Angel Inn, Corbridge

Don’t be in too much of a hurry to get to Hexham and Hadrian’s Wall – the gorgeous village of Corbridge springs a real surprise if you’re thinking it’s all a bit wild and windswept in this neck of the woods. The honey-stoned buildings and old centre have a real charm, and the Angel has been here for hundreds of years in various guises. Nowadays it’s a gussied-up country inn with a great bar and plenty of nooks, crannies, sofas and comfy chairs to settle down in – great beer selection too, with plenty of local brews represented. When the weather allows, you can sit out the front and watch the well-heeled world of Corbridge go by. The food’s a hit – pub and bistro classics – with a Sunday lunch that draws diners from miles around. They even have their own gourmet chippy around the back. The guest rooms are a real mixed bag – they warn you that the building’s old and that some rooms are quieter than others – but they’ve done a nice, contemporary job on the décor and this would be a great base for touring the Roman sites that make this part of the world so unique.