Popular with locals, ramblers and foodies, this comfortably modernised 16th-century freehouse-with-rooms welcomes visitors with ‘big smiles’ and a ‘warm-hearted atmosphere’. ‘Fantastic,’ reports a reader in 2018. ‘It has comfortable rooms, brilliant food. Wonderfully friendly, relaxed staff.’ The pub, all oak beams and inglenook fireplaces, is a haven for real-ale enthusiasts (‘proper beer’); its ‘high-quality, generously portioned’ pub grub and ‘efficient’ service left guests purring. ‘We thoroughly enjoyed the steak, mushroom and ale pie and the almond-crusted whole plaice, not to mention the stand-out gooseberry and apple fool. Even on the busiest night, we weren’t kept waiting.’ Upstairs, newly redecorated bedrooms enjoy ‘little touches’: a Nespresso coffee machine, fresh milk, ‘decent toiletries’, reading material. ‘We liked spacious, clean Room 1, with its church view.’ Lighter sleepers may need earplugs to block the ‘slight’ sounds from the bar below. At the ‘very good’ breakfast, each table is laid with a ‘good selection’ of muesli, yogurt and fruits. Cooked options follow. ‘It’s excellent value for money. We will revisit.’ (WW, John Gow, and others)