The Trout at Tadpole Bridge

You can arrive by narrow boat and tie up by this Georgian pub on a peaceful stretch of the Thames with views of the stone bridge, or simply watch others messing about in boats as you sip a beer in the riverside garden. Inside, a flagstoned, beamed bar is bookended by wood-burning stoves, with a leather sofa by the fire at one end, mismatched tables and chairs in a small dining/drinking area at the other. A main dining area is hung with witty artwork. Three of the bedrooms are upstairs, three in a covered garden courtyard, all with vintage and contemporary furniture, a rain shower or claw-footed tub. Guide inspectors had a courtyard room ‘decorated in muted greys, with an enormous bed, plenty of storage, an espresso machine, shortbread’, fresh milk on request. At dinner, they were ‘warmly greeted’ by the barman and server, and enjoyed a ‘perfectly cooked fillet of hake with pickled fennel and the lightest of mashed potatoes’. Pub classics come in large portions. There are kippers and smoked salmon for your breakfast, a sausage for your dog, before you set off to walk along the river bank. (D and JB)