Sun Inn

In a historic market town just right for a potter, Iain and Jenny Black’s 17th-century inn pleases dogs (‘and their well-behaved owners’) with its personable atmosphere. ‘Because it’s small, you can tell that the staff put in that extra care.’ Downstairs, find log fires and leather chesterfields in the popular local pub; on the upper levels, ‘delightfully decorated’ bedrooms, some with beams and thick stone walls, mix contemporary style and handmade furniture. The character of the old building is charmingly present: one room has a doorway just five feet high. ‘I couldn’t hear a sound from the bar and restaurant downstairs.’ Order a local real ale in the pub, then sample the chef’s three-course dinner, perhaps including suckling pig, red chicory, black pudding; beef shin, celeriac, creamed potatoes. ‘Fantastic’ breakfasts are ideal for a day’s exploring the town, and the countryside further afield. A buffet holds juices, home-made granola, and bread and croissants from the town bakery; cooked options include local sausages. Rainy day? Ask to borrow boots and a mac for a riverside walk, with a view painted by Turner.