The Horseshoe Inn, Ebbesbourne Wake, Wiltshire
It’s always such a treat to stumble across pubs like this, tucked away in a tiny village in the Chalke Valley amongst centuries-old cottages; old oil lamps hang from the beams, ancient farming implements on the walls, cider flagons by the fire, and pewter tankards above the bar.
The Horseshoe Inn takes you back to a more gentle era, to a time when the pace of life was noticeably unhurried, but that’s not to say they’re behind the times. They certainly know how to pull a good pint and the service is warm and smiley, which is what we want to see when we walk in a pub. The menu has a good variety of home cooked meals; ham, egg and chips, fresh fish bake, that sort of thing, and there's a pie of the day, and a vegetarian dish of the day. The Ploughman's is enormous and the local trout terrine divine.
The rooms are small and to be honest, they probably wouldn’t be able to accommodate more than 10 of you sitting together, but don’t let that stop a smaller group of you strolling down for a drink in the beer garden or to find a table inside. It's well worth the walk.
Open: Tues-Sat 12-3 and 6.30-11 Sun and Bank Holiday Mondays 12-4, otherwise closed Sunday evenings and all day Monday
T: 01722 780474 All information correct at the time of writing