Winyard's Gap Inn

Perched at Chedington on the Dorset and Somerset border, this family-run country pub trades on a view that runs for miles and a welcome that extends to dogs. It is traditional in the proper sense: local ales at the bar, hearty seasonal food, and no particular interest in reinventing itself. Beaminster is close, the Jurassic Coast about twenty minutes away, which makes it a sensible base rather than just a stop.

The kitchen runs Monday to Friday 12-3 and 6-9, Saturday 12-3 and 5-9, and Sunday 12-4, with a traditional Sunday lunch the obvious draw. The bar keeps longer hours, 11-11 Monday to Saturday and 11-9 on Sunday. Six en-suite rooms sit set back from the pub, each with a private entrance, down duvets, Bramley products and a Nespresso machine. Book a room if you want the view at breakfast too.