Crisp walks in the countryside, red wine by a roaring fire - autumn is just around the corners which makes now the perfect time to book a room in a pub and get away from it all.
It's even better if you can stay over and make a holiday out of it and the UK has plenty to offer.
From a Michelin-starred riverside pub to four poster beds in the Brecon Beacons, pubs aren't just about sinking pints anymore (although there's plenty of time for that).
Think beautiful riverside views, twists on classic Cotswolds design and overnight stays in 12th century monasteries.
There's a clifftop pub in Cornwall if you fancy the seaside and an Essex inn that offers cooking lessons if you're feeling pro-active.
Here are 16 of the best options for your next staycation.
The Methuen Arms, Wiltshire
Already an award-winning pub for its stand-out food, in 2017 The Methuen Arms added five en-suite bedrooms for guests to retire to come close.
Situated behind the grounds of Corsham Court, the pub is a handsome ode to Georgian architecture. Each room is contemporary but keeps its country charm - think Farrow & Ball adorned walls, vintage Robert’s Radios and pillowy beds you can melt into after a brisk winter’s walk.
Rooms from £140 including breakfast (single occupancy rates are available too). Book here.
The Pheasant Inn, Berkshire
Bordering the village of Shefford Woodlands and overlooking Berkshire’s famed Valley of the Racehorse, The Pheasant Inn has a long history of hospitality dating back 450 years, when passersby used to take shelter there on their way from Wales to London.
Today, it’s a pub with 11 en-suite guest rooms offering urban visitors the perfect retreat. You can upgrade your lager to a stiff cocktail that’ll be properly shaken and stirred, hunker down in a cosy snug instead of fighting for an inch of a crowded fireplace and dine on a menu of locally sourced British grub.
Rooms cost from £110 including breakfast. Book here.
Pentonbridge Inn, Cumbria
Opened by two chefs who previously worked at double Michelin starred restaurants in London, Pentonbridge Inn is shaking up Cumbria’s culinary scene.
The pub-meets-hotel opened in September 2017, boasting nine bedrooms which are split between the main building and a converted barn. Taking influence from the surroundings, the bedrooms are instantly recognisable as British with soft, natural furnishing - luxurious wool and tweed blankets as well as wooden finishes.
Go here for a walking weekend where you can come back each evening for a restorative escape before the following day’s hike.
Rooms start from £125. Book here.
The Mash Inn, Buckinghamshire
Less than an hour’s drive from central London, once you arrive at The Mash Inn you’ll feel like you’ve been driving for a lot longer. Set in the quaint hamlet of Bennett End in Buckinghamshire, the former 18th century Inn offers excellent food and luxury bedrooms.
Dine on the daily-changing menu that uses ingredients that’s been foraged, pickled and cured by the in-house chefs (and prepared in an open kitchen) and then retire upstairs, ready to fall into deep sleep that’s only achievable after you’ve had a good day of crisp, country air.
Rooms from £110. Dinner tables are reserved for all overnight guests. Book here.
The Three Daggers, Wiltshire
Worried you’ll get a little bored spending a whole weekend in the middle of nowhere? Not here.
The Three Daggers not only has a restaurant and rooms but also a brewery, spa and farm shop - the perfect recipe for a country weekend. Each of the bedrooms is ensuite - guests can choose from three rooms above the pub or six in the Hillside Cottage and Spa.
Each offers white fluffy bathrobes warmed on towel rails, Egyptian cotton sheets and shared private living areas where guests can relax in front of a crackling open fire.
Rooms from £85 including breakfast. Book here.
The Wild Rabbit, Cotswolds
French farmhouse meets English countryside, this inn is a haven for city dwellers looking to retire to somewhere less hectic at the weekends.
Nestled in the village of Kingham, The Wild Rabbit is situated between the village green and the parish church - only a stone’s throw away from the original Daylesford farm shop.
A palette of cream and stone runs throughout the 15-room property making it hard for you not to instantly relax upon entering. Owned and created by Lady Bamford of Bamford cosmetics, you can expect no corner to be cut when it comes to luxury.
Rooms from £180 including breakfast. Book here.
The Swan Inn at Ascott, Chipping Norton
An old 16th century pub near Chipping Norton, The Swan is the second project of interior and floral stylist Willow Crossley and her husband Charlie. The couple restored the pub to its former glory a few years ago, creating a 'home from home' - with a design twist - for their guests.
Each of the eight cosy bedrooms has a unique design so no two guests have the same experience of their stay.
British printmaker Molly Mahon brought her love of India, pattern, textile and colour to Room 4. Christina Strutt, Cabbages and Roses creative director, balanced natural linens and their Hartley print charcoal wallpaper in Room 6 and the family apartment - or Room 8 - is the brainchild of Wiltshire-based studio Barneby Gates. The master bedroom features midnight blue Marrakech Palm curtains, seahorse wallpaper and rose pink linens.
As you can probably imagine, this Inn was made for Instagramming.
Rooms from £100. Book here.
The Crown Inn, Old Amersham
Located on the Metropolitan Line, The Crown at Old Amersham couldn’t be more convenient to get to from London.
An old coaching inn, where parts of Four Weddings And a Funeral were actually filmed, you’ll be happy to know its 90s decor is now long in the past. The rooms have been done up by interior designer Ilse Crawford, famed for the likes of Stockholm’s Ett Hem, and there’s now a top-drawer spa on site.
Over the weekend guests can explore the verdant Sussex Downs with it’s rolling valleys and bounding hills and then retire back for a slap-up meal by a roaring fire.
Rooms from £136. Book here
The Red Lion & Troutbeck Guest House, Wiltshire
This isn’t just a pub; it’s a Michelin-starred pub in a beautiful thatched building. The food is delicious (crab tart with shaved fennel, Cornish brill with leek fondue), and the atmosphere is warm and unstuffy.
The five bedrooms sit in a riverside annexe down the lane, with watery views and thoughtful details such as homemade biscuits.
From £180 per room per night based on 2 people sharing a Superior Room on a B&B basis. Book here.
The Wheatsheaf Inn, Gloucestershire
The Wheatsheaf puts a cool spin on the traditional Cotswold coaching inn.
Pint-swigging locals mingle with smart out-of-towners in the bar, while sophisticated gastropub grub (red-wine risotto, tender sirloin steak) is the focus in the adjoining restaurant.
The 14 bedrooms blend rustic charm with a hint of rock ‘n’ roll - expect Sebastian Kruger artwork and black metro tiles alongside snuggly mohair blankets.
From £105 per room per night based on 2 people sharing the Good Room on a B&B basis. Book here.
Mistley Thorn, Essex
This historic inn, set in a pretty little port town deep in Constable country, has been refurbished from top to bottom by Californian owner Sherri.
It has a top-notch restaurant serving just-caught seafood, 12 supremely restful bedrooms, and views over the bird-filled Stour Estuary. There’s even an on-site cookery school, should you want to squeeze some self-improvement into your stay.
From £115 per room per night based on 2 people sharing a Standard Room on a B&B basis. Book here.
The Felin Fach Griffin, Powys, Wales
Bags of character, great food and seven comfortable rooms await at this award-winning pub near the Brecon Beacons. Within its thick stone walls you’ll find squashy leather sofas, old beams and crackling hearths, plus cosy nooks where you can feast on the likes of Welsh lamb with pancetta and asparagus.
When you’ve had your fill, roll upstairs to your four-poster bed, dressed in the smoothest Egyptian cotton.
From £130 per room per night based on 2 people sharing Room 4 on a B&B basis. Book here.
Lord Crewe Arms, County Durham
Once the Abbot’s house of a 12th century monastery, the Lord Crewe Arms mixes the heartiness of a village pub with the comfort of a country-house hotel.
The atmospheric building is a jumble of flagstone floors and hidden staircases, with candles burning throughout. Head out for bracing walks, then return to fireside drinks, honest British food and a blissful night’s sleep.
From £120 per room per night based on 2 people sharing the Cosy Room on a B&B basis. Book here.
The Crown at Stoke by Nayland, Suffolk
This is one of Suffolk’s gastro gems – an award-winning 11-room pub in a historic village, with an emphasis on local produce.
The atmosphere is convivial, and the food fabulous – think pan-fried duck and wild mushrooms for dinner, and smoked rare-breed bacon for breakfast.
It ticks all the boxes in terms of comfort, too: kingsize beds, waffle robes, iPod docks, and soul-restoring views over green meadows.
From £135 per room per night based on 2 people sharing a Standard Room on a B&B basis. Book here.
The Plough, Gloucestershire
This is the place to come for all the ingredients of a classic pub stay: skilfully cooked comfort food, local ales, and seven peaceful bedrooms where you can hide away after you’ve feasted.
As for the setting, it’s picture-perfect: a sleepy Cotswolds hamlet, with wonderful country walks and pony-filled paddocks in every direction.
From £90 per room per night based on 2 people sharing a Double Room on a B&B basis. Book here.
The George in Rye, Sussex
Old and new rub shoulders with flair at this 450-year-old market-town inn. Contemporary music wafts through the bar, but a fire crackles in the corner.
The brasserie-like restaurant serves top-notch modern fare with a focus on seafood, and its classic leather chairs are sink-into soft. And in the 34 rooms, ancient beams sit above bold wallpaper, sumptuous bathrooms and 21st-century comforts such as Frette linens and Tivoli radios.
From £100 per room per night based on 2 people sharing the Superior Room on a B&B basis. Book here.
The Gurnards Head, Cornwall
Sister to the Felin Fach Griffin, this bright orange pub offers the warmest of welcomes on a wild and windswept clifftop.
With a laid-back bar, a fabulous menu of seasonal delights (scrumpy cider soup, local crab) and seven unpretentious rooms, it’s the perfect spot to kick back and relax after cobweb-blasting walks along the UNESCO-listed north Cornish coast.
From £115 per room per night based on 2 people sharing Room 1/2 on a B&B basis. Book here.
The Swan at Wedmore, Somerset
Occupying a prime spot in pretty little Wedmore, this Georgian inn is a good-value haven of open fires, leather armchairs and wooden floors.
Delicious West Country dishes packed with seasonal flavours flow from the kitchen, led by Tom Blake of River Cottage, and local ales await at the bar. Upstairs are seven Farrow & Ball’d rooms, some with roll-top tubs for post-meal soaks.
From £75 per room per night based on 2 people sharing the Small Room on a B&B basis. Book here.
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