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General Tarleton Inn, North Yorkshire

Tommy Banks, one of Yorkshire’s favourite foodie sons, is best known for the Michelin-starred restaurant the Black Swan at Oldstead, but he’s no stranger to pubs. Actually, the Black Swan started out as one, with Banks working behind the bar at his family’s establishment before moving into the kitchen. Recently, he launched the Abbey Inn in Byland, and he has recently launched a hospitality arm focused on reviving other pubs across the UK. First up is the eight-bedroom General Tarleton in Ferrensby village, near Harrogate. The cuisine is exceptional, with refined versions of traditional pub dishes made with local produce – the perfect fuel for riverside strolls and into Nidd Gorge, a local beauty spot.

Bat and Ball Inn, Oxfordshire

Dogs lounge by the fireplace and clergy at the bar at this quaint inn in the village of Cuddesdon, best known for its clergy college. It was opened at the start of the year by the owners of the Lamb Inn in nearby Little Milton, and the culinary team at both locations gained experience at the esteemed Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons down the road. This pub is the more relaxed option – there’s even a dart board – and menu items elevate classic pub food and dial them up with carefully sourced local ingredients. The five bedrooms have walls painted in deep fall colors to match the nearby landscape, which is nestled between the Cotswolds and Chilterns.

King’s Arms, Lake District

This family-owned pub, which relaunched at the end of August, is at the center of the Lakeland village of Hawkshead, around the corner from the Beatrix Potter gallery and Hawkshead Grammar School Museum, where the poet Wordsworth carved his name into his desk. There’s plenty of history in oak beams and slate floors at the King’s Arms too, which originates in the 1600s. At the dark-wood bar is a roster of local beers including Coniston Old Man Ale and Cumbrian Ales Loweswater Gold, while the food leans towards classic with Cumberland scotch eggs and beef wellington. The perfect meal to be tucking into after a stomp up nearby Latterbarrow fell.

The Wellington at Boscastle, Cornish Coast

Known affectionately as The Welly, this centuries-old coaching inn overlooks Boscastle Harbor on the rugged north Cornwall coast. St Austell Brewery recently splashed millions renovating it, and the results are evident in the snug dining areas, snugs and stained glass panelling. The pick of the bedrooms are the turret suites with freestanding baths, but every room come with local art on the walls and ordnance survey maps and a South West Coast Path national trail book for walks. The trail passes nearby: heading west to Tintagel Castle, birthplace of King Arthur according to legend, or round past Pentargon waterfall. After a coastal hike, there’s pints of local ale by the fire and plates of fish and chips to look forward to, made with fresh local fish in ale batter.

Woolpack Inn, Hampshire Countryside

Fresh from a makeover by influential interior designer Nina Campbell, this country pub is the centre of life in the small village of Totford in the tranquil Candover valley. It is surrounded by fields and woodlands, so chef Luke Stradling has abundant regional ingredients to draw on – supplemented by the pub’s sizeable vegetable garden, currently growing pumpkin, celeriac and winter leaves. In addition to providing almost all the vegetables on the menu, staff also contribute 20% of the harvest to community charities and shelters. Upstairs, eight guest rooms are themed after game birds, but it’s fly fishing the local main attraction – angling for trout in the famous chalk stream of the River Itchen.

Fleur de Lys Inn, Dorset Countryside

Pub and restaurant firm Chickpea has mastered the contemporary inns with accommodation formula – excellent cuisine, friendly bar and competitive rates for overnighters. The newest member to the fold is Fleur de Lys, a historic inn in the village of Cranbourne. Author Thomas Hardy was a regular guest here and makes reference to it in Tess of the D’Urbervilles. The renovation reflects its historical character: hops drape over the large open fireplace, candles flicker on tables and, upstairs, nine rooms are decorated in muted colours. Trails loop around Cranborne Estate, with dishes such as Brixham sea bass, venison chop and sticky toffee pudding to look forward to back at the pub afterwards.

Penny Bun Inn, North Yorkshire

Named after a mushroom found in local woods, Penny Bun is a break from conventional pubs. With its earthen walls and earth-toned palette, the style is minimalist than traditional pub fixtures. Between Ilkley and Otley in the Yorkshire Dales, the new inn is part of the Denton Reserve, a 2,500-acre estate undergoing an eco-friendly overhaul, focusing on carbon capture and regenerative farming. It provides many of the ingredients found on the menu at the Penny Bun, such as Tamworth pork croquette salad or beetroot gnocchi. The serene decor particularly suits the five rooms (the plum one comes with a standalone tub), with deep beds to sink into after hikes on Ilkley Moor, just steps away.

The Ship, Norfolk Coast

This summer, Sisters Siobhan and Caitriona Peyton revitalized this seaside inn with nine rustic rooms in the village of Brancaster. The cuisine has Mediterranean influences, and while menus have a focus on seafood (a short walk from the coast), local game is the star turn in autumn. On Sundays, expect whole pot-roasted venison shoulders served with local wild mushrooms instead of traditional meats, while in the bar relax by the fireplace and enjoy a pork roll or monkfish scampi with a pint of Moon Gazer Ale. Outside, Norfolk’s big skies look especially arresting at this time of year – watch for flocks of migrating pink-footed geese – and trails cut through dunes and salt marshes.

The Leicester Arms, Kent

Opposite from the entrance to Penshurst Place, this historic pub is looking prettier than ever after a major renovation last year. It’s easy to see why it won Kent’s county prize at the national awards: there are plush armchairs by the fire in the bar, real Kentish ales from nearby Larkins, and cut-above cooking in the dining room. The menu highlights local produce, with Kent lamb scotch egg and oysters from Whitstable, while 11 nature-themed rooms are decorated in an attractive heritage style. Four of them come with clawfoot tubs for post-walk soaks after a stroll around the Penshurst Estate past River Medway, lakes and ancient oaks.

Swan Inn, Sussex Countryside

The two-and-a-half year refurbishment of this historic inn in Fittleworth on the South Downs was worth the wait. Period details from its 14th-century roots mix with modern comfort in the bar, restaurant and 12 elegant rooms – though it remains traditional, says the owner. Dining in the wood-panelled, painting-lined dining room draw on seasonal local produce (wild mushrooms and fresh plum pudding on our visit) and generous breakfasts are served in the barn in the gardens. The old visitor books are fascinating: famous visitors include JMW Turner, John Constable and Rudyard Kipling. There’s plenty to do nearby, from browsing antiques in local villages to downland walks, Petworth House and Arundel castle.

The Nevill Arms, Leicestershire

With its picturesque villages, charming towns and rolling countryside, the Welland valley is in a region sometimes referred to as the Notswolds (similar to the Cotswolds but without the price tag). Nevill Arms in the village of Medbourne was revamped in 2023, with 10 rooms (some with four-poster beds) spread between the pub and its converted stables – and next year they’ll add a three-bedroom stone cottage next door too. On the food front, beef, pork and lamb are sourced from the owner’s farm, while in the inky blue-painted bar there’s a rotating line up of Langton Brewery beers on tap – the most popular of which is an amber bitter, Inclined Plane, named after the lift at nearby Foxton Locks.

New Inn Yealand, Lancashire

New owners Ben and Lauren Sandiford assumed the running of this seven-bedroom village inn in April. Ben applied his culinary skills to the kitchen, which now produces classy comfort food (shepherd’s pie with mash and ewe’s cheese crumb or beef pudding) to be eaten in the rustic dining area beside the fireplace. The bar attracts locals sipping on