'This buzzy pub is very much ye olde village inn, with rustic furniture and roaring fires under the beams,' writes a Guide insider, though the food is 'so much better than your standard pub fare'. Within three former farm labourers' cottages you'll find 'plenty of cosy corners where you can enjoy anything from the pub's own beer to a £180 bottle of Mendoza'. Co-owner Ben Jones is a 'genial host'. Service is 'smiling', the vibe 'easy-going'. Menus featuring local and home-grown produce might include 'divine Maris Piper potato risotto with cep, caramelised leek, truffle and mozzarella'; Burghley Estate lamb rump and sweetbread, courgette, charred grelot, black garlic. 'Even the snacks are top-notch.' Bedrooms in Beech House, opposite, are stylish and characterful. Berry, a front room with its own garden area, is 'done out in deep autumnal colours, with antiques and an impressive bed'. Upstairs, Double Cream has 'a French antique bed, an open bathroom and a loo behind a screen, not for the shy'. In the morning ask for a picnic, borrow a bike, and go to see the fantastical avenue of clipped yews at Clipsham Hall. (PA, and others)