The Sun Inn

This ‘splendid old inn’, in a market town between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, deftly mixes historic charm – beams, crackling fires and exposed stonework – with an updated, modern touch. Step into a ‘welcoming low-beamed, long bar’ with local ales, light colours and a wood-burning stove; beyond is a smart dining area with claret-red walls. Food is imaginative and tasty with dishes such as beetroot-cured trout, and pork belly with chorizo and Cajun potatoes; portions are on the hearty side. Bedrooms, which have kept their original features, have been stylishly refurbished with handmade wooden furniture, local artwork and country colours that make the most of sometimes small spaces. One reader praised the ‘comfy chairs and large beds’ while the view ‘over the beautiful churchyard is a good-for-the-soul treat’. Bright, white bathrooms, most with bath as well as shower, are stocked with sweet-smelling soaps from the local producer, Bath House. A generous buffet at breakfast is followed by well-prepared hot dishes, while staff are unfailingly ‘welcoming and helpful’. (Andrew Warren, and others)