White Swan Inn

Pickering's White Swan is a family-run inn of the very friendly kind which has continued to up its game over the years. It's now more of a boutique bolthole than it used to be, but tempers its sense of style with solid Yorkshire hospitality – so, for example, every guest has access to the 'Bothy', a converted barn where there's complimentary coffee and tea, plus log-burner, board games, magazines and honesty bar. Rooms are either in the main building – what was once a coaching inn on the high street – or in converted stables across the courtyard, with accommodation either dubbed 'Vintage' or 'Hideaway'. The 'Hideaway' stable rooms tend to be larger, but some of the 'Vintage' rooms are more like suites and feature glam antique beds. Fabrics and decor are decidedly chic – there's nothing particularly traditional about the rooms despite the age of the inn – and sparkly white bathrooms get the thumbs-up from everyone. The bar and restaurant downstairs, and Feast – the associated deli and cafe next door – take care of eating and drinking, while the charms of Pickering itself are on the doorstep – including the Monday market which unfolds right outside the front door.