2011 Good Pub Guide "Pub of the Year" Nominations

Bell Inn, Aldworth - take a look on Street View.

Exceptional unspoilt pub, super value snacks, very well kept beers, good quality house wines, lovely friendly atmosphere, and nice garden; can be busy

Quite unspoilt and unchanging, this 14th-c country pub is held dear in the hearts of its many loyal customers. It's a special place and has been run by the same family for over 250 years who continue to ban mobile phones, piped music and games machines. The rooms have benches around the panelled walls, an ancient one-handed clock, beams in the shiny ochre ceiling, and a woodburning stove. Rather than a bar counter for service, there's a glass-panelled hatch from which they serve the very well kept Arkells BBB and Kingsdown, local West Berkshire Old Tyler and Mild and a monthly guest from West Berkshire; also Upton farm cider, good house wines and mulled wine at Christmas; no draught lager. As you might expect, the pub games here are traditional: darts, shove-ha'penny and dominoes. The quiet, old-fashioned cottagey garden is by the village cricket ground, and behind the pub there's a paddock with farm animals. In summer there may be occasional morris dancers, while at Christmas local mummers perform in the road by the ancient well-head (the shaft is sunk 365 feet through the chalk). It tends to get very busy at weekends; dogs must be kept on leads.

Sun, Kirkby Lonsdale - take a look on Street View

Nice contrast between mellow bar and stylish contemporary restaurant, good interesting food and several real ales; comfortable bedrooms.

They've cleverly managed to preserve the character of this friendly 17th-c inn while making it comfortably modern, too.The attractive rambling bar has two log fires and some interesting seats from pews to armchairs to cosy window seats; also, beams, flagstones and stripped oak boards, nice lighting, and big landscapes and country pictures on the cream walls above its handsome panelled dado. There's also back lounge with a leather sofa and comfortable chairs. Jennings Cumberland Ale, Hawkshead Bitter, Marstons Pedigree, and Timothy Taylors Landlord on handpump, several wines by the glass and plenty of malt whiskies; piped music. The back dining room is very up to date: comfortable tall-backed seats and tables on woodstrip flooring, a clean-cut cream and red décor with a modicum of stripped stone, and attractive plain modern crockery. It's an unusual looking building with its upper floors supported by three sturdy pillars above the pavement and a modest front door.

Five Mile House, Duntisbourne Abbots - take a look on Street View

A lively landlord and a favourite with many for its good food, beer and atmosphere; plenty of original character, open fires and newspapers; nice views from garden.

A winning combination of father and son run this genuinely friendly village pub with cheerful good naturedness, and it's a great favourite with many of our readers who return on a regular basis to enjoy the well kept real ales and popular food. There's plenty of original character and the front room has a companionable bare-boards drinking bar on the right (plenty of convivial banter from the locals), with wall seats around the big table in its bow window and just one other table. On the left is a flagstoned hallway tap room snug formed from two ancient high-backed settles by a stove in a tall carefully exposed old fireplace; newspapers to read. There's a small cellar bar, a back restaurant down steps and a family room on the far side; darts. Cotswold Spring Gloucestershire's Glory, Donningtons BB, Otter Ale and Wye Valley Butty Bach on handpump and an interesting wine list (strong on new world ones); the friendly pub dog is called Sacha, and the gardens have nice country views and a very smart smokers' shelter. The country lane was once Ermine Street, the main Roman road from Wales to London.

Bathurst Arms, North Cerney - take a look on Street View

Bustling inn with beamed bar, open fires, fine wines, real ales, and well liked food; comfortable bedrooms.

With plenty of genuine character, this is a handsome old inn where both drinkers and diners feel equally at home. The original beamed and panelled bar has a fireplace at each end (one quite huge and housing an open woodburner), a good mix of old tables and nicely faded chairs, and old-fashioned window seats. There are country tables in an oak-floored room off the bar, as well as winged high-backed settles forming a few booths around other tables; piped music. The restaurant has leather sofas and another woodburning stove. Hidden Pint, Hook Norton First Light, and Wickwar Cotswold Way on handpump, there's a wine room where you can choose your own wines and 30 by the glass, and local soft drinks and juices. The pleasant riverside garden has picnic-sets sheltered by trees and shrubs, and plenty of surrounding walks. Cerney House gardens are worth a visit.

Highwayman, Nether Burrow - take a look on Street View

Substantial old stone house with country interior serving carefully sourced and prepared food; lovely garden.

This upmarket dining pub is a really special place, beautifully refurbished a few years ago by the owners of the Three Fishes at Great Mitton, and loved by readers. Although large, its stylishly simple flagstoned 17th-c interior is nicely divided into intimate corners, with a couple of big log fires and informal wooden furnishings. The owners are keen to actively promote local suppliers, hence the Black and white wall prints (and placemats) showing the characterful local farmers and producers from whom the pub gets its ingredients. Local Thwaites Lancaster Bomber, Double Century and Wainwright and a guest such as Bowland Sawley Tempted are served on handpump, alongside good wines by the glass, just over a dozen whiskies and a particularly good range of soft drinks. Service is busy, welcoming and efficient. French windows open to a big terrace and lovely gardens. They don't take bookings at the weekend (except for groups of eight or more), but write your name on a blackboard when you arrive, and they will find you when a table becomes free.

George of Stamford, Stamford - take a look on Street View

Handsome coaching inn, beautifully relaxed and civilised, with very good food and wines, and lovely courtyard, garden; bedrooms.

All very civilised but not in the least bit stuffy, this is an exceptional place on all counts. It's a carefully preserved and rather grand old coaching inn with various lovely reception areas furnished with all manner of seats from leather, cane and antique wicker to soft settees and easy chairs. The central lounge has sturdy timbers, broad flagstones, heavy beams and massive stonework, and the York Bar is surprisingly pubby with a relaxed, local feel. There's an oak-panelled restaurant (jacket or tie required) and a less formal Garden Restaurant which has well spaced furniture on herringbone glazed bricks around a central tropical grove. The staff are professional and friendly, with waiter drinks service in the charming cobbled courtyard at the back: comfortable chairs and tables among attractive plant tubs and colourful hanging baskets on the ancient stone buildings. A fine range of drinks includes Adnams Broadside, Grainstore Triple B, and Greene King Ruddles County on handpump, an excellent choice of wines (many of which are Italian, with about 17 by the glass), freshly squeezed orange juice and malt whiskies. The immaculately kept walled garden is beautifully planted and there's a sunken lawn where croquet is often played.

Running Horse, Mickleham - take a look on Street View

Upmarket pub with elegant restaurant and comfortable bar, and sandwiches through to very imaginative dishes.

Smart with an easy going atmosphere this rather nice place is an accomplished all-rounder, liked equally as a local drinking haunt, walkers stop and dining destination. The calming bar is neatly kept and spaciously open-plan, with hunting pictures, racing cartoons and Hogarth prints, lots of race tickets hanging from a beam, fresh flowers or a fire in an inglenook at one end and some cushioned wall settles and other dining chairs around straightforward pubby tables and bar stools. Adnams, Fullers London Pride, Shepherd Neame Spitfire and Wells & Youngs Bitter are on handpump alongside good wines by the glass, from a serious wine list; piped music. The extensive restaurant is quite open to the bar and although set out quite formally with crisp white cloths and candles on each table, it shares the relaxing atmosphere of the bar. There are picnic-sets on a terrace in front by lovely flowering tubs and hanging baskets, with a peaceful view of the old church with its strange stubby steeple; you may be asked to leave your credit card and its best to get here early, both to secure parking in the narrow lane, and for a table.

Malet Arms, Newton Tony - take a look on Street View

Smashing village pub with no pretensions, a good choice of local beers and tasty home-made food.

With much-liked food, well kept beer and a very friendly landlord, this character-laden village pub is a strong all rounder, and there's nothing in the way of games machines or piped music. The two low-beamed interconnecting rooms have nice furnishings including a mix of different-sized tables with high winged wall settles, carved pews, chapel and carver chairs, and lots of pictures, mainly from imperial days. The main front windows are said to have come from the stern of a ship, and there's a log and coal fire in a huge fireplace. At the back is a homely dining room. As well as beers on handpump from breweries such as Fullers, Hop Back, Palmers and Stonehenge are Old Rosie Scrumpy, several malt whiskies and wines by the glass. The small front terrace has old-fashioned garden seats and some picnic-sets on the grass, and there are more tables in the back garden, along with a wendy house. There's also a little aviary, and a horse paddock behind. Getting to the pub takes you through a ford and it may be best to use an alternative route in winter, as it can be quite deep.

Nags Head, Malvern - take a look on Street View

Remarkable range of real ales, appealing layout and décor, and warmly welcoming atmosphere.

If you feel confused by the astonishing range of 16 beers at this terrifically enjoyable little pub they will happily help you with a taster. House beers are Banks's, Bathams, St Georges Charger, Dragon Blood, Sharps Doom Bar and Woods Shropshire Lad and their nine changing guests (last year they got through over 1,000) from brewers spread far and wide. They also keep a fine range of malt whiskies, belgian beers, Barbourne farm cider and decent wines by the glass. The superb range of well kept beer and tasty bar food attract a good mix of customers, including plenty of locals and readers love the splendid individuality and easy-going chatty mood here. A series of snug individually decorated rooms, with one or two steps between, give plenty of options on where to sit. Each is characterfully filled with all sorts of chairs including leather armchairs, pews sometimes arranged as booths, a mix of tables with sturdy ones stained different colours, bare boards here, flagstones there, carpet elsewhere, and plenty of interesting pictures and homely touches such as house plants, shelves of well thumbed books and broadsheet newspapers and there is a coal fire opposite the central servery; shove-ha'penny, cribbage and dominoes. Outside are picnic-sets and rustic tables and benches on the front terrace (with heaters and umbrellas) and in a garden.

Tempest Arms, Elslack - take a look on Street View

Friendly inn with three log fires in stylish rooms, several real ales, good food, and tables outside; bedrooms

With plenty of pubby character and really friendly, cheerful staff, this bustling inn has a good mix of both locals and visitors. It's stylish but understated with cushioned armchairs, built-in wall seats with lots of comfortable cushions, stools and lots of tables, and three log fires - one greets you at the entrance and divides the bar and restaurant. There's quite a bit of exposed stonework, amusing prints on the cream walls, and maybe Molly the friendly black labrador. Hawkshead Bitter, Hetton Dark Horse, Moorhouses Premier Bitter, Theakstons Best, Thwaites Wainwright, Timothy Taylors Landlord, and a changing guest beer on handpump, ten wines by the glass, and several malt whiskies. There are tables outside largely screened from the road by a raised bank, and a smokers' shelter. The bedrooms in the newish purpose built extension, are comfortable.