Rose & Crown

Keep heading up Teesdale and eventually you'll happen upon the pretty village of Romaldkirk – and be mighty glad you did, once you clap eyes on the Rose & Crown,  which is the very model of a picturesque English country inn, sited bang next to the church and overlooking the green. Inside, there's both a traditional bar and an oak-panelled restaurant – you can have lunch or dinner in the bar, Sunday lunch or dinner in the restaurant, with the same dinner menu served in both places, so no one misses out. And you really don't want to miss out because the Rose & Crown has long had a name for its food, which is resolutely locally sourced and contemporary British in style, albeit with a twist. So while you might fancy gin-cured trout and white crab it could just as easily be Thai-spiced cod, or pork fillet and ham hock from a local farm. There are fancy pub classics as well, from fish and chips to steak, with magnificent chips that are no less than triple-cooked. The bar's a beauty at any time, with its old stone walls, creaky oak furniture, beams and open fires, and there are some sunny tables out the front to soak up the Durham sunshine. Some rather stylish rooms too, if you fancied a night in these quiet Dales surroundings.