Bell Inn & Hill House

Visitors to The Bell these days get a much friendlier welcome than travellers passing through the area in the 16th century. This former coaching inn had a chequered history, which included one local landowner being burnt at the stake for heresy on ground at the rear of the pub - a grisly event marked with a blue plaque on the front of the building. Since then, owners of the pub have stuck around much longer and it has been in the same family since 1938. Its history as a coaching inn can still be seen today: from the first-floor gallery that runs above the courtyard, luggage would have been transferred to and from the top of the London stagecoaches. In the bars, regular brews like Doom Bar and Crouch Vale Brewers Gold are backed by a selection of guest ales that changes every few days. Many bottles from the extensive wine list are served by the glass. The lunchtime bar menu offers open sandwiches and a popular selection of light meals but booking is essential in the bustling restaurant, where the daily-changing modern British menu is driven by the best seasonal produce. A typical meal might begin with pressed butternut squash and Pernod terrine, ricotta, pine nuts, rosemary and lentil dressing; followed by roasted local partridge with Jerusalem artichoke, black pudding and caramelised apple. Decadent desserts include poached rhubarb and vanilla parfait with toasted marshmallow and orange. One quirky talking point in the pub are the hot cross buns hanging from the original king post that supports the inn's ancient roof timbers. Every year the oldest willing villager hangs another, an unusual tradition that dates back 100 years to when the pub happened to change hands on a Good Friday. Booking for meals may be required.