October 24, 2024

Six Cosy Pubs with Rooms for a Winter Getaway

As the temperatures drop and the nights draw in, your first thoughts for a holiday at this time of year might be to book flights to somewhere warm and sunny – but why not embrace the winter weather and hunker down closer to home? Here in England, we’re spoilt for choice with an abundance of cosy inns rich in historical charm, offering both stylish accommodation and delicious dining. Whether you’re seeking a relaxing romantic retreat indulging in fine dining and bathtub soaks, or planning a weekend getaway with a friend where long countryside walks are concluded with a glass of wine beside a roaring fire, we have six recommendations for pubs with rooms where you can cosy up and embrace the colder months.

The Abbey Inn, Byland, North Yorkshire

Helmed by Michelin-starred chef, Tommy Banks, The Abbey Inn is appropriately named after the historic ruins of Byland Abbey, which lie directly opposite the pub. This nineteenth-century country inn is an idyllic winter escape, tucked away in a rural location surrounded by ample opportunities for long walks. Choose from three spacious yet cosy rooms boasting roll-top baths, antique furniture and views of the abbey. Guests can choose to dine on elevated pub classics and the famous Sunday roast with stuffed Yorkshire puddings downstairs, or can book a table at The Black Swan, the sister restaurant located just a mile down the road (where breakfast is also served).

Image: @abbeyinnbyland

The Bear Inn, Hodnet, Shropshire

With twelve unique bedrooms designed by Octavia Dickinson, The Bear Inn must be one of the most tastefully decorated pubs in the UK. Each of the bedrooms (including two suites) blends colourful and pattern-filled interiors with the building’s original features to create cosy spaces where you’ll instantly feel at home. Downstairs, the sixteenth-century pub has retained its wood-panelled walks, beamed ceilings and crackling fires – with bold pops of colour and contemporary artworks bringing a fun twist. Focusing on modern British cooking, the menu is constantly changing to reflect seasonal produce, with fruit and vegetables grown in the kitchen garden of neighbouring Hodnet Hall. Within just two years of opening, The Bear was placed in the Michelin Guide and awarded two rosettes by the AA.

Image: @thebearinnhodnet

Image: The Bear Inn

The Bull, Charlbury, Oxfordshire

Chances are that you’ve spotted a photograph on social media of The Bull’s ‘Room 6’ with its freestanding bath located beside a roaring wood-burner stove. This sixteenth-century coaching inn was revitalised last year by James Gummer and Phil Winser (two of the collective behind The Pelican in Notting Hill) and almost immediately became a must-stay spot in the Cotswolds. Adding a contemporary spin to your typical country pub, the dishes on the menu have minimal descriptions but are packed with flavour, changing frequently depending on the available produce. The decor in the bar, restaurant and bedrooms is minimal, with natural materials and low lighting providing a cosy ambiance. All of the ten bedrooms feature roll-top baths and super-king beds, scattered across the main building and an old barn.

Image: @thebullcharlbury

The Double Red Duke, Clanfield, Oxfordshire

Part of the Country Creatures collective, the Double Red Duke is located in a seventeenth-century manor house at the end of the Cotswolds. Downstairs, guests can curl up infront of one of many fireplaces with a drink and a book, before tucking into a delicious dinner in the cosy dining rooms. A variety of meat, including game, is cooked over a charcoal fire, while an impressive selection of small plates work as sides, starters or sharing dishes. Guests can choose from nineteen bedrooms, ranging from Cosy to Family rooms; the Arch rooms being the most impressive, with their stand-alone baths tucked into architectural features. Bold wallpapers and pops of colour create a jovial ambiance.

Image: @doubleredduke

The Gunton Arms, Thorpe Market, Norfolk

Art lovers should make a beeline for this Norwich pub, which is as much a contemporary art gallery as it is an inn-with-rooms. Iconic works by the likes of Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst and Lucian Freud hang on walls throughout the building – not to mention the sculptures scattered around the surrounding 1000-acre deer park. Transformed from a country house hotel in 2009, the interiors of The Gunton Arms were designed by Robert Kime, while Stuart Tattersall (ex-head chef at Mark Hix) heads up the kitchen. The menu focuses on local, seasonal produce (venison from the surrounding parkland, seafood caught by local fishermen), with dishes being added and amended daily. Stay the night in one of their sixteen bedrooms (including the Barn House Suites) or enjoy a longer stay in one of two luxury self-catering cottages.

Image: @guntonarms

The Star Inn at Harome, Helmsley, North Yorkshire

The Star Inn is proud to have consistently retained a Michelin star for the past ten decades, presenting a modern Yorkshire menu that gives local, seasonal ingredients a fresh, innovative twist. Dating back to the fourteenth-century, the inn was recently restored to its former glory following a fire; the old part of the pub feels cosy and traditional, while the dining room is a lighter, more elegant space. Its location is pleasantly rural, situated just outside the market town of Harome. Thirteen incredibly cosy and eclectically decorated rooms are available in the Cross House Lodge, converted from an assortment of barns, stables and an old wheelhouse, located across the road from the inn.