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Times
19 hours ago
- Times
The UK's most glorious riverside pubs where you can stay the night
You can't beat sitting riverside on a sunny day, soothed by the sound of the water and the occasional quack or splosh of a paddle from a passing kayaker, with a cool fizz or local ale in hand. These inns have delightful outdoor spaces and lovely rooms to make a weekend of visiting them, so there is more time to stroll riverside paths or perhaps even get on the water. I've spent a couple of years visiting as many inns such as these as I can to find the best for my new book, Paddle and Pub, covering more than 100 of the best hostelries that you can reach by kayak or paddleboard. Even if you want to stay on dry land they make for gorgeous escapes. This article contains affiliate links, which can earn us revenue Londoners and visitors to the capital looking for an outdoor space along the Thames to enjoy a Pimm's or three en plein air are spoilt for choice, with dozens of inns having existed to lubricate boaters on the river for centuries. One — dating from 1665 and with great, colourful rooms attached — is the Mitre, which once housed guests to Hampton Court Palace, its neighbour. Sit on the waterside Aix Terrace with a rosé, sip a cocktail in the Boathouse or dine on tomato gazpacho and chicken Milanese in the riverside 1665 Brasserie (mains from £20).Details B&B doubles from £200 ( On the banks of the mighty River Thames, the Compleat Angler is a longstanding riverside boozer, although it has morphed from the simple inn it once was into a luxurious hotel with fine dining. It was one of the earliest guesthouses in the country, yet was at risk of overtourism even in Dickens' day — the writer commented in his Dictionary of the Thames that it was often booked out by boating parties. These days there are Sindhu, Atul Kochhar's upmarket Indian restaurant (mains from £19), the Riverside Restaurant fordishes such as chargrilled monkfish (mains from £20) and rooms that are pretty if slightly chintzy — really you're here for the food and the history. Details B&B doubles from £150 ( Ten of the 25 rooms here offer views of an idyllic bend in the River Hodder as it curves around the grounds, with the fells of the Forest of Bowland beyond. Heavy wooden bedheads, unusual framed fabrics and antiques bring country house character to all, and the food — under the chef Jamie Cadman for two decades — has helped to put this quiet corner of Lancashire on the map. Try the fish pie or slow-cooked shoulder of pork with ham hock fritter alongside any one of the 400 wines sourced by the pub's vintners. The pub has four rods for trout and salmon fishing along seven miles of the Hodder, as well as yoga and spa treatments on offer. The Piggeries, its stylish self-catering cottage, has three double bedrooms and a garden leading to the water. Details B&B doubles from£160; three nights' self-catering for six from £1,940 ( • 15 of the most beautiful places in England In a prime spot on the River Tay, known for its salmon fishing, this boutique pub with rooms dating from 1820 has fishing rights and fly-fishing courses, so it's hugely popular with anglers. Even if you're not so inclined, though, it's well worth visiting for the watery views and the food, made with a touch of 'Gallic zest', they say, with ingredients supplied by gillies, farmers and gardeners, plus the in-house butcher. Try a tomato and Crowdie cheese mousse, then a Meikleour venison saddle (mains from £17). Its 11 bedrooms are decked out in floral fabrics and an array of colours, with Arran Aromatics toiletries and sherry decanters on the nightstands. There are also 18 holiday cottages nearby — some with river views in the walled garden of Meikleour House, less than a mile away, another in the local village. Part of the Meikleour Estate, the pub is within reach of Perth, Scone and B&B doubles from £120 ( • Revealed: 100 Best Places to Stay in the UK for 2025 This 18th-century inn on the Harbourne River, a tributary of the Dart three miles south of Totnes, was owned by the flamboyant TV chef Keith Floyd between 1989 and 1996. He spent millions of pounds doing it up, adding eccentrically decorated bedrooms and anchoring fake crocodiles in the water to scare tourists. Now somewhat less wacky, but still with a dining room named for its former owner, the pub is in a lovely spot where the riverbanks are lined with tall trees. The present chef, Anton Piotrowski, jointly won MasterChef: The Professionals in 2012. The six bedrooms, in an adjoining building, are simple, but the owners are planning a renovation. Hire kayaks from Paddle Devon in Totnes and go all the way to Dartmouth, Stoke Gabriel or the Dartington Estate, before finishing with a beer back on the sundeck of the inn (half-day guided kayak trip £47pp; B&B doubles from £80 ( • 19 of the best UK pubs with rooms The idyllic village of Grantchester, south of Cambridge, is on the River Cam, which used to tempt Byron in for a dip, leaving in his memory an adjacent spot named Byron's Pool, now part of a nature reserve. There are a gaggle of pubs here too, including the Blue Ball, a 250-year-old coaching inn with river views, local ales, home-cooked food and a two-bedroom holiday apartment in creamy colours overlooking Grantchester Meadows. Walk a couple of miles north along the river — perhaps joining the wild swimmers for a dip — and you'll reach St John's College and the intricate Bridge of Sighs, which has an arched base similar to its Venetian namesake, as well as the Backs university fields and Mathematical Bridge. Nearby, the Mill Pond is lined with pubs and you can hire a punt here — look out for the Pimm's Punt floating bar. Details One night's self-catering for four from £200 ( • 20 top pubs in the UK to visit by paddleboard, kayak or canoe There are excellent waterside pubs along the River Wye that are perfect stop-offs for boaters and paddlers. One of the smarter options is the Hope & Anchor, near the Welsh border, with a large, busy beer garden on the riverbank and the nearby town full of bookshops and quirky cafés. The pub hosts live music at its bandstand, while the Hut, in its garden, serves wood-fired pizzas and cakes alongside drinks. The food in the main restaurant runs from Wye Valley beer-battered cod and chips and Herefordshire steak burgers to not-so-typical poke bowls (mains from £16). Many of the 12 neat bedrooms have river B&B doubles from £81 ( Gemma Bowes is the author of Paddle and Pub: The Best British Pubs to Get to By Kayak, Canoe or Paddleboard (Bloomsbury, £19.99, pp240). To order a copy go to Free UK standard P&P on online orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members Have we missed your favourite? Share your recommendations in the comments
Daily Mail
01-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE ITV star handed huge pay rise buys £3.5million 10-bedroom mansion... but there's a catch
Ben Shephard has splashed out £3.5million on a gorgeous new home that was formerly the official residence of a bishop. While a number of ITV 's daytime stars may be considering downsizing in the wake of slashed budgets and job losses, Shephard, 50, is moving up in the world. The TV presenter purchased the huge new property in an idyllic riverside setting in west London after upgrading from his former home nearby. But there's a hitch that comes with his dream home which has left Ben in something of a pickle: despite its size there is no driveway or back access and the only way in is throught a small front gate. And this is going to make doing any building work to modernise the Grade II listed building difficult to arrange. A source said: 'It's an absolutely beautiful house. But the layout means that if he wants to do any substantive works to alter it - and it does need updating - then he will have problems getting larger materials or the machinery in. 'The only way in is via a relatively tiny front gate and as it's listed he's going to struggle to change the layout to alter that. 'So good luck to his architect and builder! 'I suspect that's why it needs updating - because it's so difficult to find a way to manage it. 'But that headache aside, Ben and Annie are thrilled with it.' 'It's the only blot on the horizon for them on what is otherwise their dream home so he's hoping to find some solution.' Shephard was handed a big pay rise when he teamed up with Cat Deeley last year to take over as hosts of This Morning - replacing longtime presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. The pair are reportedly each earning around £550,000-a-year to present the programme four days a week. Now it appears Shephard - who is estimated to be worth around £3.6 million - is investing some of the cash in his new pad. The move is said to have been overseen by wife Annie, a design consultant specialising in interiors and gardens. She spent a year lovingly transforming the couple's former home in Richmond into a stunning dream house. And the couple may see their new house as something of 'a project'. There's plenty of scope to re-style the somewhat staid interiors of the former ecclesiastical residence where a number of rooms downstairs were used as offices and formal reception rooms. After it went on the market, estate agents were singing the praises of the 'iconic house' which is described as being in an 'unrivalled setting'. But hinting that there was work to be done, they added that it was 'waiting to be transformed into a wonderful family home'. The large detached property, which is thought to be 300 years old, was originally the home of Thomas Twining, who made his fortune in the tea trade after setting up his first tea house in 1706 in Devereux Court near the Strand in London. It remained the family home for seven generations until artist and social reformer Elizabeth Twining bequeathed the property to the church after her death in 1889. The house was used as a rather grand vicarage before going on to become the offices and residence for a bishop. The 10-bedroomed property, which is located in a riverside conservation area, comprises almost 6,000 square feet of accommodation. Good morning Britain: where the breakfast TV star will have his own breakfast Estate agents highlighted how it offered buyers 'an exceptional opportunity' after coming on the market 'for the first time in three centuries'. The property is set close to the River Thames with a large Grade ll-listed church on one side and an historic park and gardens on the other. The location is said to have once been 'favoured by royalty for summer retreats'. The house is described as having 'an elegant period façade with an ornate entrance canopy and unique sundial feature' above the front door. Inside, the property has retained much of the original period detailing with 'superb ceiling heights, fireplaces and a magnificent entrance hall and wood carved staircase'. Downstairs, while most of the rooms had been configured as office and reception rooms, there's also a living room, dining room, kitchen and utility room. There are six bedrooms and two bathrooms on the first floor while a second floor annexe features three further bedrooms and another room which had been turned into an office. According to a glossy estate agent's brochure the gardens at the property 'wrap around three sides of the house and offer scope, with landscaping, to create a fabulous outdoor amenity'. The brochure added the sale offered 'an exceptionally rare opportunity to create a truly unique and impressive family home in a superb location'. It added: 'With its stunning riverside location, rich history, and excellent connectivity, this property offers a unique blend of past and present, making it a home that truly stands out from the ordinary.' The only downside of the property is that its close proximity to the church and graveyard with a footpath running between them means there's no car parking space and limited access to its back door. A source close to Shephard - who also presents ITV quiz show Tipping Point and Ninja Warrior UK - said: 'Even the removal van got stuck as everyone has to come to the front. 'Because the rear of the house lies close to the church pathway we have to use the front as the main access to the house.' Annie appears to have already set to work on the property and this week took delivery of three large packages brought to the house in a courier van. Shephard met Annie while they were both studying at the University of Birmingham in 1995. Setting out to be an actor, Shephard achieved a BA honours degree in Dance, Drama and Theatre Arts while Annie studied Philosophy. The couple who married in Burgh Island off the coast of Devon in 2004 have two sons - Jack, 19, and Sam, 18. Essex-born Shephard went on to forge a successful career in TV - hosting some of Britain's best loved shows including working as a main anchor on Good Morning Britain. He once made a cameo appearance in an episode of US hit TV comedy Friends where he was credited as 'Man with Microphone'. Meanwhile Annie worked for fashion and interior design magazines working her way to advertising manager while hosting 'glamorous parties, fabulous conferences' and award events. After becoming a mum Annie - who describes herself as 'a welly wearing veg grower' - combined raising her children over 18 years with 'knocking down and remodelling houses and running big renovation projects'. She once wrote on her website: 'I've studied hard and taken excellent courses, so I've learned both the theory of design and I've also learned the hard way, by creating from the ground up, wellies on and spade in hand. 'After a few mistakes and a few more successes, my friends started to ask for help with their own interiors and gardens.' In 201,6 the couple bought their home in Richmond and Shephard occasionally shared photos on social media of his family life away from the limelight. Images posted during Covid lockdown at their previous home showed off their spectacular sprawling gardens which came complete with 'gin bench', fire pit and rose-filled archways. The garden also featured an immaculate lawn, bronze sculptures and an area where the family grew their own vegetables. Last week Shephard proved that away from the studio he's no sofa slouch as he showed off his incredible physique on the front cover of Men's Health magazine. Shephard told how he keeps in shape trying to keep up with his sons in workouts. He said: 'I've really, really enjoyed proving to my 18-year-old and 19-year-old sons that I can still compete with them. We love training together.' Shephard said his biggest challenge was coping with the endless supply of pastries, treats and calorific meals cooked up by TV chefs on This Morning.
