WHAT could be better than getting out of the cold and into a cosy pub, eating traditional British fare and supping a pint of locally brewed real ale?
It’s even better if you can walk out of the bar and into a room at the inn.
Here, Trisha Harbord selects ten fabulous UK pubs that offer a room and a hearty breakfast from as little as £99 a night.
PUNCH BOWL, CUMBRIA
THIS gorgeous inn, situated next to a quaint parish church in Crosthwaite, helped kick-start the gastro-pub scene in the Lakes 20 years ago.
Produce from the owner’s farm goes into traditional pub food. Overnight guests are treated to cream tea and a full Cumbrian breakfast. The nine boutique-style rooms have beamed ceilings and bathrooms with rainbow showers.
SEE: The nearby 13th century remains of Kendal castle. Get a ferry from Bowness to Hawkshead to visit the Beatrix Potter attraction.
STAY: B&B from £145 a night. Offer until January 27 of a free night’s stay when booking two nights (excluding Saturdays). See the-punchbowl.co.uk.
FELIN FACH GRIFFIN, BRECON BEACONS
IT’S hard to think of getting away from it all in a pub – but the Felin Fach Griffin, near Hay-on-Wye, has limited mobile reception, no televisions in the bedrooms and only wi-fi in the bar.
Diners can choose to eat delicious food with produce from the kitchen garden in the cosy library, quirky tack room or Aga room.
Seven plush en-suite bedrooms in the former flour mill have views of the countryside or mountains.
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SEE: The stars as it’s in the middle of the Brecon Beacons National Park, a dark sky reserve. Activities include golf, horse-riding and mountain biking.
STAY: B&B from £182.50 a night. See eatdrinksleep.ltd.uk.
BLIND BULL, PEAK DISTRICT
A Visit England winner, the Blind Bull was also awarded silver Pub of the Year 2025 – a category honouring pubs that make a significant contribution to tourism.
The restored 12th-century inn at Little Hucklow has a bar, a la carte menu, real ales, comfy chairs and open fires. New accommodation includes five luxury en-suite rooms and a cottage. Dogs are welcome too.
SEE: Castleton’s four famous caves and magnificent Chatsworth House, used in many TV productions in- cluding Peaky Blinders and The Crown.
STAY: Re-opens after annual leave on January 28. B&B from £130. See theblindbull.co.uk for more information.
THE CASTLE INN, DORSET
THERE is nothing like a thatched roof to signal cosiness. The Castle Inn in West Lulworth is one of the oldest pubs in Dorset, dating to 1660.
Have a pint of local ale while tucking into classic British food including beer-battered fish and chips. There are 12 boutique ensuite rooms with extra facilities including a mini-fridge and free toiletries.
The pub, which welcomes families and dogs, is the perfect base to explore the stunning Jurassic Coast.
SEE: Beautiful Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door, Lulworth Castle and the Fossil Forest. Lots of adventure including watersports.
STAY: B&B from £99. See butcombe.com/the-castle-inn-dorset.
THE BELL, EAST SUSSEX
BIRCH trees in the rooms, saxophones in the loos and a garden lodge named The House of Madness – they just love being quirky at The Bell in Ticehurst.
The pub dates back to 1560 and nearly 100 years later was licensed to lodge travellers at one penny a bed including food.
It’s still serving up wonderful pub grub and has won AA awards for culinary excellence. There are seven bedrooms, each with their own silver birch for decoration.
SEE: Bedgebury National Pinetum, which has the largest conifer collection in the world; Bewl water, a lake with watersports; and 14th-century Bodiam Castle.
STAY: B&B from £135 a night. See thebellinticehurst.com.
FITZHERBERT ARMS, STAFFS
THIS award-winning pub in Swynnerton has an extensive list of port.
Owners Tim Bird and Mary McLaughlin have even named ten fabulous en-suite rooms – housed in a renovated 100-year-old farmhouse – after ports such as Malvedos and Bomfim.
A mouth-watering menu uses local produce to make classic British food including pies and fish and chips. Mary says: “It’s a proper pub with ales from within a 35-mile radius.”
SEE: The countryside on the dog-friendly pub’s three-and-a-half mile circular walk. Nearby attractions include World Of Wedgwood and Trentham Gardens.
STAY: B&B from £135 a night. See fitzherbertarms.co.uk.
INN AT WHITEWELL, LANCS
COMEDIANS Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon checked in to The Inn At Whitewell for their 2010 TV series The Trip.
The former 16th-century coaching house, which offers great views over the River Hodder, was the first stop on their gourmet tour of the North of England.
Head chef Jamie Cadman has a great reputation, and the pub has a selection of more than 400 wines. There are 26 individually-decorated rooms and a three-bedroom holiday home, all dog-friendly.
SEE: The fells and moorland on a walk from the front door, Clitheroe market and Clitheroe Castle.
STAY: B&B from £160. See innatwhitewell.com.
FLEECE INN, COTSWOLDS
BEST Country Pub at the 2025 Great British Pub Awards is just one of the many awards The Fleece Inn in the village of Bretforton has won.
Landlord Nigel Smith is happy to talk about the 600-year history of the one-time Tudor farmhouse over a pint of one of his real ales.
Enjoy some fantastic food and lively folk nights at the inn, which offers accommodation in the master’s bedroom, cottage or glamping in a caravan.
SEE: Nearby Honeybourne Pottery, National Trust Croome Park and take a 20-mile trip on the GWSR steam railway.
STAY: B&B from £100 a night. See thefleeceinn.co.uk.
LORD CREWE ARMS, NORTHUMBERLAND
Showcasing Northumberland’s producers and breweries, the 12th-century pub in the medieval village of Blanchland even has its own Lord Crewe Brew on tap in the vaulted Crypt Bar.
There’s also a local gin and whiskey.
Menus change throughout the year with lots of comfort food, and the Sunday lunch is regarded as one of the best in the North.
The pub is a great choice for family and friends’ gatherings as there are 26 individually- decorated rooms.
SEE: Stunning landscapes while exploring the North Pennines and Hadrian’s Wall.
STAY: B&B from £204. See lordcrewearmsblanchland.co.uk.
BASSET ARMS, CORNWALL
CHECKING in on the Cornish coast is a real treat. The Basset Arms in Portreath has just been refurbished so, even though it’s an 18th-century building, everything inside is shiny and new.
Cornish specialities such as West Coast mussels and crab are served along with locally brewed ales and spirits. And you can also enjoy a Cornish cream tea. The pub offers three ensuite rooms with Egyptian cotton bedding.
SEE: The golden sands of Carbis Bay Beach, the South West coastal path and travel on the super train journey from St Erth to St Ives.
STAY: B&B from £150. Special winter offer including a two-course dinner from £165. See bassetarms.co.uk