THE GREAT BRITISH COUNTRYSIDE PUB GUIDE

What makes the perfect countryside pub clothing?

A countryside pub day calls for clothing that can handle crisp air on the walk out and the warmth of an open fire once you arrive. The key is blending practical pieces with a little autumn polish, so you look as good at the bar as you do on the scenic walk to your final destination.

Layers

Autumn weather is famously unpredictable, so layering is the foundation of any countryside outfit. Start with a soft, breathable base, add a mid-layer you can peel off once you're inside, and finish with a jacket that can take a breezy hillside or sudden shower. Think a fine-knit top under a shirt or gilet, topped with a waxed or quilted jacket. It keeps you comfortable from the first steps of your walk to the last round of drinks by the fire.

Knitwear

No autumn pub outfit is complete without a good knit. A chunky cable-knit jumper or a relaxed roll neck brings instant warmth and texture. Stick to earthy, heritage-inspired shades such as oatmeal, moss green, rust and burgundy, which sit naturally against a backdrop of autumn leaves and stone walls. Natural, breathable fibres are worth choosing too, as they keep you warm on the walk without overheating once you're seated for your Sunday roast.

Footwear and accessories

Arguably the most important part of the outfit is your footwear, which has to withstand whatever the great outdoors throws at it. Muddy footpaths and village greens call for sturdy boots that can handle a proper walk, whether that's walking boots or a pair of waterproof wellies. Finish with the details that add polish, such as a soft scarf to wrap up in, a knitted beanie for a breezy day and a tote big enough for a spare pair of socks. If you're bringing the dog, keep a bag for muddy paws close at hand too.

Styling tips from Joules

Alice Joule, [Creative Director at Joules] comments:

"The secret to dressing for an autumn day out is to layer with intention. Start with pieces you love wearing, add a knit for warmth and texture, and choose a jacket and boots you can rely on. That way you can enjoy the walk and the pub, whatever the weather.

"Don't be shy about playing with patterns, prints and different textures. A check shirt under a cable knit, a corduroy trouser with a waxed jacket or a silky printed scarf against chunky wool all add depth and personality, and autumn is the perfect season for mixing them. Stick to a rich, earthy palette of rust, moss, camel and burgundy so everything pairs together, then add one standout piece to make the outfit feel like yours. And because pub days often end in front of a fire, choose fabrics that breathe so you stay comfortable from the first step of the walk to the last sip of your drink."

Britain's top 10 best countryside pubs

Whether you're drawn to a viral social media favourite, a dog-friendly local or a pub pouring the best regional and craft beers, the British countryside has a pint-sized pleasure for everyone. From village greens in North Yorkshire to centuries-old inns in the Home Counties, these are the 10 that stand out from the crowd.

Rank	Pub Name	Location	Avg. Tripadvisor rating /5	Total no. of reviews	% of reviews rated four stars or above	Total no. of reviews mentioning roast dinners	No. of nearby walking trails	No. of nearby attractions (in closest town)	% of family-friendly attractions	Combined social following*
1	The Old Crown	Girton, Cambridgeshire	4.6	421	90.02%	75	73	561	12.30%	1,714
2	The Royal Standard of England (The Oldest Pub)	Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire	4.1	1,941	77.95%	325	277	121	14.05%	15,900
3	The Star Inn at Harome	Harome, North Yorkshire	4.5	1,119	84.18%	53	75	27	37.04%	40,800
4	The Hinds Head	Bray, Berkshire	4.1	2,399	76.07%	193	196	86	11.63%	52,900
5	The Killingworth Castle	Wootton, Oxfordshire	4.2	720	79.17%	102	114	31	12.90%	40,600
6	The Plough	Wombleton, North Yorkshire	4.6	414	94.20%	52	75	27	37.04%	2,182
7	Old Hall Inn	Chinley, Peak District	4.7	1,138	90.16%	129	497	6	0.00%	14,629
8	The Alice Hawthorn Inn	Nun Monkton, North Yorkshire	4.5	782	86.96%	75	75	27	37.04%	11,118
9	The Leicester Arms	Penshurst, Kent	4.2	98	77.55%	19	167	65	15.38%	6,316
10	The Gurnard's Head	Saint Ives, Cornwall	4.4	868	84.22%	66	46	147	23.81%	19,500

*Instagram and Facebook.

1. The Old Crown, Girton, Cambridgeshire

Despite having the smallest social following in the top 10, at just 1,714 combined followers, The Old Crown takes the top spot as the best country pub to visit this autumn. Its 4.6 Tripadvisor rating from 421 reviews is among the highest in the ranking, with 90.02% rating it four stars or above. The thatched, family-run village pub also has 561 nearby attractions, almost five times as many as any other pub in the top three, proving a pub doesn't need a viral feed to win over pubgoers' hearts.

2. The Royal Standard of England, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire

Widely regarded as Britain's oldest pub with an overall Tripadvisor rating of 4.1, The Royal Standard of England ranks as the second best countryside pub to visit this autumn with the highest number of reviews mentioning roast dinners (325), four times the number for The Old Crown. The Royal Standard of England also has the second-highest number of overall Tripadvisor reviews, at 1,941, plus 277 nearby walking trails to work off the Sunday lunch.

3. The Star Inn at Harome, Harome, North Yorkshire

Completing the top three is The Star Inn at Harome, a 14th-century, Michelin-starred inn and one of three North Yorkshire pubs in the top 10. Its reputation shows in its 4.5 Tripadvisor rating from 1,119 reviews, with 84.18% at four stars or above. That praise has travelled online too: with 40,800 combined followers, it has the second-biggest social following in the top 10, more than 2.5 times that of The Royal Standard of England. It is also one of the best bets for a family day out, as its 37.04% share of family-friendly nearby attractions is the joint highest in the ranking.

The most popular pubs on social media

A snap of a candlelit table or a beer garden in full autumn colour can be enough to put a pub on the map, turning a well-kept secret into the next big favourite with a single scroll. In fact, social media has become one of the main ways to find a pub for your next day out, with a good photo often doing the work of a recommendation. Some countryside locals have built a serious following across Instagram and Facebook, and these five are officially pubgoers' social media favourites.

Rank	Pub Name	Location	Instagram following	Facebook following	Combined social following
1	The Hinds Head	Bray, Berkshire	42,900	10,000	52,900
2	The Fox	Lower Oddington, Gloucestershire	50,900	1,800	52,700
3	The Star Inn at Harome	Harome, North Yorkshire	22,800	18,000	40,800
4	The Killingworth Castle	Wootton, Oxfordshire	26,600	14,000	40,600
5	The Gurnard's Head	Saint Ives, Cornwall	14,600	4,900	19,500

1. The Hinds Head, Bray, Berkshire

Claiming the top spot as the most popular pub across social media is The Hinds Head in Bray, with 52,900 combined followers, the biggest following of any pub in the ranking. Instagram is where it has captured the most fans, with 42,900 followers, the second-highest Instagram count on the list, alongside a further 10,000 on Facebook. Its beams date back to the 1400s, and its cosy corners make it easy to see why it photographs so well.

2. The Fox, Lower Oddington, Gloucestershire

Just 200 followers behind, in second place, is The Fox in Lower Oddington, with 52,700 combined followers. It is the real Instagram star of the ranking, with 50,900 followers on the platform, more than any other pub and a huge 8,000 more than The Hinds Head. The same can't be said for Facebook, however, where its 1,800 followers are the smallest following of the top five, so its audience is almost entirely on Instagram. The appeal is in the glass, as this Cotswolds village pub specialises in cocktails and local beer, and its feed is full of perfectly poured pints and beautifully finished cocktails.

3. The Star Inn at Harome, Harome, North Yorkshire

Completing the top three is The Star Inn at Harome, with 40,800 combined followers, more than 11,000 behind The Fox. It has the most balanced audience of the three, with 22,800 on Instagram and 18,000 on Facebook, the largest Facebook following of any pub on the list. Its thatched roof and countryside setting make it a natural for a golden-hour backdrop.

Methodology and sources

To identify the best countryside pubs in Britain, we analysed 40 pubs shortlisted from leading pub and travel guides, including the Michelin Guide, the Evening Standard and Brit Brief. Each pub was scored across reviews, walking, food, nearby attractions, family-friendliness, atmosphere and social media popularity to create an overall score out of 10.

Pub ratings and review data were collected from Tripadvisor, including each pub's average rating, its total number of reviews and the proportion of reviews rated four stars or above (Excellent or Good). To reflect the appeal of a classic Sunday lunch, we also counted the number of reviews mentioning "roast" or "Sunday roast" and calculated these as a share of each pub's total reviews.

The number of nearby walking trails was sourced from AllTrails and calculated using each pub's closest large town. The number of nearby attractions and points of interest was taken from Tripadvisor's "Things to Do" section for the same town. To find the number of family-friendly activities, we applied Tripadvisor's "Good for kids" filter and calculated the percentage of attractions that suit families.

We also assessed whether each pub offered local or craft beer, welcomed dogs and had an open fire on site, using pub websites, menus, Tripadvisor reviews and Google searches. Finally, each pub's total Instagram and Facebook following was collected from the platforms to measure social media popularity.

All data was collected in September 2026.