For family Sunday lunches, cheeky mid-week meet-ups with friends, or those needing a reliable pit-stop on the way home, this 400 year old inn in the tiny hamlet of Burcot (close to Dorchester on Thames) will do the trick. Last summer the pub reopened after a major re-fit and I think you’ll like what they’ve done. The tired traditional black beamed interior has been given a modern, eclectically rustic makeover with distressed wooden shelves, industrial downlighters, stag heads on the walls and a cool backlit wood store. The roadside position won’t please everyone but the gorgeous fireplaces make it a cosy, wintry find.

Dorchester on Thames with its gorgeous Abbey is a two minute drive or a 20 minute walk on footpaths – ideal for pre-or post lunch amble.