In a ‘very quiet’ Chew Valley hamlet criss-crossed by public footpaths ideal for a ramble, this ‘most appealing’ inn is ‘a good base and a real bargain’, say Guide readers this year.

Pile in for the jolly quiz night, or sample one of the whiskies from an astonishing collection at Sue Burdge’s 17th-century dwelling house–turned–lively village pub-with-rooms.

‘A hive of activity’, Clare and Charlie Garrard’s 17th-century thatched inn is well liked for its ‘excellent accommodation’, ‘enjoyable food’ and ‘efficient, professional staff’.

‘We loved the atmosphere, the amazing food and the beautiful bedrooms.’

A Sleeping Beauty in a wooded valley, this thatch-roofed inn had lain dormant for years when, in 2015, it was given the kiss of life by a village consortium.

There’s a ‘lovely, informal atmosphere’ at this ‘friendly’ pub-with-rooms, down the street from the old, stone-built village church.

In a village at the foot of Salisbury Plain, this ‘impressive’ pub-with-rooms attracts all sorts.

Well placed for walkers on the South West Coast Path, this 19th-century fisherman’s inn faces the beach on Start Bay.

Tess of the d’Urbervilles skirted this stone-built 16th-century inn, named the Sow and Acorn in Thomas Hardy’s novel, but locals and visitors today know better.

Contented guests praise the ‘friendly, efficient staff’, ‘comfy beds’ and ‘good food’ at Philip Mepham’s inn on the village green.

Between the High Street and the River Stour, this informal inn occupies a ‘handsome’ Georgian house well placed for exploring Hardy country.

‘Such a relaxed, friendly place’, Sue Burdge’s thatch-roofed pub-with-rooms, in an ‘attractive village’, is believed to be the oldest inn in the county, with a medieval mural and mullioned window to show for it.

In a village on the Jurassic coast, step through the ivy-wrapped threshold of this 14th-century former cider house and into a popular pub-with-rooms.

Down ‘the narrowest of Cornish lanes’, find a picture of jolly rusticity at Will and Lisa Lea’s family-friendly pub-with-rooms, near-hidden in a secluded wooded valley.

In a village on the edge of Cranborne Chase, this sophisticated yet unpretentious pub-with-rooms provides ‘enticing’ British meals, and the country chic bedrooms in which to sleep them off.

In a historic market town – so picture-perfect it stood in for 18th-century Truro in the BBC’s Poldark adaptation – this restored Georgian coaching inn is down the High Street from stately Corsham Court.

Pack the wellies and be ready to go off-road: this inviting quayside hotel welcomes dogs and muddy boots coming off the South West Coast Path.

Imaginative pub food and wood-fired summertime pizzas combine with upmarket country comforts at this quirkily renovated roadside inn.

‘Pigs, pies, pints and pillows’ – find it all at this village dining pub-with-rooms, on a working organic farm run by food ethics pioneer Helen Browning.

At the gate of an ancient Roman wall, this old inn (Young’s Brewery) close to the cathedral was given a stylish makeover in 2017.