The Kings Head (The Low House)

This unspoilt thatched 16th-century alehouse is a rare Suffolk gem that oozes charm and character. Locals know it as the Low House because it lies in a dip below the churchyard. Tip-top Adnams ales are served straight from the cask in the original tap room - this is one of the few pubs in Britain which has no bar. Order a pint of Broadside and retire to an ancient fireplace with a horseshoe of high-backed settles with an oak table in the middle. Traditional lunchtime fare includes sandwiches and baguettes, perhaps a BLT or roast beef and horseradish. Home-cooked dishes range from classics like sausages with mash and onion gravy to slow-roasted Dingley Dell pork and lamb shank cooked in Guinness. Beer festivals in May and September are unforgettable occasions thanks to the beautiful situation of the pub overlooking the river; its grounds, now with rose gardens and an arbour, were formerly the village bowling green.