Enjoy a cosy winter stay at one of these eight historic pubs with rooms around the UK – all for under £100 per person a night
BEST FOR
A dog-friendly stay
MASONS ARMS, BRANSCOMBE, DEVON
St Austell Brewery owns 26 characterful pubs with rooms across the south-west, and has invested £2m in renovating the charming, 14th-century Masons Arms in Branscombe. You couldn’t get more quintessentially British than this thatched-roofed inn, featuring 28 rooms and converted cottages, ye olde timber beams, whitewashed walls and an inglenook fireplace. Each room has sweeping views across the countryside, while interiors are decorated in warm shades of pumpkin, mushroom and sage green, and fabrics in woodland patterns. The larger ‘Branscombe rooms’ boast four-poster beds, and there’s a new dining area where you can enjoy a cracking Sunday roast (or Christmas turkey). Dogs are welcome and shingly
Branscombe beach, part of the UNESCO listed Jurassic Coast, allows them year-round. The village has a mile-long high street that’s perfect for a stroll, and historic buildings, including the ancient smithy (now a museum), the old bakery and 10th-century St Winifred’s Church. STAY Double rooms at the Masons Arms (masonsarms.co.uk) from £140 a night.
BEST FOR
Winter country walks
THE DEVONSHIRE ARMS, PILSLEY, DERBYSHIRE
Bronze winner of Pub of the Year in the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2022, this charming country pub is a mere stroll from the splendour of Chatsworth House (from £15, chatsworth.org), and is also owned by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. Dating from the 18th century, it has seven contemporary-style bedrooms above the pub itself, and a further six, more sumptuous, four-poster rooms in the adjacent farmhouse. These have been individually designed by the Duchess herself, with antique furniture borrowed from Chatsworth House, and their intimate feel makes them perfect for a romantic stay. Near Bakewell and the spa town of
BEST FOR
Sparkling Christmas trees
HALFWAY BRIDGE INN, PETWORTH, SUSSEX
In the heart of the South Downs National Park, the Halfway Bridge Inn sits between the picturesque market towns of Petworth and Midhurst. It makes a great base from which to visit Petworth House, a magnificent 17th-century property with a 700-acre deer park, where, from 26 November to 2 January 2023, you can step into an enchanted forest in its Marble Hall and see dozens of Christmas trees (from £16, nationaltrust.org.uk/petworth-houseand-park). The Inn is located in a set of converted barns in a former stable yard at the back of the Weald & Downland Living Museum, home to BBC One’s
