Queen’s Arms

Lost down twisting lanes in a hamlet close to the Dorset border, the Queen’s Arms was facing closure in 2004 when it was snapped up & refurbished by Rupert & Victoria Reeves. They’ve put a lot of style & swagger into the interior without losing the relaxed pubby appeal – it’s a gem. Rug-strewn boards & flagstones, the odd worn sofa & a glowing fire in the raised hearth draw you in for pints of Bath Barnstormer & a hand-raised pork pie. For something more substantial, pick a pew, or head next door to the dining room, & tuck into Corton Denham lamb with redcurrant sauce or jugged hare with roasted winter root vegetables, then sticky toffee pudding with honey & ginger ice-cream for afters. Ingredients are fresh & sourced from local suppliers, much of it from the surrounding countryside. Then retire upstairs to one of the five classy, individually decorated & supremely comfortable bedrooms – think hotel, not pub. Awake to wonderful walks from the door.