Pub with rooms Corsham, Wiltshire | The Methuen Arms

Overview

Positioned at the head of the High Street, the three-storey former coaching inn backs onto Corsham Court, the home of the Methuen family, and was built around the remains of a 14th-century nunnery before being converted into an inn in 1608.

The impressive Georgian façade hides a stunning interior, which was brought back to life with dedication and passion in 2010. Now the social hub of the town, with a cracking traditional tap bar, the inn rambles tardis-like back through a succession of informal dining rooms, where you'll find rugs on old stone and board floors, stone fireplaces with crackling log fires, old Corsham photos and big paintings on warmly painted walls, cushioned pew benches, and flickering candles on scrubbed tables. The whole place has a cosy, lived-in feel and oozes atmosphere.

Butcombe Brewery have gently refurbished this grand old inn, sprucing up the dinings areas, updating the bedrooms and adding two new rooms in the courtyard barn. Plans include developing the kitchen garden (adding dining tables) and refurbishing the remaining barn.

Rooms from:

19 doubles: £131; Loft Studio £200

Good to know

Major credit cards accepted (except Amex)
Disabled access
Alfresco & private dining
Parking available
Dog stay: £20 (Courtyard Rooms)

Family favourite

A big welcome is made to families; children have their own menu; Rooms 8 & 9 interconnect; the spacious Studio has a sofa bed; and cots/Z-beds are also available.

Alfresco

There's a sheltered and peaceful box-edged terrace with teak tables and chairs and cosy throws, and a further attractive garden/terrace leading to the kitchen garden.

Rooms

A grand sweeping staircase in the Georgian hallway leads upstairs to the comfortable, boutique-style bedrooms, which are set over two floors, with those located in the former nunnery featuring stone fireplaces, uneven floors and thick beams.

All have big beds with colourful headboards, crisp Egyptian cotton linen, feather duvets and pillows, bright throws, relaxing upholstered armchairs, antique furnishings, big lamps, and rugs on cord carpet. Welcome detail touches, like fresh coffee and home-made biscuits, Roberts radios, digital safes, Smart TVs, and a fully-stocked mini-bar with complimentary bottle of Stateside Session IPA and a small bottle of Prosecco.

The spacious and very peaceful Studio up in the loft has a relaxing lounge area with sofa bed and armchairs and a big bedroom - it's the perfect space for a family stay. Smart, contemporary tiled bathrooms have fluffy bathrobes and organic Bramley toiletries - the best feature vast walk-in showers and deep tubs. The imaginative breakfast menu (avocado, lime, coriander, chilli and poached eggs on sourdough) will set you up for the day.

Restaurant & bar

Menus change seasonally and the kitchen delivers competent modern British pub food using quality ingredients sourced across the South West, including meat from Walter Rose in Devizes.

Typically, tuck into a pub favourite, perhaps the Methuen burger served with smoked bacon, tomato relish, Monterey Jack cheese, mustard aioli, pickles and fries, or try the Cornbury Estate venison - loin, haunch suet pudding, game jus and prune ketchup - a popular dish on the winter menu. Expect also starters like pork and duck liver terrine with spiced quince chutney, and Keralan cauliflower soup, alongside interesting Gluten-free menus, decent Sunday roasts (Stokes Farm rump of beef), and classic desserts like sticky date and toffee pudding. Herbs and vegetables from the kitchen garden (bee hives too) supplement supplies.

The old inn may have been smartened up but, thankfully, the original layout downstairs remains unchanged and the traditional front snug bar retains its timeless atmosphere - rugs on boards, open fire, antique tables, and a proper central bar servery that delivers pints of Butcombe ales, boutique gins and 17 wines by the glass.

Private dining

The Scullery seats 16 and is perfect for birthday parties, intimate family suppers and business meetings/lunches. The Green Room is a cosy lounge/private room at the front of the building - ideal for small meetings and lunches.

Things to do

You don't have to venture far to find a good walk. A short stroll from the Methuen Arms is Corsham Park, with its pleasing acres and lake views. Not far away are very enjoyable walks on the Marlborough Downs and along the towpath of the Kennet and Avon Canal. North of Corsham and the M4, it's not long before you are surrounded by the rolling hills and secluded valleys of the Cotswolds.

The picturesque Saxon village of Lacock has changed little since the Middle Ages. Preserved by the National Trust, Lacock's stone cottages and narrow streets are regularly visited by film and television crews and looking round, you can understand why. Harry Potter and Cranford have been filmed here, among many familiar productions and adaptations. While in the village, take a look at Lacock Abbey and the Fox Talbot Museum of photography.

Bath is a beautiful Georgian city with fantastic architecture and lots to see and do, from the Abbey and Assembly Rooms to the Roman Baths that gave the place its name.