‘Our puppy absolutely loved the place!’ writes a reader, of this dining pub in a hamlet between the Brecon Beacons and the Black mountains. One of a trio owned by brothers Charles and Edmund Inkin (see Old Coastguard and Gurnard’s Head), it is also popular with pet owners, who describe it as ‘truly wonderful’ with a ‘happy-making atmosphere’. Shabby-chic style runs through the dining areas (the bar, tack room, library and Aga room), but each has its own atmosphere, perhaps a log fire. The welcome extends to locals after a drink, to children, cats and dogs, with resident hounds Max and Lottie usually up for some fun. Bedrooms vary in size but all have a comfortable bed, filter coffee, real milk, shortbread, magazines, flowers, no television (by design) but a Roberts radio, a bathroom with shower. The ‘really good’ food has a similarly deceptive simplicity, showcasing local ingredients in such dishes as lamb breast, white bean mash, salsa verde, sweetbreads; cod, creamed leeks, crab, cauliflower, Lilliput capers. Breakfast brings soda bread, fruit from the kitchen garden, a ‘full Borders’. (Sara Hollowell, Chris Savory)