The best pubs for Sunday lunch in England and Wales

Alastair Sawday selects 50 of the best pubs across the country for Sunday lunches, from family roasts in front of roaring log fires, to fresh fish on the terrace overlooking the stretch of ocean from which it came. Starting with England and Wales…

The Griffin Inn, Dale, Pembrokeshire

Fresh lobster and other seafood make the short trip from the beach to Sian and Simon’s innovative menus at this traditional harbour pub, complementing a menu of fine local produce and beer from down the road. The restaurant and roof terrace make the most of the coastal views even in winter, but the sea wall, known as “the longest bar in Pembrokshire” is perfect for perching with a pint.

Starters from £5.95. Mains from £9.25 – 01646 636227

The Milk House, Cranbrook, Kent

Come for an expansive menu of roasts, imaginative vegetarian food and a dedicated kids menu in a classic country pub with a huge garden. Stay the night with their Settle in Sundays offer – roasts for two, the roaring fire, a cosy room and a hearty full English breakfast for only £100. Stroll form the pub to the gardens at Sissinghurst Castle.

Lunch from £5. Dinner, 3 courses, from £35. Sunday roast from £15 – 01580 720200

The Bull, Ditchling, Sussex

A 16th-Century inn on the South Downs that delights in raising Bedlam, its very own home-brewed ale which you’ll also find in their fish & chip batter. The pub has won awards and with good reason – a cracking bar, beautiful bedrooms, tasty local food and an excellent array of ales. Traditional roasts suit the ancient low-beamed interior, with starters like salt duck ham and glazed octopus adding a touch of the unusual.

Lunch & dinner from £10. Sunday roasts from £15 – 01273 843147

The Swan, Wedmore, Somerset

The Litton, Litton Somerset

You’re perfectly placed for Bath and Bristol here, tucked into the Mendips in a pretty village that’s fallen in love with its new inn. A rack of gleaming taps dispensing an array of ales, upcycled beer barrel stools for kids and Moroccan blankets to wrap up in as you sit by the fire pits in the garden. Enjoy a fine roast or a simple but superb rarebit, then head over to the corner whisky bar for after dinner drinks.

Starters from £6. Mains from £12. Sunday lunch from £12.95 – 01761 241554

The Royal Oak Inn, Swallowcliffe, Wiltshire

A fresh, bright artisan pub in the Nadder Valley, where Michelin-starred chef Mark Treasure sources local and organic produce to create smart pub food. The bar is cosy with an open fire, the dining room light and bright, as well as classic roasts, there’s a light Sunday supper menu for those who want to eat a little later and lighter.

Lunch from £5.25. Dinner from £10.95. Sunday lunch from £15.95 – 01747 870211

The Judge’s Lodging, York

In the centre of York is a handsome Georgian townhouse with a strikingly luxurious interior, shifting from vaulted rooms and stone floors in the basement to the grace and light of the roof terrace mezzanine. Hearty food packed with flavour, like slow-cooked beef and caramelised rice pudding, goes perfectly with the selection of Thwaites beers.

Starters from £4.95. Mains from £8 – 01904 638733

The Hollybush, Witney, Oxfordshire

Run by two local chaps, this gorgeous old pub on the Cotswolds’ fringes, in the market town of Witney, has a winning combination of amazing food and excellent staff. Beer-battered gherkins and smokey pigs cheeks with pickled beets sit alongside a choice of five roasts and a groaning grazing platter, with mini fish and chips, squid rings, garlic and chilli king prawns, and classic roasts on an innovative Sunday menu

Starters from £5.50. Mains from £12.50. 01993 708073

The Pheasant Inn, Stannersburn, Northumberland

The Alfred Tennyson, London

This pretty Georgian ‘public house and dining room’ sits in a landmark location near Sloane Street, the perfect spot for people watching. This is a place to sit back and take your time, everyone is catered for, either in the upscale upstairs dining room or downstairs with simpler pub food, traditional Sunday lunch or the weekend brunch menu, served till 4pm.

Starters from £8. Mains from £12. Sunday lunch from £16.50 – 0207 730 6074

The Mexico Inn, Penzance, Cornwall

Between Marazion and Penzance (an hour’s walk between the two) is the Mexico Inn, an unlikely setting for a cracking food pub. Owners, Tom Symons, ex Rick Stein, and partner chef Amy have infused the place with character and charm. A superb Sunday menu features a vegetarian option topped with their homemade vegetarian gravy. The value is outstanding.

Starters from £5. Mains from £11.50. Sunday lunch from £12.50 – 01736 710625

The Felin Fach Griffin, Brecon, Powys

Battered sofas in the bar, books in the library and stock pots bubbling in the aga room, give this inn a lovely blend of relaxed informality and colourful style.  The food is excellent, perhaps Portland crab, boeuf Bourguignon, chocolate mousse with marscarpone; much of what you eat comes from a half-acre kitchen garden, with meat and game from the hills around you. The pubs reputation has spread far and wide, earning it Wales’ only Michelin Bib Gourmand.

Lunch from £12. Dinner, 3 courses, from £25. Sunday lunch from £12.50 – 01874 620 111

The Durham Ox, Westway Crayke, Yorkshire

A picturesque spot at the top of the Grand Old Duke of York’s hill with a flagstoned bar, rose walls, carved panelling and big fires. Follow a hearty roast with a local cheese board or classic desserts like baked alaska or sticky toffee pudding. The long views across the valley are stunning, peacefulness 20 minutes outside York.

Lunch & dinner £8.95-£26.95. Bar meals from £6.95. Sunday lunch from £14.95. – 01347 821506

The Pheasant Inn, Stannersburn, Northumberland

The Church Inn, Mobberley, Cheshire

A lovely old village tavern, fully restored and refurbished, retaining the small intimate dining rooms with their wood and tiled floors, exposed brick and beams, soft lamplight, and glowing candles. The Sunday menu mixes country tavern favourites with venison wellington or truffle gnocchi, with four craft ales on tap and decent wines to quaff too.

Lunch & dinner £15-£24.95. Sunday lunch £14.95 – 01565 873178

The Swan, Ascott-under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire

A warm welcome awaits at this country retreat close to Burford. Choose to eat in the snug main bar, the elegant private dining room or the beamed and vaulted barn, before heading out to the garden for drinks at the shed bar. Take on the 38oz Tomahawk steak or a whole rack of lamb, walk it off with a Cotswolds stroll.

Starters from £5. Lunch from £8. Mains from £12 –  01993 832332

The Duke of Cumberland Arms, Henley, Haslemere, Sussex

A characterful country cottage expanded with a bright, fresh dining room where Pub Chef of the Year winner Simon Goodman works magic in the kitchen. Order from the daily menu or arrange a special joint option – a four rib of beef, leg of lamb, loin of pork or whole free-range chicken. The new dining room, a light, modern, country confection with a big fire, is a show-stopper. And there’s a terrace with a marvellous view. 

Lunch £7.95-£28.95. Dinner £16.95-£28.95. Dessert £7-£9.50. Sunday joints £21.95 per person –  01428 652280

The Lifeboat Inn, Thornham, Norfolk

Tucked down a hidden lane in pretty Thornham, the inn’s darkly-beamed bar feels like a smugglers retreat, while the conservatory and restaurant are light, bright and contemporary. There are also circular garden pavilions for private dining. The scrupulously-sourced Sunday menu contains all the classics and seasonal specials.

Starters from £6.25. Lunch from £6.50. Dinner from £9.95 –  01485 512229

The White Horse, Baston, Lincolnshire

The White Hart, Stamford, Cambridgeshire

A rough stone village pub where you might well bump into the local cricket team on a Sunday visit. The food is fresh and simple, as you’d expect from a kitchen run by former River Cottage head chef Tom Blake, but also offers The White Hart Triple Roast, for the indecisive diner.  The ales are good too: Oakham Jeffrey Hudson, Tim Taylors, Grainstore’s Red Kite.

Breakfast £2.50-£7. Lunch & dinner £11-£19 – 01780 740 250

The Inn at Cranborne, Wimborne, Dorset

Aussie Jane’s passion for the great English inn runs deep and under her watchful eye this award-winning inn glows. Head chef Michael Smith uses his experience working with Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White and others, to create fabulous food for the inn’s iconic “30-mile menu”, a testament to their commitment to local sourcing and the huge variety of quality Dorset produce.

Bar snacks from £2.50. Small plates from £4.95. Mains from £10.95 – 01725 551 249

The Beehive, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

A Regency gem in Cheltenham’s well-heeled “village” Montpellier, with Victorian high ceilings, sash windows and a proper ale house feel. If you can, get a spot upstairs in the Supper Room, with its huge cast iron chandelier and tempting wine wall, for a more casual dining experience opt for a stool at the bar. Sunday roasts are popular so be sure to book ahead, top it off with Belinda’s homemade brownie.

Starters from £5. Lunch from £8. Dinner from £14. Sunday lunch, 1-3 courses, £12-£18 – 01242 702270

Bel & the Dragon Kingsclere, Kingsclere, Hampshire

On a corner in the centre of Kingsclere, this inviting red brick building has been a hostelry since the 15th-century. Now country and city folk gather under the broad beams for drinks by the fire, simple bar food or seasonal Sunday lunches, think British classics with a twist, prepared in front of you from the open kitchen.

Breakfast from £4. Lunch from £7. Dinner from £10 –  01635 299 342

The Perch, Binsey, Oxfordshire

The Thomas Cubitt, London

This excellent blend of country house style and modern city dining brings in the crowds. Traditional pub favourites, served in the bar, in the bar sit alongside more unusual offerings, like yellowfin tuna with pistachios, from the dining room. In summer, pavement seating puts you at the heart of Belgravia’s buzz. Sunday roasts are well worth the trip.

Starters from £8. Mains from £12. Sunday lunch from £16.50 – 0207 730 6060

The Cow, Dalbury Lees, Derbyshire

The former ‘Black Cow’ has been spruced and is now simply The Cow, a smart and stylish gastropub set deep in the South Derbyshire countryside. Step inside to where the copper-topped bar gleams and the fire leaps in the old stone fireplace. The imaginative menu offers the likes of homemade pork scratchings with spiced apple compote scrumped from Lisa’s garden, followed by roast chicken with mustard cream.

Starters from £5.50. Lunch and Dinner £11 – 01332 824297

The Locksbrook Inn, Bath

This water side pub is in the perfect spot to watch the canal boats or to just settle into a comfy corner with the papers and a meal fit for champions. The Sunday lunch is traditional yet delicious, with overnight roast beef and braised feather blade, slow roast leg of lamb and pork belly on the menu. And for the veggie’s, there’s crisp vegetable bake or potato gnocchi to tickle your fancy.

Starters from £5. Lunch and Dinner from £9 – 01225 427119.

The Crown, Hastings, Sussex

Just a short stroll up from the beach, this old corner boozer oozes artful charm and hipster-cool. Décor is shabby-chic, the mood is laid-back, and the craft beer list is curated by an expert palate. The Crown celebrates fantastic local produce and menus bristle with local artisan producers: freshly caught fish, vegetables from a walled garden, and homemade bread. On Sunday’s, you can expect dishes like roast winter vegetables, pan fried fillet of turbot and the classic rare-breed ham, egg and chips.

Starters from £4-£9. Mains £10-£16. Puddings £3-£7 – 01424 465100.

The Thomas Cubitt, London

Hare & Hounds, Bath

A beautifully renovated Victorian inn with ten-mile views of Bath, excellent food and cool interiors. A conservatory, decked terrace, sprawling garden and a vast mullioned window in the bar all face the right way – leaving you gazing upon fields where vegetables for the restaurant are grown. On Sunday’s you might find baked camembert, belly of Wiltshire pork and homemade burgers. At the bar, traditionally brewed Butcombe and Hare & Hounds Ale are backed up by excellent wines.

Lunch and Dinner £10.50-£22 – 01225 482682.

The One Bull, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

The One Bull is a family owned business and sister pub to the craft brewery, Brewshed. Inside you’ll find a split-level interior of wood and tiled floors, tidy tables, brown sofas and a brick fireplace remaining. It’s always busy and no surprise: the food is tasty and the menu adventurous. Sunday roasts boast Suffolk sirloin and roast pork belly, plus fresh fish dishes and a selection of local cheeses.

Starters from £6. Mains from £10.50 – 01284 848220

The Little Brown Jug, Chiddingstone Causeway, Tonbridge, Kent

Set beside a rural lane deep in the Kentish Weald, Whiting & Hammond’s HQ and flagship pub makes a handy pit-stop after a long walk or a visit to the nearby castles. Tardis-like, the bar extends back into several inter-linked dining areas with intimate corners, book-filled shelves, old pictures and mirrors. Seasonal daily menus combine hearty British pub classics with specials such as braised shoulder of lamb, and traditional puds like sticky toffee pudding.

Starters from £4.95. Mains from £9.50 – 01892 870318.

The Black Swan, Ravenstonedale, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria

A lovely little inn in the middle of a pretty village, surrounded by wonderful walking country. Inside, chic country interiors fit the mood perfectly. There’s a bar full of local ales, a sitting-room bar with an open fire and an airy restaurant, too. Dig into delicious country fare, with meat from the hills around you, perhaps a tasty home-made soup, or a Galloway beef and root vegetable stew.

Lunch from £4.95. Dinner 3 courses, £20-£30. – 01539623204.

The Three Crowns, Wisborough Green, Sussex

Landlord Tim Skinner’s bonhomie helps to keep the customers coming at this convenient and convivial pub set in the South Downs. Local ingredients are used in innovative ways for the international and seasonal menu, and Sunday roasts come with their own mini versions for children. For grown-up tipples, try a local ale or pick something stronger from the extensive gin menu.

Starters from £7. Dinner from £10 – 01403 700239.

The Lamb Inn, Sandford, Devon

The Perch, Binsey, Oxfordshire

Off one of the main arteries into Oxford sits this glorious pub set in idyllic countryside. The building is listed, the fire is lit and there’s a garden path arched with fairylights winding down to the river. You can eat at picnic tables by the willows or under the conservatory canopy, choosing from potted rabbit and smoked bacon, globe artichoke and mint salad, river trout fishcakes, English cheeses and seasonal sorbets.

Starters £5.95 – £9.95. Mains £12.95 – £19.95. Sunday lunch £13.50 – £16.95 – 01865 728891

The Millbrook Inn, Kingsbridge, Devon

Arrive before the boats do – they drop anchor a step away and their first port of call is this inn. The atmosphere is charming, the food is quite something, and perfect ingredients are worshipped in best seasonal style. On Sunday’s, stick into the classic sirloin or beef, or a turkey terrine, crab orzo pasta and beetroot risotto. In winter, a log fire warms the immediate bar area while padded settles and wheelback chairs cluster comfortably around tables in snugs.

Starters from £7.50. Lunch from £7. Dinner from £14. Sunday roast from £15 – 01548 531581

The White Horse, Brancaster Staithe, Norfolk

Fabulous views reign supreme here, reaching across the marshes and the boat-bobbed water. This is a perfect place for walkers and bird-spotters, so bring the boots and the binoculars. Later, dine on mussels and oysters, beef and thyme or mullet with bean, chorizo and tomato ragout. All ingredients are as local as possible, with the oysters coming straight from the fisherman and right at the door.

Lunch and bar meals from £8.95. Dinner from £13.95 – 01485 210262

The Queens Arms, East Garston, Berkshire

Down a wiggly road sits a delightful inn with hands-on owners and a top team. Families descend for roasts on Sundays, when the food is hearty, the portions generous and ingredients local. There’s beef and Guinness pie, mussels with cream and chorizo, crab gratin with parmesan and game in season. The Queens is steeped in warmth and character, with a low-beamed bar, an intimate restaurant, an awned terrace and cosy bedrooms up above.

Starters from £6. Lunch and Dinner from £12-  01488 684757

The Eagle & Child, Ramsbottom, Lancashire

The George Townhouse, Shipston, Warwickshire

This recently refurbished inn is found slap-bang in the centre of pretty Shipston and close to the Cotswolds. The long bar gleams with local ales, speciality gins and wonderful wines. Tuck into menus that make the most of local suppliers (pork and beef from the award-winning Todenham Manor Farm), and on Sundays, find classic roast dinners plus roasted shallot and brie tarte tatin, salmon and herb fishcake and beer-battered haddock.

Starters from £5. Mains from £11. Rooms from £100 per night – 01608 661453

The Abingdon Arms, Beckley, Oxfordshire

Oxford may be just eight miles away, but you would never know it here in the heart of the Otmoor nature reserve. Taking pride of place in the pretty village of Beckley, the pub was heroically rescued by locals and placed into the warm care of Aimee and her brother Thomas. Bring all the family for a big Sunday lunch, fresh fish or perhaps superbly cooked steak from local farms.

Starters from £6.50. Lunch from £8. Mains from £12 – 01865 655667

The Packhorse Inn, Newmarket, Suffolk

The Packhorse is a prime example of a beautifully renovated country pub rescued from neglect. It’s a small-scale pleasure dome stylish interiors, ambrosial food and beautiful bedrooms– yet it remains a village local with a bar that welcomes all. Irresistible food waits below, including a traditional Sunday lunch with all the trimmings. Expect locally sourced pork loin, roast Hereford sirloin, curried monkfish and wild duck breast as well as a confit garlic gnocchi.

Starters from £7. Mains from £16 – 01638 751818

The Holford Arms, Tetbury, Gloucestershire

An unassuming country inn set within 8 acres of cider orchards, free range pigs, and local Tetbury countryside. Inside, the pub is buzzing with happy locals and nature lovers who’ve popped in for a pint or a Sunday roast after exploring the nearby Arboretum. Expect fuss free roast dinners made using The Holford Arms’ own pork, local beef and confit duck.

Starters from £5. Lunch from £10. Mains from £15.- 01454 238669

The Punch Bowl Inn, Crosthwaite, Cumbria

The Ring of Bells, Cheriton Fitzpaine, Devon

Tucked away in a lovely village, ten miles from Exeter, is this magical little pub that sings out to walkers & foodies alike. A wood burner chases away chills in winter, and Binka will work her magic on the little garden come summer. You can tuck yourself into a corner with a pint of local cider or treat yourself to a fine Sunday lunch, with braised vegetables and only the finest meat on offer.

Starters from £4.95. Lunch from £10.50. Dinner from £16 – 01363 860111

The Wheatsheaf, Chilton Foliat, Wiltshire

Owners Ollie (a MasterChef semi-finalist) and Lauren are brimming with energy and ideas for their Wiltshire pub. Nestled in a peaceful village; the cosy carpeted bar has a traditional feel with wood-burners, a small piano and locals supping Ramsbury Gold. They believe in a farm-to-fork ethos, so the menu is bursting with all things local: artisan charcuterie made by Ollie’s dad on his nearby farm, craft lager, organic wines and homemade liqueurs.

Starters from £3.50. Lunch & dinner from £13 –  01488 680936

The Lamb Inn, Sandford, Devon

A 16th-century inn adored by locals and visitors alike, with comfy rooms and the odd touch of scruffiness to add authenticity to its earthy bones. It stands on a cobbled walkway in a village lost down tiny lanes and serves up such delicious food you’ll be reluctant to leave. The Sunday lunch menu is wholesome, broken up with both a traditional roast choice or a further menu of sea bass, lamb and basil gnocchi if that doesn’t take your fancy.

Lunch from £9. Dinner, 3 courses, £20-£30. Sunday roast from £8.90 – 01363 773676

The White Horse, Baston, Lincolnshire

When a village campaign to save this 18th-century local foundered, farmer Mark Richardson rode to the rescue and the stoutly rustic Spinning Wheel has become the rather slinky White Horse. Enlivened by what Mark calls a “meaty, manly menu” of Baston-reared produce and a smiling welcome from its young and talented team. Don’t miss their exemplary Sunday roasts, super value and famous with flavour.

Lunch from £6.50. Starters from £5.50. Mains from £12.50. Sunday lunch, 1-3 courses – 01778 560923

The Thomas Cubitt, London

The Redan Inn, Chilcompton, Somerset

The sleepy village of Chilcompton has had a culinary reawakening, thanks to the arrival of this unsuspecting roadside inn. It’s had a slick new makeover from the team behind The Pump House and The Bird in Hand, and all is fresh and new. There are over 30 gins behind the bar, and a good selection of local hand-pumped ales. Tuck into hearty fare from head chef Leon’s seasonal menu, don’t miss the cracking Sunday roasts.

Bar snacks from £3. Lunch from £5. Dinner from £12.50 – 01761 258560

Red Lion Freehouse & Troutbeck Guest House, East Chisenbury, Wiltshire

Unless you found yourself lost on Salisbury Plain, chances are you wouldn’t stumble upon the Red Lion. You’d be missing much: this smart thatched village inn is both a local serving ale from Wiltshire microbreweries and a restaurant drawing food lovers from far and wide. The menu changes every day – sometimes twice – so expect the likes of pheasant and ham hock terrine, mushroom tortellini, roast pollock with olive oil mash and New England cheesecake with rhubarb. The Sunday roasts are superb!

Lunch & dinner £15-£20. Bar meals from £7. Sunday lunch, 2 courses, £20 – 01980 671124

The Pheasant Inn, Stannersburn, Northumberland

A super little inn run with an instinctive understanding of its traditions. The stone walls carry old photos of the community: from colliery to smithy, a record of its past. House ales include Timothy Taylor’s and Wylam Gold Tankard and food is a delight, think Kielder cheese soufflé, game and mushroom pie, and their famous slow-roasted Northumbrian lamb, all with colour from a pair of rather productive veg gardens. As for Sunday lunch, it was once voted one of the best in the North.

Bar meals from £9.95. Dinner, 3 courses, £18-£22 – 01434 240382

The Boot, Berwick St James, Wiltshire

In the pretty village of Berwick St James in the Till valley, sits this ‘real British inn’ where Giles and Cathy are working a quiet magic with food, ales and happy locals. You can sit snugly at the fireside with a ploughman’s and a pint or bring the family for Sunday lunch. Lush gardens, great Wadworth beers and proper pub food draws visitors and walkers. Tuck into lavender and cider roast ham with eggs and home-cut wedges, or Barnsley chop with bubble and squeak.

Light lunches from £6. Mains from £13 – 01722 790243

The Swan, Wedmore, Somerset 

The Swan is gorgeous, a contemporary take on a village local. It’s part of a new wave of pubs that open all day and do so much more than serve a good pint. It’s right on the bustling street, with a sprinkling of tables and chairs on the pavement. Push inland to find an airy restaurant that overlooks the garden. Here you dig into Tom Blake’s fabulous food, try a three-course Sunday feast, maybe Brixham crab cakes, The Swan triple roast, chocolate and salted caramel tart.

Lunch from £5. Dinner, 3 courses, about £25. Sunday lunch from £14 – 01934 710337

The Beehive, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

Riverford at The Duke of Cambridge, London

Thanks to pioneering Geetie Singh, ‘organic’ and ‘sustainable’ are the watchwords at Britain’s first organic pub, and British-rustic is the style. Wines, beers, spirits are certified organic and they buy as locally. It’s a sprawling airy space with a comfortable, easy atmosphere. Sit back and take your fill of broccoli, parsley & rosemary soup, pan-fried chorizo stuffed squid with puy lentils, Rhug estate “bangers” with colcannon mash, and blueberry and ricotta cheesecake. Justifiably rammed.

Lunch & dinner £9-£22 –  020 7359 3066

The Eagle & Child, Ramsbottom, Lancashire 

A passionate desire to do something different, and a clear vision from the start, to create a community pub with top-quality food, has been key to the Eagle’s soaring success. Menus focus on Lancashire’s food heritage; hearty and affordable dishes include black pudding Scotch egg; braised beef shin and oxtail suet pudding; plum tart and clotted cream. Disadvantaged young local people are trained in the kitchen, and alongside community group Incredible Edible Ramsbottom, Glen has transformed former waste ground into a beer garden.

Starters from £6.95. Lunch from £6.95. Mains from £13.95 – 01706 557 181

The Punch Bowl Inn, Crosthwaite, Cumbria

You’re away from Lake Windermere in a small village encircled by a tangle of lanes that defeat most tourists, but this seriously fancy inn is worth the trip. It was rescued from neglect and after a top-to-toe renovation it now sparkles. Outside, honeysuckle climbs on old stone walls, inside four fires keep you warm in winter. Award-winning chef Scott Fairweather works wonders with the likes of seared scallops, white chocolate and truffle risotto, and liquorice and blackcurrant soufflé with lemongrass ice cream.

Lunch from £5. Dinner, 3 courses, £30-£35 – 01539 568237

The Five Horseshoes, Maidensgrove, Oxfordshire

This cute pub-cottage sits on Maidensgrove Common, in a remote spot high in the Chilterns, on a lane that winds past Russell’s Water near Stonor House. Arrive early for the best seat in the garden and the finest view in Oxfordshire:or you can head for the rambling bars where roaring hearths warm the cockles, a perfect place to tuck into fresh, plump mussels and chunks of homemade bread to mop up the juices. They make their own ginger beer and there are delicious roasts on Sundays.

Lunch & dinner £8.50-£16. Bar meals £5-£9.75. Sunday lunch £13.75 – 01491 641282

The Chaser Inn, Shipbourne, Kent

Whiting & Hammond’s flagship dining pub is a striking, colonial-style building beside the parish church with serene views over the village green. Browse the papers with a pint of Abbot by the fire or tuck into some hearty British food, best enjoyed in the timber-vaulted dining room. From the daily menu try potted rabbit or devilled lamb’s kidneys then whole plaice with caper and citrus butter; top it all with lemon tart. Come for tasty Sunday roasts, then walk them off on a stroll to Ightham Mote.

Lunch & dinner £9.95-£12.95 – 01732 810360

For more information on pubs featured go to www.sawdays.co.uk/pubs. Sawday’s Special Places: Pubs & Inns of England & Wales is on sale now (£15.99 RRP) from all good bookshops.

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