Family Pubs for Spring
Venture out for a country walk and a child-friendly pub
According to the Met Office, "It has been noticeably mild by day through the first part of February." And so far this same month the highest maximum temperature recorded is 18.2 °C in Trawsgoed, Ceredigion.
While many attractions are still in hibernation, the countryside is returning to colour. Hedgerows are filling with wildflowers and blossom, and there are even lambs in the fields. To help you enjoy the season, we've found some great rural walks with child-friendly pubs for good-value meals.
The Swan Inn
Inkpen, Berkshire
Our walk takes you up to Combe Gibbet on Inkpen Hill, one of the wildest, most dramatic scenes in southern England. The original gibbet was erected in 1676. Nearby Walbury Hill, at 974 feet (297m), is the highest point in the county, and the rambling Swan Inn lies in the valley below. There's an attractive garden for fine weather, or the beamed interior with open fires. The bar menu features traditional English favourites, and almost everything is prepared using fresh, organic produce.
The Selborne Arms
Selborne, Hampshire
The Selborne Arms is a traditional village pub, known for its friendly atmosphere and good food, including Hampshire produce, and local real ales and cider. The main car park in the village is right between the pub and walk on to the National Trust's Selborne Common. A zigzag path takes you up through the hanging beech woods, but it's no hard climb. For afternoon refreshments,
Gilbert White's House & The Oates Museum in the High Street has an excellent tea room.
The Fox and Hounds
Hunsdon, Hertfordshire
This walk focuses on the former great estate of Hunsdon, which was a royal hunting park in the Middle Ages and in Tudor times. Much of the park has gone under the plough, but some historic buildings survive on the route, which passes by the River Stort. The Fox and Hounds has a welcoming atmosphere and a large pretty garden. Meals can be taken in the bar, the lounge or the large, homey dining room.
The Shireburn Arms
Hurst Green, Clitheroe, Lancashire
JRR Tolkien, author of 'The Lord of the Rings', knew this area well. He spent long periods here while writing the famous trilogy, and the local rivers, fields and woods may have inspired his creation of the Shire. But you don't have to be a Rings fan to enjoy the riverside walk. Tolkien used to drink at the Shireburn Arms when visiting his son at Stonyhurst College nearby. Today's menu ranges from sandwiches and salads to steak and kidney pudding or vegetable lasagne.
Charles Bathurst Inn
Langthwaite near Richmond, North Yorkshire
The CB (as regulars call it) was originally a bunkhouse for lead miners employed by Charles Bathurst, an 18th-century lord of the manor. Now it is popular with ramblers attracted by the Swaledale lamb and beef, fresh fish from Hartlepool, and local game. Oh, and the sticky-toffee pudding with caramel sauce and ice cream. The nearby walk from the market town of Reeth is ideal to get the flavour of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Loch Leven Hotel
North Ballachulish, Highland
The hotel offers a relaxed atmosphere in the heart of scenic Lochaber, on the main route to Fort William. Home-cooked meals are available in the bar, which has spectacular views over Loch Leven itself. The menu is built around local produce and includes traditional Scottish dishes. Further up the loch at Kinlochleven you can do a bit of the West Highland Way, though the loch-side drive is enough to create an appetite.
◊ The AA Pub Guide has hundreds of family-friendly places
◊ Discover more welcoming pubs on AA Travel
◊ Look for spring events and attractions
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