WINTER WARMERS

There’s nothing quite as quaint and cosy as a traditional British country inn, whose snug rooms and fireside cheer warm even the chilliest of days

- ROSE SHEPHERD

Banish the winter blues with a break at a cosy inn deep in the countryside, by the sea or in a quaint village or country town. There is something so delicious about stepping inside after a bracing walk, to the smell of wood smoke and the hum of chatter. Draw a chair up to a real fire before dining on tasty seasonal fare, then sleep between crisp sheets and wake to a lazy breakfast.

THE INN AT WHITEWELL, LANCASHIRE

Third-generation owner Charles Bowman combines absolute professionalism with a sense of fun at this friendly country-sports inn on the River Hodder. After a day’s fishing, or a walk in the Forest of Bowland, you can warm yourself by a blazing log fire in one of the flagstone-floored public spaces adorned with prints, paintings and memorabilia. There are even open fires in many of the bedrooms, which are furnished with antiques. The Queen came here for her 80th birthday lunch on a visit to the Duchy of Lancaster estate – although whether she had the celebrated fish pie or roast cannon of local lamb is not recorded.

innatwhitewell.com

FELIN FACH GRIFFIN, POWYS

One of the Inkin brothers’ three dining -pubs-with-rooms, The Griffin in the Brecon Beacons makes a virtue of simplicity, with shabby-chic interiors and an unstuffy, free-and-easy feel. You can eat locally sourced dishes such as lamb breast with white bean mash, salsa verde and sweetbreads, or hake with triple-cooked chips. Breakfast is a treat of smoked salmon with scrambled eggs, fruit from the kitchen garden and home-made soda bread. Bedrooms feature Roberts radios, fresh flowers, local artworks, home-baked biscuits and warm Welsh blankets.

eatdrinksleep.ltd.uk