The Highway Inn, Pub with Rooms, Burford, Oxfordshire

Overview

A beautifully restored inn forming part of a parade of buildings overlooking pretty Burford's bustling High Street. The charming, bay-windowed facade catches the eye but the rambling, timbered 15th-century interior really does come as a surprise as you step inside.

Expect to find worn plank floors, crackling log fires in stone fireplaces, antique furnishings and cosy nooks and crannies in a series of rooms that radiate away from the welcoming bar area. Arrive early to bag one of the bay window seats to peruse the papers or watch the world go by with a pint of Hooky. Escape the hustle and bustle of the High Street in the restored medieval courtyard garden - perfect for enjoying a light alfresco lunch.

The eclectic, quirky decor downstairs (bold artwork, gilt mirrors, unusual objets d'art) extends upstairs to the individual decorated bedrooms. Good seasonal menus, local Cotswold ales, interesting wines, and a private dining space in the cellar seating 30 complete the picture. Note - parking is limited to 2 hours outside the inn so best to use the free town car park.

Rooms from

11 Doubles: £100

Good to know

All credit cards accepted

Alfresco & private dining

No parking; town car parks free

Dog stay: £10

Dog-friendly

Dogs are welcome in the bar and in three rooms (Windrush, Taynton, Filkins) and your canine chum will find their own bowl of treats on arrival.

Burford

With its charming Cotswold stone buildings and broad thoroughfare, Burford is the perfect place for a spot of rewarding retail therapy, a relaxing lunch or civilised afternoon tea. You'll find everything you need - from gift shops and stylish boutiques to galleries and craft shops.

Rooms

Eleven rooms of all shapes and sizes ramble across two floors with those in the 15th-century part of the building oozing period charm and character with low-beamed ceilings and wonky walls and floors.

Named after local hamlets and villages surrounding Burford, all have been individually refurbished and decorated in a quirky country-house style. Expect a mix of contemporary and period furnishings mixed with bold designer fabrics and statement wallpapers and modern day comforts like the crisp linen on comfortable beds (the best have four-posters), decent drinks trays, mini-bars and Nespresso machines.

Bathrooms vary in size due to the nature of the building but all have been spruced up with swish motif floor tiles, white brick tiles on the wall, quality fixtures and fittings, with some featuring roll-top tubs or big walk-in showers. Front rooms may experience some road noise.

Restaurant & bar

Interesting seasonal menus deliver simple, well-cooked pub classics alongside more inventive dishes that make sound use of quality produce from local farms and artisan suppliers, notably Kelmscott pork.

Typically, tuck into devilled lamb's kidneys in a spicy mustard sauce or share a baked camembert with black garlic, rosemary and red onion marmalade for starters. For mains there may be fish and chips, Tuscan bean and barley stew, brisket and venison burger, or lamb rump with spicy lentils and ragu. Leave room for a classic sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce and salted caramel ice cream. Generous lunchtime sandwiches too.

Beers come from breweries within 15 miles of Burford, including the Cotswold Brewing Company and Hook Norton, while the back bar showcases a good range of boutique gins and vodka. Decent wines include bottles from smaller producers with 20 offered by the glass.

Things to do

Shrouded in mystery and with a haunting, tangible air of the distant past, the romantic ruins of Minster Lovell Hall stand on the banks of the River Windrush only a short drive from Burford. The village of Minster Lovell captures the essence of sublime Cotswolds' architecture.

Situated in remote countryside in the vicinity of the upper Thames, Kelmscott Manor was the home of William Morris, a renowned idealist and founder of the Arts & Crafts movement. The Elizabethan house includes many examples of his work.

One of Britain's largest and most famous stately homes, Blenheim Palace offers a host of treasures to discover. There are guided tours of the staterooms and a chance to explore the estate's sumptuous parkland. The Winston Churchill Memorial Garden and Footsteps Trail takes you on a journey through the key achievements in the great statesman's extraordinary life and his early years in this area. Churchill's grave can be seen in the churchyard at nearby Bladon.