Maiden Bradley, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

In a picturesque location on the Longleat Estate, this old rural pub with rooms is consistently well-rated. Wine is sourced by a sister business – The Beckford Bottle Shop in nearby Bath (about 30 minutes’ drive) – while meat and game from the estate help supply the kitchen. In April 2023, The Telegraph’s William Sitwell pronounced himself a fan, and enjoyed “a faultless lunch of amped-up pub classics”.

This Victorian boozer on the Duke of Somerset’s estate reopened in 2021 (with rooms) after a posh refit by Andrew Kelly and James Thurstan Waterworth (the ex-European design director at Soho House). Despite the rather rapid exit of initial chef Nye Smith – to Rochelle Canteen boss Margot Henderson’s new venture, ‘The Three Horseshoes’, in Batcombe – its local/seasonal menu gained solid marks this year.