IT may be growing chilly outside, but the start of autumn means that cosy pubs with roaring fires are back on our weekend agendas.
From traditional inns serving local ales to stylish gastropubs in the countryside, Britain does them best.
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Jane Knight selects some of the best pubs across the country, each with rooms.
- The Good Hotel Guide 46th edition is out now, priced £20.
THE TALBOT INN, SOMERSET
ENTER this 15th-century coaching inn, in Mells, through an arched carriageway and find a bar serving local ales and fine wines, the dining areas warmed by blazing fires.
Feast on posh fish and chips and meat and game from local farms and sleep in bright, light bedrooms, some with four-poster beds.
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Bed and breakfast doubles cost from £120.
Call 01373 812254 or see talbotinn.com.
THE ALICE HAWTHORN, NORTH YORKS
THIS chic pub in Nun Monkton, halfway between York and Harrogate, mixes modernity and tradition to perfection.
The bar is a polished affair with plush green seats and wood beams, the bedrooms are elegant and Scandi-inspired, while the dining room offers highly praised food, including exquisite steaks.
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Bed and breakfast doubles cost from £150.
Call 01423 330303 or see thealicehawthorn.com.
ROSE & CROWN, NORFOLK
EVERYTHING you want in a pub is here – the jolly interior has cosy corners, window seats and dogs snoring by the fire.
The bedrooms have comfortable beds with crisp linen, books, and smart ensuites.
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There are real ales, great food, and the pub, in the village of Snettisham, is family friendly.
Bed and breakfast doubles cost from £120.
See roseandcrownsnettisham.co.uk or call 01485 541382.
THE CAT INN, WEST SUSSEX
A GREAT base for exploring the South Downs, this local in the village of West Hoathly comes with oak beams and inglenooks, real ales and appealing menus.
Pretty country-house bedrooms come complete with coffee machines and lavish Bramley toiletries.
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Bed and breakfast doubles cost from £160.
Call 01342 810369 or see catinn.co.uk.
THE OLD COASTGUARD, CORNWALL
OUTSIDE, the garden slopes down to the sea, while inside, Cornish seafood features on the well-priced menu at this pub in Mousehole.
There’s a wooden bar and slouchy sofas, while bedrooms have sea views, Cornish artwork and plaid blankets.
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Bed and breakfast doubles cost from £172.50.
For more info, call 01736 731222 or see oldcoastguardhotel.co.uk.
BELL AT SKENFRITH, WALES
THIS pub ticks all the boxes – whitewashed 17th-century exterior, enchanting location, stylish rural interiors.
Dine on fillet of Brecon beef and Welsh cheeses before retiring to rooms with pretty fabrics, comfy armchairs, and river or country views.
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Bed and breakfast doubles cost from £175.
For more info, call 01600 750235 or see thebellatskenfrith.co.uk.
THE BONNIE BADGER, SCOTLAND
CHEF Tom Kitchin and his wife Michaela manage an award-winning, tip-top operation with traditional bar, rustic-chic interiors, and a constantly evolving menu including some down-to-earth pub classics.
Bedrooms at this inn in Gullane, near to the coast, are stylish, with exposed beams and retro touches.
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Bed and breakfast doubles cost from £195.
Call 01620 621111 or see bonniebadger.com.
THE ANGEL INN, NORTH YORKS
THE incredible interiors of this pub in Hetton match the seriously good food – the restaurant has been given its first Michelin star.
It is not cheap, but you can dine on Michael Wignall’s exquisite dishes before sleeping in cool, crisp bedrooms, some with feature roll-top bath tubs and views over Rylstone Fell.
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Dinner, bed and breakfast costs from £430 for two.
See angelhetton.co.uk or call 01756 730263.
THE RED LION, WILTSHIRE
THIS charming thatched cottage with wooden tables and log burner in East Chisenbury was awarded a Michelin star in 2013 and serves everything from homemade Scotch eggs to chateaubriand of Wiltshire beef.
Bedrooms have top-notch mattresses and decked terraces overlooking the Avon.
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Bed and breakfast doubles cost from £195.
For details see redlionfreehouse.com or call 01980 671124.
THE FEATHERED NEST, COTSWOLDS
ENJOY real ales by the fire or in the flower-filled garden at this Nether Westcote pub, which overlooks the Cotswold countryside.
Chef Matt Weedon is renowned for his good food – the wine list is well chosen, and the bright, cottage-style rooms have fresh fruit, biscuits and coffee machines.
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Bed and breakfast doubles cost from £195.
See thefeatherednestinn.co.uk or call 01993 833030.
GUIDE TO QUIRKY ROOMS
MAKE your next hotel stay in Britain just a little bit different.
The latest Good Hotel Guide is out and we reveal its quirkiest suggestions.
THE OLD RAILWAY STATION, WEST SUSSEX: Sleep in a Pullman carriage at this former railway station.
There is even a “platform” service so you can enjoy breakfast in bed. B&B doubles from £150. Call 01798 342346 or see old-station.co.uk.
THE DIAL HOUSE, NORFOLK: Choose to stay in Italian Palace if you want a roll-top bath at the foot of the bed or Days of the Raj for a carved Indian bed and furniture inlaid with mother of pearl.
B&B doubles cost from £130. See thedialhouse.org.uk or call 01603 879900.
25 BOUTIQUE, DEVON: The rainbow-striped male mannequin lamp in reception sets the tone and a fluffy swan in a coronet graces the sitting room.
Expect a touch of deco here, and a splash of space age sparkle there.
B&B doubles cost from £177. Call 01803 297517 or see the25.uk.
THE ROOKERY, LONDON: Georgian London lives on behind the 18th-century facade of three shop houses.
There is mahogany panelling, antiques, portraits, shutters, silk fabrics and a sense of being lost in time – except for essential comforts such as premium mattresses and power showers.
Room-only doubles from £269. Call 020 7336 0931 or see rookeryhotel.com.
LOW MILL GUEST HOUSE, NORTH YORKS: Give a whole new meaning to the term milling around when you stay in this 18th-century watermill.
The living room houses the old grinding stone, with the mill machinery in the rafters of the Workshop bedroom.
B&B doubles from £125. Call 01969 650553 or see lowmillguesthouse.co.uk.
THE FIFE ARMS, ABERDEENSHIRE: Camp Victorian opulence meets contemporary whimsy in this hip, five-star Cairngorms coaching inn.
The vast art collection includes a Bruegel in the dining room, a Picasso in one drawing room and a Lucian Freud in another.
B&B doubles from £462. Call 01339 720200 or see thefifearms.com.
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