The Castle Inn Castle Combe

Castle Combe, a historic village in the heart of Wiltshire, is so achingly picturesque that Exclusive Collection hotel group boasts not one but two gorgeous properties here. Alongside the prestigious Manor House next door, The Castle Inn is a charming 12th-century pub with 12 ensuite rooms and a cosy pub-restaurant downstairs.

The calibre of food is excellent, but the dining room itself isn’t trying to be anything more than it needs to be. This is a pub, good and proper, with exposed stone walls, a log-burning fireplace, studded leather banquets and eager staff ready to welcome day-trippers and overnighters with open arms.

Head chef Jamie Barnet joined the pub back in 2021 and it has won numerous accolades under his leadership. His food is classic, familiar and gutsy, but executed to a level that one couldn’t possibly hope to mimic at home. We start with rarebit, a thick wedge of homemade bread heavy with a brown crab and ale cheese sauce. This we follow with slow-cooked blade of beef, cooked ‘Bourguignon’ style with shallots and bacon, then paired with smooth mash and a verdant parsley and horseradish emulsion. To finish, a molten chocolate pud topped with malt ice cream, a halo of chewy toffee and a jug of salted toffee sauce. Sure, there aren’t any crazy, cheffy surprises going on here, but as three-course dinners go, you can’t do much better in our books.

Jamie’s menu offers punters a choice between the classics done well – think fish and chips and a signature burger – alongside more refined, seasonal choices. But the bottom line is that the food is really, really great. Paired with a reasonably-priced wine list and plenty of local ales on tap, The Castle Inn is a fine place indeed to begin, or end, a stroll around the ‘prettiest village in England’.

Old English pub downstairs, four-star hotel upstairs, The Castle Inn is a traditional gastropub in the heart of Castle Combe in the Cotswolds, run by the Exclusive Collection hotel group. This pub isn't just any old pub. The kitchen team's traditional gastro dishes boast responsibility for its status as one of the top 50 gastropubs in the UK. Be it at the bar, in the conservatory or in the courtyard, you can enjoy food of the finest quality served by friendly staff here.

While the menu changes seasonally, in order to flex with the season’s best available produce, you can expect classic British cooking. Think loaded ploughman’s platters at lunchtimes and generous servings of fish chips, peas and tartare sauce come dinner.

If the food hasn't sold you, the 12 cosy ensuite bedrooms upstairs will. With exposed beams, antique furniture, and log fires, this B&B style hotel is full of character, and the rooms on offer (single, classic, four-poster or with a view) are comfy and luxurious, guaranteeing a good night's sleep. The pub's sister site, The Manor House hotel, located just around the corner, provides Castle Inn guests with access to its well-equipped gym, tennis courts, running maps, a sprawling 18-hole championship golf course and relaxing spa treatments in The Potting Shed.

Castle Combe itself is steeped in history. Lining the streets are rows of honey-coloured stone cottages that have remained unchanged since the late 16th century, with no new buildings having been built since then. This quaint village is not only a journey into the past but also a real sight to behold. With the Bybrook River meandering its way through the town, beautiful woodlands perfect for a gentle or extensive hike scattered around the surrounding countryside, and wildflowers dotting the landscape, Castle Comb oozes charm making it the ideal place for a relaxing Wiltshire getaway. After all, it's no coincidence that it's repeatedly awarded 'Prettiest Village in England'.