The Queens Arms Hotel

Sherborne

Expect an atmospheric drive through labyrinthine country lanes straddling the Somerset/Dorset border en route to The Queens Arms at Corton Denham, which beckons from its prime position nestled in a valley surrounded by glorious rolling hills. Inside the cosy Georgian inn, log fires roar while a dazzling array of gins and whiskies sprawl the length of the bar next to stacks of homemade pork pies, that couldn’t be more local: the inn boasts its very own smallholding of pigs. It’s the ideal welcome.

Owners Gordon and Jeanette Reid, a husband and wife team, live by one philosophy: they count food metres – not miles. Head chef Ben Abercrombie puts a delicate twist on ingredients plucked from the inn’s smallholding and kitchen garden or sourced locally. Try small plates of chicken and leek terrine with garden fig chutney and beetroot, driftwood and granola. Comfort food comes in the form of hearty fish pies, 28-day aged steak with triple- cooked chips and a solid Sunday roast.

Fear not, it’s not far to stumble to one of the eight bedrooms afterwards. Each is unique, but all have big, comfortable French oak beds and roll-top baths. After a good night’s sleep, a solid West Country breakfast ticks the boxes with Maran Hen eggs and Old Spot bacon. Whether you visit for a swift West Country Ale or a weekend away, this quintessentially English retreat is not to be forgotten. Doubles from £95.