Few things round off a country walk, boat trip or coastal amble better than a pint of refreshing ale or plate of something good by the water. Steven Short picks a selection of Britan’s most atmospheric pubs and inns, all with riverside, estuary or seaside views and plenty of late-summer charm.
This article was taken from the August/September 2025 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.
The setting The gorgeous stone-walled pub is in the pretty hamlet of Godstow, a few miles north of Oxford city centre, overlooking the glistening Thames, with a wooden bridge connecting two riverside walkways. Some original windows, a flagstone floor and beams point to its past as a 17th-century fisherman’s cottage.
Waterside bites There’s a global feel to cooking, with Padrón peppers, halloumi fries and slow-cooked beef croquettes served with horseradish and beef dripping sauce. Starters include pan fried wild scallops with thyme velouté and artichoke crisps, while mains run from pan-roasted harissa crusted lamb rump to crispy duck and pineapple salad. Look out for daily specials too.
Cool to know The Trout Inn was voted one of the snuggest spots in the UK according to a list of 100 pubs from The Times. It’s rumoured that JRR Tolkien was a regular here – if the Rings are your thing, this is your chance to explore the Oxford countryside that inspired the books.
The setting The Grade-II listed pub and hotel has been serving customers, including royalty and other luminaries, directly on the edge of the River Exe, close to the Exe Estuary, since 1827.
Waterside bites Critics of the ‘quantity over quality’ sometimes offered in pubs will appreciate the whole section devoted here to ‘the smaller appetite’, which features garlic king prawns with garlic butter and baguette, smoked mackerel pâté with horseradish cream, or whipped vegan feta with beetroot and crispy chickpeas. For those who have worked up an appetite sightseeing beforehand, there are beef, chicken and bean burgers or tandoori chicken or tofu with roasted cumin cabbage and flatbreads. Or take pot luck with the catch of the day served with crushed new potato Mediterranean salsa, capers and samphire.
Cool to know The guys who run The Turf are obviously bird lovers – a chalkboard outside keeps guests informed about ‘Birds at The Turf’. Earlier this summer, for example, non-breeding oystercatchers and curlews, a resident little egret and grey heron were about – you can check out the Turf’s Instagram for updates.
The setting At the very edge of south-west Wales, The Old Point House overlooks East Angle Bay, with views over the bay to nearby headlands. The road to the pub, which dates back to the 16th century, can get submerged by the tide – you can park in the nearby village if you don’t want to risk your tyres getting wet.
Waterside bites Look forward to Angle Bay oysters, house seaweed pesto focaccia with local golden rapeseed oil, crab roll or Pembrokeshire lobster rarebit from the indoor Café Môr menu.
Cool to know During bank holiday weekends and school holidays the pub’s solar-powered-seaweed-boat ‘kitchen’ serves straight from the boat, weather permitting.
The setting Nestled beneath Golden Cap, between Bridport and Charmouth on the Jurassic Coast, the award-winning Anchor Inn is just steps from Seatown beach. Inside, you’ll find low-beamed ceilings and a roaring fire for cooler weather.
Waterside bites The local-leaning, seasonal menu might include mussels in white wine, cream, leek and parsley, crab brioche roll or slow-braised lamb shoulder, Madras-spiced celeriac and herb-dressed feta salad. The inn holds a Cask Marque seal and sells locally brewed Palmers ales among plenty of other taps.
Cool to know Climb Golden Cap for views from Portland Bill to Dartmoor. Take the ‘classic’ ascent via Langdon Hill, or a steeper climb from Seatown.
The setting The 16th-century Crown & Anchor pub, which has just been lovingly spruced up, sits on the edge of Chichester Harbour and Dell Quay marina. If masts, sails and all things nautical float your boat, the views here will be perfect for you. (You can even sail your boat into the harbour and dock for dinner.)
Waterside bites Menus are centred on the best seasonal, local ingredients with an emphasis on fresh fish, with a ‘fish counter’displaying the day’s day boat catch. Dishes might feature hake, turbot torchon or wild black bream, all served with sea vegetable chimichurri, hispi cabbage and Jersey royals. Whole fish, including plaice, flounder and lemon sole, are also available.
Cool to know There are no fewer than 14 sailing clubs in Chichester Harbour – the largest natural estuary in south-east England. If you’re lucky, you might spot some members of the seal colony that call the place home.
The setting The titular river here is the River Wey, a short stroll from Godalming town centre. With its red-brick, ivy-covered facade, oaked-beamed ceilings and flagstone floors, The Stag has every air of being the quintessential old-fashioned Englishpub. It’s one, however, with a range of different dining areas, from cosy bar to conservatory, including a spacious terrace set directly on the banks of the river.
Waterside bites In contrast to the olde-worlde charm of the pub’s décor there’s a truly modern, international feel to menus here, with latest dishes including gochujang glazed pork belly, fresh lemon and basil risotto and poached salmon and crayfish fishcake.
On the dessert menu you might find a gin and citrus torte served with lemon sorbet and cherry and white chocolate craquelin bun..
Cool to know You can burn off those dessert calories with a walk along the River Wey towpath, with historic locks, canal boats and water meadows to admire.
The setting Set on the foreshore of the River Orwell, in the picturesque hamlet of Pin Mill, there are mentions of The Butt & Oyster that date back as far as 1456, and the Grade-II listed pub has held a license since 1553. A raised terrace with umbrellas offers shade while you take in that ‘endless Suffolk sky’, or enjoy the view from three timber-framed rooms with bay windows.
Waterside bites A hearty cold seafood platter perfect for warm days includes smoked salmon, smoked mackerel pâté, dill-cured herring, green-lipped mussels – it’s just begging to be paired with Chapel Down Brut. Or opt for zingy feta and courgetti risotto with pine nuts and rocket.
Cool to know The pub had a starring role (as The Three Ducks) in an episode of TV’s Lovejoy. A lovely 3.2km circular walk starts at Pin Mill Car Park and takes in woodland and heathland, with farreaching views over the river.
The setting The Rashleigh sits proudly above Polkerris Beach, asandy expanse widely considered one of the best family beaches in Cornwall, and the inn has a small beach-front terrace.
Waterside bites Classic pub grub is the order of the day here: order half a pint of prawns with marie rose sauce or soup of the day to start, followed by glazed ham, egg and chips or fish and chips with optional chip-shop curry sauce. There are chunky sandwiches too, including one with Cornish crab and lime mayo. Dan Mounsey and partner Daniela took the place over just as Covid hit but have done a brilliant job at reviving the Rashleigh ‘on a shoestring budget’. As Dan puts it, ‘We are completely independent, which is the absolute dream when running a pub.’
Cool to know If you’ve always wanted a go at stand-uppaddleboarding, lessons and board hire are available on the beach – and you’d be hard pressed to find a more beautiful location for your first time.
The setting This whitewashed, 18th-century pub wouldn’t be out of place in a period drama about fishing life, set as it is in a square of former fishermen’s cottages just steps away from a sandy beach and the National Trust Green. Current landlady Christine Forsyth says she had never intended to run a pub but fell in love with the place when she visited the area in 1999.
Waterside bites How about halloumi fries with cucumber, sesame and honey chilli oil to start with, and hand-picked local crab with herb salad and sourdough to follow? Crab also appears in a curry alongside cod and coconut. In 2008 The Ship opened its own brewery serving a variety of blonds, wheats and ryes as well as its own Dolly Day Dream ruby red ale, Red Rye and golden Sand Castles at Dawn.
Cool to know Work up an appetite with a stroll to the ruins of nearby Dunstanburgh Castle. Built by Earl Thomas of Lancaster between 1313 and 1322, the ruins are now a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The setting The Maltsters Arms sits on the edge of Bow Creek (in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) – so close, in fact, that with one glass too many you could easily topple into the water from its quay-like beer garden. The pub’s name reflects a history in malting – formerly a major industry in this part of Devon.
Waterside bites The pub was once owned by flamboyant TV chef Keith Floyd, but head kitchen honcho these days is executive chef Anton Piotrowski, who appeared on Masterchef: The Professionals and is a Michelin-star winner. And it shows on the menu: a summer meal here might begin with cuttlefish or spider crab croquettes, or pork crackling coated monkfish with heritage tomato, with Madras monkfish or beef cheek for main.
Cool to know If you’re feeling energetic you could walk the 5.5km to The Maltsters from the market town of Totnes, through pretty countryside and along the Harbourne River to Bow Creek. The South Hams region where Tuckenhay is located was a favourite of Agatha Christie, who lived in nearby Torquay.
The setting The scenic Hamble is a tidal river that’s popular with kayakers and paddleboarders and, thanks to multiple marinas, boating and sailing enthusiasts too. The river featured in BBC’s Howard’s Way back in the 1980s and, taking full advantage of the pretty setting is The Jolly Sailor, which has a terrace as well as its own overwater pontoon. Dating back to the 1700s, The Jolly Sailor has long been a meeting place for sailors, fishermen and dock workers – given its proximity to Southampton docks it would also have been an early port of call for those arriving by sea.
Waterside bites An extensive menu ranges from top-notch sandwiches (served until 5pm) – including a miso pork belly version and an asparagus and spinach toastie – to shared meze and ‘house favourites’ such as blackened half harissa chicken and beef cheeks in red wine. An excellent wine list includes a lot of vegan options – there are even three vegan champagnes.
Cool to know The Hamble to Warsash Ferry (10am-4pm daily; £2.50) has been in operation for 500 years, once linking Portsmouth to Southampton. Passengers were also rowed across the river the grand sum of a penny.
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