The Royal Oak

Run by the Monaghan family since 1978, this 18th-century inn stands opposite the green in the village where explorer Captain James Cook went to school. Original features, including beamed ceilings and open fires in the public bar and restaurant, are very much part of its charm and character. An extensive range of food is available all day: from an evening menu come Yorkshire pudding filled with beef and mash; grilled salmon fillet with parsley butter; and crisp pork belly with mustard gravy. Banana butterscotch sundae is a typical dessert. Stay over in one of the five comfortable bedrooms.