Drive up the rolling Dales through villages straight out of All Creatures Great and Small, keep going and finally you’ll come upon Littondale – one of the loveliest, most remote corners of
Yorkshire. The ancient, whitewashed Queens Arms had gone the way of many a remote rural hostelry until a local couple brought it back from the brink, recruited a bunch of keen young staff and
persuaded renowned Yorkshire chef Chris Monkman to take over the kitchen. Staples such as homemade steak pie or fish and chips now sit alongside the likes of Arncliffe grouse and pigeon breast
salad with butternut squash purée, pickled mushrooms, pine nuts and capers or the rib-sticking Queen’s Toulouse cassoulet. With school-canteen afters such as treacle tart or bread, butter and
apricot pud with custard, it’s handy that there are some terrific calorie-burning walks hereabouts.