Pub with rooms in Fonthill Gifford, Wiltshire
Curator's notes:
Rooms from
Doubles: £105
Good to know
Family
favourite
Families very welcome across the inn - attic room is ideal for
bring children.
A touch of
culture
With Salisbury Cathedral and Wilton House closeby, there's plenty
to keep history buffs and culture vultures happy.
Scenic and
serene
Situated on the edge of the Fonthill Estate in the Nadder Valley
close to Cranborne Chase, it's wonderfully rural location makes the
inn a superb spot for a quiet getaway.
Climb the grand Georgian staircase to eight gorgeous bedrooms. With their simple, unmistakably modern feel, you'll feel like you're in an upmarket hotel rather than a country pub.
A few rooms are compact but all are kitted out with all manner of creature comforts, from Egyptian cotton sheets, Siberian goose down duvets and Vintage Welsh wool blankets, to posh Bramley natural bathroom products, a hot water bottle and fresh milk, quality tea and coffee, and a chocolate bar.
The best, in the attic, spreads over two bedrooms (one for children or a single adult) and a sitting room, another has a free-standing bath parked quirkily in the bedroom - it's the perfect family room.
A 10-minute stroll from the pub, in the heart of the Fonthill Estate with views across lake and parkland, are two stunning lodges, each with simple kitchens, sitting rooms with wood-burning stoves, and bed and bath on mezzanine level for soaking up the view. Ideal for those seeking a little solitude.
Taking full advantage of the surrounding countryside, including game from the Fonthill Estate, chef Richard Peacocke celebrates local ingredients, favouring simple, seasonal dishes.
As the Beckford is all about eating and drinking, dining tables are dotted everywhere, not only can you eat in the restaurant and the lively bar, but also more intimately in the sitting room where lounging sofas beckon afterwards. In the bar, who can resist the delicious homemade sausage roll temptingly positioned by the beer pumps and best enjoyed with a pint of Pheonix beside the crackling fire.
From the short daily menu perhaps start with Brixham scallops, cauliflower puree, pickled fennel and herring roe, followed by estate-shot pheasant, sauteed potatoes, savoy cabbage and celeriac puree, leaving room for bread and butter pudding with rum butterscotch sauce. In warmer weather, spill out into the garden and tuck into pizzas cooked in the outdoor wood-fired oven.
Amongst a range of local ales, you'll find Beckford Phoenix ale, designed by nearby brewer Keystone. An interesting, accessible and varied wine list offers affordable but exciting wines from small producers in both the New and Old World, with 22 available by the glass or carafe.
The Library, a cosy room filled with handpicked antiques, can seat up to twelve diners for intimate celebrations. The Sitting Room seats up to twenty four diners and is available from Monday - Thursday. The kitchen team curate menus to suit the occasion, think succulent, locally reared ribs of beef, family-style fish pie, or inventive plant-based dishes.
