The Rose & Crown

This inn, next to a Grade I listed village church and overlooking the green, is in the heart of Teesdale’s walking country and strikes a happy balance between old-world charm and modern comforts. ‘There is something reassuring and cosy about a traditional English country inn on a winter’s night,’ says a reader about the bar’s flagged floors, cheering fire and panelled dining room. Thomas Robinson, co-owner with wife Cheryl, comes from a local farming family, and the inn has a good reputation for food: a mix of pub classics and smarter options – venison bourguignon, and cod with lemon velouté, for example, as well as hog-roast sausages and mash. Guests eat in the candlelit restaurant or buzzier bar. Rooms are divided between more characterful ones in the main building (with window seats and exposed stone) – one couple enjoyed their room ‘facing the village green, well appointed and spotless’ – and more contemporary, dog-friendly mews cottages with patio. Staff are ‘uniformly friendly and efficient’ and can advise on local walks. ‘Very good value for money. We will certainly return.’ (Karen and Jeremy Bonnett, 
PA, and others)