, alternating between beef or chicken and lamb or pork, at just £7.95. The puds are pretty wonderful too. • No pool or darts, just great beer and good conversation.

CASTLE
10 Mount Pleasant, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1SJ. Tel: 01225 865657 • Lovers of the Lounge chain will recognise its reclaimed furniture and quirky black and white photos in this rejuvenated market town beauty. Our lady and fella enjoyed starters - butternut squash risotto and bacon and mushroom salad - for a fiver which were heading toward light main size. Their bona fide mains of 8oz rib eye and roast lamb rump with accompaniments brought the flavours of Britain in June. A family feel and daytime café/bar function sees mums in for coffee after dropping the kids off, moving through lunch into the evening’s relaxed ambience. Excellent range of Flatcapper beers. • Four beautifully stylish bedrooms upstairs, some of which overlook Westbury’s White Horse.

CASTLE INN
Castle Combe, Chippenham, SN14 7HN. Tel: 01249 783030, web: www.castle-inn.info • A 12th-century inn in the beautiful village of Castle Combe. Originally five cottages, all knocked together, it provides fine food for an appreciative and growing clientele. Menu changes frequently to reflect the freshest, seasonal, handpicked ingredients. Expect delicious food, a relaxed and stylish restaurant and welcoming bar. Regularly changing guest ales, with two on at any one time, plus a large selection of French and new world wines. • With 11 ensuite rooms, there’s no reason to leave.

CROSS GUNS
Avoncliff, BA15 2HB.Tel: 01225 862335/867613, web: www.crossguns.net • The view here is as beautiful as anything you’ll see in this world or the next, and the food is worthy of the setting. Available lunch and dinner, with lighter snacks served all day, the Cross Guns mushrooms, cooked with lashings of creamy garlic and brandy sauce, the chef’s fiery black pudding or the chicken satay sticks with peanut sauce, are good places to start, but leave room for the awesome steaks: prime Welsh beef ranging from an 8oz fillet upwards. Expect to find ales like Tunnel Vision, Rev Awdry, Dark & Handsome and Piston Broke. Great wine list, huge malt whisky selection. Reservations for the busy, popular restaurant are essential at weekends. If you fancy a rural pub crawl, the wonderful Inn at Freshford is only a couple of miles away. Barbecues for summer. • Red Barkley wannabes should see if they can finish the 32oz steak.

GEORGE & DRAGON
High St, Rowde. Tel: 01380 723053 • Award-winning gastropub that deserves every accolade it receives - and it gets its fair share. The proprietors have forged a formidable reputation that’s largely down to what they do with fish - the starter of scallops with black pudding, for example, is a firm favourite, as is the whole cracked crab straight from Cornwall. The vegetables are locally grown. It’s regarded as a restaurant that also serves beer, rather than the other way around, and food is served lunch and dinner Mon-Sat, plus the traditional Sunday roasts. They also have a great summer garden to enjoy your fabulous food in, and three letting rooms. Excellent value for money, with a three-course dinner around £60 for two. Party catering offered on the aforementioned garden or at weddings etc for up to 150 down to dinner parties of 10. • Awarded a star in Egon Ronay’s Gastro Pub 2006/2007 Guide.

HOP POLE
Limpley Stoke, nr Bath, BA2 7FS. Tel: 01225 723134 • It may have been this place’s 400-year-plus history, log fires, great garden or impressive menu that persuaded the makers of ‘The Remains of the Day’ to take advantage of this gorgeous old watering hole and shoot the film’s pub scene here. More likely, it was all four. Excellent menu includes home-baked pies, fresh local trout and homemade specials. Giant filled baps and other light bites, and three regular and one or two guest ales always on tap. Large, attractive beer garden holds up to 120. •‘Creation’ film to be released in September also shot here in part.

HOPE & ANCHOR
Midford Rd, Bath, BA2 7DD. Tel: 01225 832296, web: www.hopeandanchormidford.co.uk • Set in the lovely Cam Valley and listed by both the AA and Which? pub guides, the Hope and Anchor is as renowned for its food as it is for its excellent beer - with Bass and Butcombe on tap - and its friendly staff. Choose from the more formal, 17th-century oak-beamed restaurant or dine in the bar, where the dishes are robust rather than fussy. Plenty of fish on the menu, plus homemade pies and rather good paella. • Great in winter, with its roaring fire, and the tiered garden is a godsend for soaking up the sun in summer.

INN AT FRESHFORD
The Hill, Freshford, BA2 7WG. Tel: 01225 722250, web: www.theinnatfreshford.co.uk • This grade II-listed building dates from 1745, and was once a wealthy family‘s summerhouse. Classy but cheerful, smart but relaxed, spend time here and the day-to-day is quickly forgotten. Box Steam Brewery beers, stylish yet substantial food (the sautéed sweet pepper impressed our chap immensely) and efficient, attentive and smiley staff. The garden is a beauty and can sit 100 alfresco diners who cop for summer barbecues. The bistro-esque menu has offered up dishes like braised steak, free-range chicken, fish and chips and a tasty bubble and squeak. Kid- and dog-friendly. Easily accessible by train - a couple of mins’ walk from the Freshford request stop. • If you fancy a pub crawl with a difference, stroll over to Avoncliff’s Cross Guns - the helpful people here will point you in the right direction.

NORTHEY
Bath Rd, Box, nr Corsham, SN13 8AE. Tel: 01225 742333 • Updated and upmarket describes the Northey’s image, a mix of old and new sitting comfortably together: a gracious, discreetly glamorous but cosy bar and restaurant. Drinks include 6X, Horizon, Stowford Press, Stella, Heineken, Amstel and Guinness. Expect starters such as foie gras as well as tempura king prawns and mains like duck breast as well as venison with chocolate sauce. The desserts are a dream. • Noel Coward used to work behind the bar here.

PEAR TREE
Top Lane, Whitley, nr Bath, SN12 8QX. Tel: 01225 709131 • Award-winning pub that boasts a stunning menu, mixing a multitude of influences from around the world, and culminating in an overall style that could be called the very best of modern European. They’re passionate about food, as is evident from the seasonal, daily-changing menu, which is largely locally sourced and often includes local venison and game. Puddings are fantastic, and so is the selection of drinks on offer at the bar, with four real ales at times and a top-quality wine list. • Eight ensuite bedrooms, so you may never want to leave.

RATTLEBONE INN
Church St, Sherston, SN16 0LR. Tel: 01666 840871 • The Rattlebone Inn dates back to the 16th century, but there’s been a hostelry on site since medieval times and its name has origins almost 1,000 years old. It comes from John Rattlebone, a Saxon warrior who fought in the Battle of Sherston in 1016. During the battle he was mortally wounded in the stomach, but - and here’s where it gets sketchy - got a stone from the local quarry to staunch the flow of blood and resume fighting. The expansive and imaginative menu, with most ingredients sourced locally, can be best described as classic country cooking. Our chap spotted duck breast salad, spring lamb, sea trout and 10oz rump steak within a solid offering. Real ales offer up drops like Bombardier and Tribute, with Stowford Press, Amstel, Kronie and Foster’s also on draught. A dozen or so whiskies. Boules if you’re feeling Gallic. Children very welcome. • Quatorze Juillet is always pretty spectacular.

RED LION
High St, Lacock, Chippenham, SN15 2LQ. Tel: 01249 730456 • A beauty of a boozer in a village owned by the National Trust. The pub itself was converted into a hardware shop for the BBC’s ‘Cranford’ period drama and provided accommodation to the Harry Potter security staff when filming took place. Pleasingly wonky floors, characterful furniture and a fireplace dating from the early 1700s confirm the pub’s historical authenticity. Food is home-cooked comfort faves: expect to find dishes like 10oz Wiltshire rib-eye steak, 8oz venison steak, sausages and mash (vegetarian option available) and pork pie/vegetarian ploughman’s. Henry’s IPA and 6X likely to be found among the draughts. • ‘The Wolf Man’ remake, filmed here recently, is due for autumn release.

RED LION
Wolverton, nr Rode, BA2 7QS. Tel: 01373 830350 • Offering three ales in winter and four in summer which reopened in July 2008 after a period of closure. Heineken, Amstel and Foster’s joined by cider on draught. Refurb brought in a mix of old and new, a ‘vast improvement’ on what went before. Settles and open fires within plus heaters and covers for the smokers. • Quiz in winter.

RISING SUN
Bowden Hill, Lacock, SN15 2PP. Tel: 01249 730363 • Staggering views over Salisbury Plain - apparently you can see up to 40 miles away on a clear day. British pub grub like ham, egg and chips, pork loin and sausage and mash provides nourishment enough to walk as far as that view. The food is good-quality, imaginative bar fare, and on Sunday there’s a very popular roast. Three-four real ales are always top notch, and you’re guaranteed a warm, lively atmosphere. Child-tolerant, with a garden to die for. • Live music every Wed.

RIVERSIDE INN
49 St Margaret’s St, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1DE. Tel: 01225 863526, web: www.riversideboa.co.uk • This gorgeous listed pub on the riverbanks of Bradford on Avon offers a pleasing array of real ales, with Doom Bar and Butcombe Gold both making welcome appearances. Fabulous food is easy on the wallet (mains around the £7 mark) is served lunch and dinner times Mon-Sat. They specialise in rather fine Sunday roasts, with vegetarian options. • Large beer garden for balmy summer evenings.

ROYAL OAK
72 High St, Corsham, SN13 0HF. Tel: 01249 713607 • The manager in place at this two-bar pub as we go to press will be leaving mid-summer. Current draughts include Henry’s IPA, 6X, Red Stripe, Stella, Carlsberg, Scrumpy Jack and Blackthorn with Bounds Brand scrumpy on handpull. Food served 12noon-2pm daily is of the ham, egg and chips and ploughman’s variety. Covered smoking area with no heaters presently. • Folk night Thursday.

SPREAD EAGLE INN
Stourhead Estate, Stourton, nr Warminster, BA12 6QE. Tel: 01747 840587, web: www.spreadeagleinn.com • Historic heritage pub overlooking Stourhead’s magnificent gardens. English cooking using magnificent local food, five charming bedrooms, beers like Butcombe, Kilmington and guest. Food ranges from sarnies, pies and specials for lunch to a dinner menu. Double rooms £110 per night. • Beautiful location with stunning courtyard.

SWAN HOTEL
1 Church St, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1LN. Tel: 01225 868686 • Attractive venue boasting a modern atmosphere in the heart of this bustling, historic town. Food is classic English with a twist, with dishes like fishcake, deep-fried brie, deli boards, sirloin and pork belly. Separate lunch menu features light bites, sandwiches and baguettes. Old Speckled Hen and Olde Trip on draught. • Well worth the spin from Bristol or Bath.

SWAN INN
Kingsdown, nr Corsham and Bathford, SN13 8BP. Tel: 01225 742269 • 300-year-old quarryman’s pub, chained to the quarry opposite to keep it attached to the hill. Excellent, home-cooked food is on offer daily (both lunch and dinner) and the ales have been highlighted in the Good Beer Guide for several years now. Accommodation is all ensuite and offers modern facilities, with real log fires ensuring a warm welcome. Commanding views down the Bybrook valley to Bath. • A real country pub with real food and real beer.

TOLLGATE INN
Ham Green, Holt, nr Trowbridge, BA14 6PX. Tel: 01225 782326, fax: 01225 782805, web: www.tollgateholt.co.uk • This gorgeous gastropub draws plenty from Bristol and Bath, but also has admirers from much further afield. Its visitors’ book records praise from guests from Bordeaux, Texas and Durban, with the Harrisons from Oklahoma promising they’ll be back and the Sunday Times’ Michael Winner calling the Tollgate ‘a quintessential English country inn’. The classic English with modern twist menu changes daily but expect lunch dishes like Valley Smokehouse smoked kipper, omelette Arnold Bennett and fish pie and dinner dishes like the signature beef wellington, veal holstein and vegetarian suet pudding. Varied game offerings include mallard, pheasant (“by the bucketload”), rabbit, pigeon, homemade goose sausages and a must-try squirrel pie. Add abundant hanging baskets, three wood fires, refurbished accommodation and ever-changing beer options, and you’re compelled to agree with Mr Winner. • Taste of the West gold medal winner.

WAGGON AND HORSES
Beckhampton, SN8 1QJ. Tel: 01672 539418 • This 16th-century thatched pub was given a plug by Dickens in ‘The Pickwick Papers’, and we’re happy to do likewise. Children welcome in the family room. Draughts include 6X, Stowford Press, Foster’s, Heineken, Amstel, Budweiser and Holsten Pils. Range of home-cooked food with veggie options, with snack menu and separate restaurant. • Once the meeting place for Britain’s premier crop circle society.

WHITE HART
Ford, SN14 8RP. Tel: 01249 782213, web: www.roomattheinn.info • Old wooden-beamed pub with outdoor seating by a stream, with loads of nooks and crannies and a great alfresco dining area. The food is excellent, with full a la carte in the restaurant or substantial bar snacks available, separate kids’ menu and loads of daily specials. Advance booking recommended, although they don’t take reservations for Sunday lunches, so start your pilgrimage early to get a table. Two permanent draughts - Pedigree and Banks’ Original plus guest - with Strongbow, Foster’s, Carling, Kronenbourg, Blackthorn and Amstel also on tap. Excellent wine selection. Has 11 ensuite rooms, from £79.95 a night - same price if you’re a double or with dozing nipper. Like everything else about this place, the smoking facilities are second to none, with down lighting, down heating and overhead covers. You can’t fail to be impressed. • The restaurant is built over a brook.

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