Chetwode Arms

If you like your country pubs winding & warren-like, then this atmospheric 400-year-old brick hostelry is for you. Choosing where to sit could be difficult though: there’s a tap room which welcomes dogs, a tiny bar with a log fire, a snug & several dining rooms. The menu leans towards tried & tested classics (game pie, beef Wellington, salmon fishcakes), & also adopts a South African cooking method, grilling locally sourced produce (anything from king prawns to venison) on heated ‘black rocks’ of granite. Wash it all down with one of eight wines by the glass or choose from one of four real ales. Before you leave ask the staff about the resident ghosts & the alleged tunnel between the pub, the vicarage & St Luke’s Church, believed to be the oldest brick-built church in England.