This handsome Georgian inn stands guard to one of Wiltshire’s loveliest old high streets. Polished rooms, quality food, and gorgeous outdoor areas give this pub-with-rooms loads of character.

Corsham, with its tiny, quaint center, is less well-known than Wiltshire’s other market towns. Ageing, honey-coloured shopfronts crouch over the cobbles as if they are leaning in on each other for support. Just beyond the car park lies Corsham Court, an Elizabethan manor set in a park designed by Capability Brown.

The pub dates back to 1608 and the Duke of Edinburgh used to play skittles and darts here as a young man. Charmingly, the bar side of the restaurant still offers a hearty welcome to everyone and anyone. Now owned by Butcombe brewery, expect Victorian-style lamps, piles of logs, posies of fresh flowers and smart leather banquettes in the bar, while botanical-themed art hangs above velvet sofas in joyful shades of emerald and jade in the lounge. Out the back is a courtyard with beautiful gold-stone walls, sheepskin throws and a covered pergola strung with festoon lights. There is also a large beer garden overlooked by mature trees.

The 19 sophisticated rooms feature stripped-back beams and richly patterned wallpaper, with 15 in the main building and four overlooking the courtyard at the back. The snug rooms are the smallest but they are a great-value choice and made cozy by woollen and tweed fabrics. Signature rooms are only slightly bigger, with more velvet upholstery and walk-in showers. All the showers feature upmarket rainforest shower heads and only a few bathrooms come without a bath.

Good ales and ciders are a boon, alongside a great, very accessible wine list. Sandwiches are available at lunch and diners can either eat in the smarter pub room or in the high-ceilinged restaurant. The food is of a high, gastropub standard and a starter of wild garlic and spinach soup, with a soft quail’s egg and just a touch of sharp lemon confit bobbing about in it, was a highlight.

This is a great spot for an alfresco brunch and it is clear that lots of thought have gone into the breakfast menu.

Double rooms from £140, year-round. Breakfast included. Free Wi-Fi.

Family-Friendly?

Yes. The Studio sleeps four and most rooms, except the Snug, can easily manage an extra bed or cot.

The Methuen Arms

2 High Street, Corsham, Wiltshire,

SN13 0HB, England.

T: 01249 717060

W: themethuenarms.com