The Dundas Arms

A gorgeous riverside pub that serves excellent food and has eight beautiful boutique bedrooms, yet is less than an hour from London? It must be the Dundas Arms, whose unique position, sat between the Kennet & Avon Canal and the River Kennet, just outside Newbury, makes it an ideal choice for a cheeky weekend escape from the capital. It’s just an hour away, but to be honest may as well be a million miles once you're here, especially when you discover the pub's excellent seasonal food and Sunday roasts.

Five of the pub's eight rooms overlook the river and have their own private terrace, another has a freestanding rolltop bath in the room, while all are dog friendly. They're thoughtfully decorated in a mid-century and slightly contemporary country style and all come with double beds with high-end linens, en-suite bathrooms with Bramley toiletries, WiFi, flatscreen TVs and tea- and coffee-making facilities.

As for the food, it's a mixture of pub classics – burgers, steaks, fish and chips – and hearty dishes based on local ingredients, like fish stew and local venison. Inventive bar snacks include merguez Scotch eggs and truffle popcorn, so it's definitely no ordinary pub! The Sunday lunch menu is particularly popular, with a range of roasts that attracts hungry diners from far and wide  – and because it’s part of the regional Butcombe Brewery group, you can always count on there being a good choice of real ales too.