The Black Lion Chestnut

One of the newer properties in the excellent and expanding East Anglia-based Chestnut Inns group (The Northgate in Bury St Edmunds is another), the Black Lion is a small Georgian coaching inn that's been updated beautifully: wooden floors throughout, artfully mismatched furniture and a comfy lounge armchairs and newspapers, all combine to suggest a comfortable house  in the country at which you are one of the most important guests.  There are 10 rooms in all, most of which overlook the village green; apart from a couple of cheaper 'Snug' rooms, all the guest rooms are spacious, and they all come with king-size beds, good Wi-Fi, flatscreen televisions with Freeview, tea- and coffee-making facilities (with Nespresso machines), homemade biscuits and two kinds of mineral water. All rooms have en-suite bathrooms with tubs and Noble Isle toiletries (one room also has a standalone shower), and there's a suite with an additional room with bunk beds if you're looking for somewhere big enough for a family. In all, there are 5 Luxury rooms, 3 Snug rooms, a family room and a suite.

Downstairs, the pub remains a nice place for an early evening pint and has seating which spills out onto the green during summer, while the next door dining room serves a menu that is deliberately British and seasonal, with a focus on East Anglian produce; it's moderately priced and hearty rather than posh, divided between pub classics and slightly more refined options, with local ales and English wines to wash it all down.They also serve lunchtime sandwiches, while rates include a made-to-order breakfast that includes a choice of a full English, fruit and yogurt, eggs various ways or just a breakfast sandwich. All nicely done and delivered.

Finally there are the joys of staying not only in this part of Suffolk but also in Long Melford, which has quite a lot of attractions of its own, ranging from the National Trust property of Melford Hall right across the street to more family-orientated Kentwell Hall around the corner. You could also spend some time wandering up and down the village's long main street peeking into antique shops, but perhaps the nicest thing to do is the walk to nearby Lavenham, where there is plenty more to see and do and which is an easyish 8-mile round-trip partly along along a disused railway line. Lazy weekenders ahoy!