The New Inn

The ancient slate floored bar with its old chests and polished brass blends effortlessly with fresh white walls, original oak beams and simple wooden furniture in the dining room of this pretty 13th-century inn. Set beside the babbling River Cole, the riverside garden is perfect for alfresco summer dining, when you can ponder on the pub's history: it was used by travelling Cistercian monks long before Charles I reviewed his troops from a nearby house during the English Civil War. Menus change regularly, and special events such as 'pie week' or 'sea shanty night' are interspersed throughout the year. Home-made bar food includes a range of soups, omelettes and platters, while a full three-course meal could start with deep-fried Brie wedge in crispy breadcrumbs; continue with sautéed black pudding and grilled bacon with rosemary mash; and finish with olde English apple tart and cream. The pub's Amazon Blue parrot, called Captain, has been a famous fixture here for nearly 30 years, greeting bar regulars and guests booking into the six well-appointed bedrooms.