Helen Browning’s 
Royal Oak

There is ‘a sense of connection to the land’ at this pub-with-rooms on an organic farm ‘in a lovely and really rural village’ on the Marlborough Downs. Helen Browning OBE, chief executive of the Soil Association, is a passionate advocate for animal welfare and wildlife conservation. Hearty pub fare includes flame-grilled burger, pork and leek pie, fish and chips, steak frites, veggie super salad and vegan ice creams. In a separate building, bedrooms are themed on different fields on the farm, with nods to rusticity. Some are dog-friendly, with a put-you-up bed for a child. Kate’s Folly has an in-room bath, king-size bed and sofa bed. ‘The outside spaces have an air of charming, almost festival-like, informality’ (pull up a hay bale!) and ‘gazebos strung with bunting and fairy lights’. A communal space, The Wallow, has books, tea and coffee, an honesty bar, fridge and record player. There is also a farm shop. Order a picnic of charcuterie, hams, artisan cheeses and home-baked bread, and head out to explore. ‘Another great stay at this remarkable pub,’ reports a returning reader. (Simon Orlik, Paul and Jenny Cheshire)