Romantic Notions

Bedrooms are a Great Inns' passion; most have names not numbers and every bedroom in every Inn is unique. From high beds to big beds and four poster beds; from fabulous furniture to fabulous views; some have swings, some are suites – and there’s even one with a suit of armour!

Food is a Great Inns' obsession...
Rosettes, stars, accolades, awards; all are regularly heaped upon the Great Inns' chefs and their restaurants. Each has their own style and specialities, but all agree that only the best, freshest ingredients will do. Expect lots of dishes reflecting local specialities and seasonal ingredients, often sourced from local suppliers.

By contrast, some of the finest wines from around the world are found gracing the Great Inns’ wine lists and we are committed to selling the very best at some of the lowest prices around.

Click on Events for details of the Great Inns’ gourmet evenings, celebration dinners, speciality food events, cookery classes and wine tastings.

As well as having their own fair share of history, most of the Great Inns are but a short carriage ride way from some of the country’s finest stately homes, ancient abbeys and castles.

The Feversham Arms is practically a neighbour of Helmsley Castle and Rievalux Abbey, whilst The Boar’s Head is, literally, next door to Ripley Castle and a short drive from Harewood House and Ripon Cathedral. From The Blue Lion, visit castles at Middleham, Richmond and Bolton, or tear yourself away from The Yorke Arms to explore Newby Hall, Fountains Abbey or York Minster.

The lofty delights of Cambridge beckon from The Old Bridge Hotel and The Hoste Arms is perfectly placed for visits to Sandringham or Holkham Hall. The Hundred House Hotel has the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage site on the doorstep, whilst Ye Olde Bull’s Head is just yards from Beaumaris Castle – another World Heritage Site.

The Pier Hotel is close to Colchester – England’s oldest town and you will find Scone Palace, the castles of Edinburgh and Stirling all within striking distance of The Royal Hotel.

Feel like fishing? The Arundell Arms Hotel has twenty miles of 'the best fishing in England' on the River Tamar and its tributaries. Both Tthe Royal Hotel’s River Earn and The Inn at Whitewell’s seven mile stretch of the river Hodder, are home to salmon, brown and sea trout. The River Wye’s naturally bred rainbow trout draw many an angler to The Peacock Hotel, which has 10 miles of fishing on the Haddon Estate.

Fancy a flutter? Stay at The Boar’s Head, Feversham Arms, The Blue Lion or the Yorke Arms and you can race your way around Yorkshire’s finest courses. From the Old Bridge Hotel, it’s just a short canter to Newmarket and Fakenham is just 10 miles from the Hoste Arms.

Sail away? Right opposite The Pier Hotel you can step off the floating pontoons on the Ha’penny Pier and straight onto the deck of a ……

Want to walk? Hit the Pennine Trail, explore the Forest of Bowland (on foot, bicycle or horse), head for the solitude of the Cumbrian hills or the dizzy heights of the Perthshire Highlands.
Wild life? Blow the cobwebs away on the wild salt marshes and wildlife reserves along the unspoilt beaches of the North Norfolk coast, take to the water on Loch Earn, go stalking on the highland glens, game shooting on the Ripley or Haddon Estate or clay pigeon shooting in the Yorkshire Dales.

Walk on the wild side? Choose you Inn and explore the Forest of Bowland (on foot, bicycle or horse back), head for the solitude of the Cumbrian hills, the delights of the Yorkshire Dales or the dizzy heights of the Pethshire Highlands

When the need to shop strikes, most of the Great Inns can offer therapy close by. So grab your bag, browse craft shops and galleries, dip into smart delis and gather up some gifts.

Inns such as The Hoste Arms in Burnham Market, The Boar’s Head in Ripley and The Feversham Arms in Helmsley are havens for stylish, sophisticated retailers and gems of specialist shops. Expect to leave with gifts, clothes, jewellery, art and a boot full of treasures you just can’t live without.

Feast on the spectacular Pennine vistas surrounding The White Hart, then head for the retail mecca of Manchester. From The Bell Inn you can shop ‘til you drop at the Bluewater and Lakeside shopping centres.