The Gardeners Arms

This charming family-run 16th-century thatched free house has always been a pub. The quiet Cotswolds village of Alderton was created when plague hit nearby Great Washbourne, so villagers moved up the road to a place that wasn't 'cursed'. Today you can play boules in the large beer garden, and traditional bar games in the stone-walled bar. Seasonal local produce underpins the menu, while weekly-changing specials include fresh fish dishes. The pub hosts two five-day beer festivals, one in May and the other at Christmas.