This Tudor coaching inn in a picturesque village at the heart of Dedham Vale is outwardly as Constable would have known it. Espresso machines and smart TVs with Chromecast in individually designed bedrooms bring the interiors more up to date. Now part of the burgeoning Chestnut Group, this dining pub with rooms seamlessly blends historic features with modern comforts. Three bedrooms in the annexe are on the ground floor. There is a menu of bar snacks, or you can dine in the restaurant or landscaped garden from a changing menu of dishes such as beetroot and red onion tarte tatin; cod Kiev; rosemary-infused rack of lamb. Fish Fridays might bring rainbow trout with citrus dressing; pan-roasted sea bass.