#sawdays

Down winding country lanes lined with hedgerows, along Cornish coastal roads bound for the sea, into the depths of Exmoor Country Park, or over boundless Chiltern Hills – the journey (and views!) will be as rewarding as the warm welcome at these brilliant Sawday’s pubs. 

You’ll work up a stonking appetite and be ready to reward yourself with real ale and handsome homemade pies at these tip-top isolated pubs.

Trust us, these places are worth getting lost for.

Utterly remote British pubs that are worth the journey

The Gurnard’s Head

St Ives – Cornwall, England

From the Gurnard’s Head you’ll hike along otherworldly coastline with expansive sea views . Walk at low tide to see the exposed secret beaches, marvel at vivid wild flowers, march to the top of high cliffs before retreating to the earthy pub of colour-washed walls and log fires. Feast on rustic dishes of confit duck and crab gratin, washed down with a hand-pulled Cornish ale.

Rugglestone Inn

Dartmoor – Devon, England

With generous ploughman’s lunches calling, be sure to stroll out to this remote 200-year-old Dartmoor Inn on the outskirts of Widcombe in the Moor. Few visitors make it out of the idyllic village, but the classic food and local farm cider of Rugglestone Inn make it a worthy expedition. Recline on the lawn, listen to the babbling brook, gaze out to peaceful Dartmoor moorland and rolling hills.

The Royal Oak Inn

Luxborough – Somerset, England

Used by many as a homely stop-off along the Coleridge Way, head into the heart of Exmoor’s deep green valley to stoke up on the perfect steak and ale pie. Walk the dog across moorlands and hunker down beside the Royal Oak’s roaring wood-burner. You’re spoilt for choice for lunch – smoked trout and lemon risotto, or the chicken and leek pie? There are fresh flavours galore as ingredients are sourced as locally as possible.

The Five Horseshoes

Maidensgrove – Oxfordshire, England

Escape city life for the vast horizons and fresh country air of the Chilterns. Perched high on rolling hills, the remote Five Horseshoes pub harbours the finest view (and menu) in Oxfordshire – top motivation to climb those hills! Get stuck into seasonal dishes, all locally sourced or foraged from their doorstep. Don’t miss the weekend roasts – the perfect ending to a Sunday stroll.

The Hand at Llanarmon

Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog – Denbighshire, Wales

Jump on your bike and wind through splendid Welsh countryside. Popular with walkers and locals, this cosy 16th-century drovers’ inn serves food that brings many in from the hills. From pub grub favourites to inventive dishes (try the masala marinated pork loin steak), fill your boots and while hours away with plentiful books in the sitting room.

The Black Swan

Ravenstonedale – Cumbria, England

Delve into the Eden Valley and discover a gem of a remote pub lost in the green hills. Walk the Lake District, tread the Yorkshire Dales, pause at the Howgill Fells and then roll into The Black Swan. Energetic staff will sort you out with decadent sandwiches and pan-fried sea bream. Play a game of Scrabble as you digest, then head back out to the exhilarating hills.

The Royal Oak

Fritham – Hampshire, England

Ale-lovers rejoice for this small, thatched haven tucked away in the depths of the New Forest National Park. Tread the Fritham walk and follow fellow ramblers into the ancient Royal Oak for unpretentious, yet flavoursome pub lunches and brilliant beverages. Embrace barbecue season in the large garden, enjoy a beer and food festival in Autumn, linger by the fireside in winter.

Red Pump Inn

Bashall Eaves – Lancashire, England

Meander along intertwining lanes in the picturesque Ribble Valley between tall fells and quaint towns. Climb Pendle Hill, stalk miles of footpaths and slip in a visit to this elegant country inn. Sip cask ales on the south-facing terrace among the tumbling flowers, and get stuck into the rich and hearty menu. Stumble upstairs to bed and wake to hearty Irish breakfasts to fuel a new day of hiking.

If these remote British pubs have piqued your interest, then explore the many handpicked watering holes in the new Sawday’s guide: Pubs & Inn’s: England & Wales.

Set out and discover Britain's landscapes safe in the knowledge that you’ll never be far from a top ale... no matter how lost you feel.

Calabria

The landscape is dramatic: rugged mountains, meandering paths following streams and waterfalls through which you can walk for days without meeting another soul (move over French Alps), valleys filled with wild flowers, tantalising glimpses of turquoise sea, Byzantine cathedrals and Norman castles, forests of ancient beech and pine.

Whilst the thrilling, off-track peninsula entices many to the area, few need further persuasion once introduced to the food of Calabria. This region produces a quarter of the country’s olive oil which is used for preserving as well as cooking – and what cooking! 

Onion soup thickened with bread and seasoned with grated pecorino and hot pepper, pork and veal liver pie with tomato, plenty of fresh seafood from the clear Tyrrhenian waters, swordfish roasted with capers, parsley and lemon, fried ravioli filled with chestnuts, candied fruit, nougat and chocolate….dedicated gourmands will adore it here.

And so will lovers of good wine. Robust Cirò reds are the perfect match for the regions tangy, aged cheeses, but some excellent white wines are also produced from the Greco grape of Greek origin, and an amber coloured sweet wine called Greco di Bianco made with dried grapes which weighs in at 17% - so to be taken in sips rather than glugs.

The Calabrese have a reputation (in Italy in any case) for being stubborn, but another way of saying that is persistent, unwavering, determined – all the qualities needed if you are to cling on to your traditions and local ways in this increasingly bland world. So carry on Calabria – keep the faith.

4 beautiful places to stay in Calabria

If we have piqued your curiosity, explore four of our favourite places to stay when taking a trip to the ‘toe’ of Italy:

B&B Casa Gemma

For waterfalls, thermal baths in Caronte, Sila archaeological park, ancient churches, markets to explore, beaches and an ancient textile mill.

Agriturismo Livadia

A working olive and citrus farm. Ride or hike in the nearby mountains, visit archaeological sites, have a go at kite surfing.

Praia Art Resort

Doze by the sea at this unexpected haven, stride the hills of the National Park of Sila and visit the canyons of Valli Cupe.

Agriturismo L’Arca

From here you can stride in the Pollino mountains, visit the Palaeolithic Romito caves and medieval Belvedere.

With more special places than ever before, Sawday’s 9th edition of 'Special Places to Stay: Italy' sees some 140 new places added to the collection, a mini-boom in Agriturismi, mindful destinations, a smattering of Sicilian island idylls and for the first time, Calabria.