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The General Tarleton, North Yorkshire

Tommy Banks, a celebrated Yorkshire chef, is renowned for his award-winning restaurant Black Swan at Oldstead, but he’s no stranger to pubs. In fact, the Black Swan originally operated as a pub, with Banks serving drinks at his family’s establishment before graduating to the kitchen. Recently, he opened the Abbey Inn in Byland, and he has recently launched a hospitality arm focused on reviving other pubs across the UK. The first project is the eight-bedroom General Tarleton in the village of Ferrensby, near Harrogate. Food, naturally, is top notch, with polished takes on pub classics made with local produce – the perfect fuel for riverside strolls and into the Nidd Gorge, a scenic local area.

Bat and Ball Inn, Oxfordshire

Dogs lounge by the fireplace and clergy at the bar at this quaint inn in the village of Cuddesdon, best known for its clergy college. It launched at the start of the year by the proprietors of Lamb Inn in nearby Little Milton, and the culinary team at both locations gained experience at the esteemed Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons down the road. The Bat and Ball is the more casual of the pair – it even features a dartboard – and dishes take typical pub fare and dial them up with premium local produce. The five bedrooms have walls painted in rich autumnal shades to match the nearby landscape, which is sandwiched between the Cotswolds and Chilterns.

Kings Arms Inn, Lakeland

This family-owned pub, which relaunched at the end of August, is at the heart of the Lakeland village of Hawkshead, around the corner from Beatrix Potter Gallery and the Hawkshead Grammar School museum, where the poet Wordsworth etched his name into his desk. It’s rich in history in oak beams and slate floors at the King’s Arms too, which dates back to the 17th century. At the dark-wood bar is a roster of local beers including Coniston Old Man Ale and Cumbrian Ales Loweswater Gold, while the food leans towards classic with Cumberland scotch eggs and beef wellington. The perfect meal to be tucking into after a hike up nearby Latterbarrow fell.

Wellington Hotel, Cornwall

Affectionately called The Welly, this historic coaching house overlooks Boscastle Harbor on the rugged north Cornwall coast. St Austell Brewery recently invested heavily renovating it, and the results are evident in the snug dining areas, snugs and stained glass panelling. The pick of the bedrooms are the turret suites with standalone tubs, but all 14 come with artwork by local artists and ordnance survey maps and a South West Coast Path national trail book for walks. The trail passes nearby: heading west to Tintagel Castle, legendary birthplace of King Arthur as per myth, or east towards Pentargon waterfall. After a coastal hike, there’s pints of Proper Job by the fire and plates of fish and chips to look forward to, made with fresh local fish in ale batter.

The Woolpack Inn, Hampshire Countryside

Fresh from a makeover by influential interior designer Nina Campbell, this rural inn is the social hub in the small village of Totford in peaceful Candover Valley. It is surrounded by fields and woodlands, so chef Luke Stradling has abundant regional ingredients to draw on – complemented by the pub’s sizeable vegetable garden, right now filled with pumpkin, celeriac and winter leaves. In addition to providing almost all the vegetables on the menu, staff also contribute 20% of the harvest to local charities and homeless shelters. Upstairs, eight guest rooms are named after game birds, but it’s fly fishing the local star draw – angling for trout in the world renowned chalk stream of the River Itchen.

Fleur de Lys Inn, Dorset Countryside

Pub and restaurant firm Chickpea has mastered the modern country pubs with rooms formula – excellent cuisine, welcoming bar and keen prices for overnighters. The newest member to the fold is the Fleur de Lys, a 17th-century inn in the village of Cranbourne. Author Thomas Hardy was a frequent visitor here and makes reference to it in his novel Tess. The renovation reflects its period charm: hops hang over the large open fireplace, candles flicker on tables and, upstairs, the nine bedrooms are decorated in subdued tones. Trails loop around Cranborne Manor, with dishes such as Brixham sea bass, venison chop and sticky toffee pudding to look forward to back at the pub afterwards.

Penny Bun Inn, North Yorkshire

Inspired by a fungus found in local woods, Penny Bun is a break from conventional pubs. With its clay-plastered walls and earth-toned palette, the look is more wabi-sabi minimalism than brass beer pumps. Between Ilkley and Otley in the Yorkshire Dales, the new inn is part of the Denton Reserve, a 1,012-hectare estate undergoing an eco-friendly overhaul, focusing on carbon capture and sustainable agriculture. It supplies many of the ingredients found on the menu at the Penny Bun, such as Tamworth pork croquette salad or gnocchi with roasted garden beetroots. The calming aesthetic particularly suits the five rooms (the plum one comes with a standalone tub), with deep beds to sink into after walks across Ilkley Moor, right outside the front door.

The Ship, Norfolk Coast

This summer, Sisters Siobhan and Caitriona Peyton revitalized this seaside inn with nine beamed bedrooms in the village of Brancaster. The cuisine has a light Mediterranean touch, and while menus have one eye on the sea (a short walk from the coast), game from local estates is the star turn in autumn. On Sundays, expect roasted venison served with local wild mushrooms instead of traditional meats, while in the bar settle in by the fire and enjoy a mangalitza pork sausage roll or monkfish with a pint of local ale. Outside, the vast skies look especially arresting at this time of year – watch for flocks of pink-footed geese – and walks cut through dunes and marshes.

The Leicester Arms, Kent Countryside

Opposite from the entrance to Penshurst Place, this Grade II-listed pub is looking prettier than ever after a major renovation last year. No wonder it won Kent’s county prize at the 2025 National Bar and Pub Awards: there are deep leather armchairs by the fire in the bar, authentic Kent ales from nearby Larkins, and cut-above cooking in the dining room. The menu highlights local produce, with lamb scotch egg and oysters from Whitstable, while the 11 botanically named bedrooms are decorated in a classic style. Four rooms come with rolltop baths for post-walk soaks after a stroll around the Penshurst Estate past River Medway, lakes and giant oak trees.

The Swan, West Sussex

The two-and-a-half year refurbishment of this historic inn in Fittleworth on the edge of the South Downs was well worth it. Original features from its 14th-century roots mix with modern comfort in the bar, restaurant and 12 elegant rooms – though it remains “proudly old fashioned”, says owner Angus Davies. Meals served in the wood-panelled, painting-lined dining room utilize local seasonal ingredients (foraged ceps and fresh plum pudding on our visit) and lavish breakfasts are served in a barn in the gardens. The old visitor books are interesting: notable guests include JMW Turner, John Constable and Rudyard Kipling. Nearby activities abound, from browsing antiques in local villages to walks on the downs, Petworth House and Arundel castle.

The Nevill Arms, Leicestershire Countryside

With its honeyed hamlets, charming towns and undulating landscape, the Welland valley is in a part of the country sometimes referred to as the Notswolds (like the Cotswolds but more affordable). Nevill Arms in the village of Medbourne was revamped in 2023, with 10 bedrooms (some with four-poster beds) spread between the pub and former stables – and soon they’ll add a three-bedroom stone cottage next door too. On the food front, beef, pork and lamb are sourced from the owner’s farm, while in the inky blue-painted bar there’s a changing selection of Langton ales on tap – the favorite of which is an amber ale, Inclined Plane, named after the lift at nearby Foxton Locks.

New Inn, Lancashire

New owners Ben and Lauren Sandiford took on the running of this seven-bedroom village inn in April. Ben applied his culinary skills to the kitchen, which now produces elevated comfort dishes (shepherd's pie with mash and ewe’s cheese crumb or beef pudding) to be eaten in the rustic dining area beside the fireplace. The bar is filled with locals sipping on