Royal connections run deep in Sherborne – King Ethelbald and King Ethelbert are buried in the grounds of the nearby Saxon abbey – and the Digby Tap’s regulars are nothing if not well heeled. Thankfully, the town’s most popular watering hole (and it’s only genuine freehouse) doesn’t come across as snooty: lone drinkers will find themselves at ease here among the locals who congregate in the four flagstoned drinking areas and cosy corners. Take your pick from a constantly changing choice of real ales courtesy of West Country breweries such as Otter, Exmoor, Sharp’s, Cotleigh and Butcombe. To eat, expect lunchtime sarnies, jacket potatoes, burgers, giant Yorkshire puddings and pubby plates of pasta carbonara or chilli con carne. Despite its well-to-do location, the Tap also keeps its prices refreshingly low.