The Beckford Arms

We had a most enjoyable night's stay at The Beckford Arms, starting with evening cocktails, followed by a really delicious dinner with a wonderfully varied selection of food, with enough courses to satisify even the biggest appetite. ||Our room was tastefully decorated, well equipped, spotlessly clean, and had a very comfortable bed. ||Our hearty breakfast the following morning in front of the fire was most enjoyable, again with a very good selection.||In the morning we had a refreshing walk over the frosty fields and down to the picturesque mist covered lake. The perfect place for a relaxing getaway.

We didn’t stay so I can’t comment on the rooms but yesterday we had a 60th birthday event at the Beckford Arms for 19 people. What a beautiful pub and the service was amazing. We had our own separate room which had been set up with tall candles and roaring lights fire. It was stunning! Kaya was our waitress and she looked after so well during the afternoon. She was so patient and attentive. We particularly liked the way the staff knew exactly what everyone had ordered when dishing up without having to ask us! Even when we moved seats which could have caused confusion. Kaya was real gem and staff like this are so important to the smooth running of an event like ours. Thank you to everyone involved!

This is the third time we have visited and it was just as brilliant this time as all the others. We stayed with ours kids and the staff were so friendly and accommodating. The food was exceptional for all meals. A total pleasure to stay. Would highly recommend.

Excellent pub! The staff are exceptional ! How lucky is the pub for that! Emma and the bar man this evening were outstanding as was the host. So kind and professional! Excellent food and drinks - very well presented! We need more pubs like this!

There were six of us there for Friday night supper and one of the couples had never been before and really enjoyed the atmosphere, almost Dickensian with the candles, to the extent that reading the menu was a challenge, without an iPhone! We sat in the bar area, which had a really nice buzz to it and the glow and gentle heat from the wood fire all helped us to feel relaxed. Food was well presented, seasonal and served with a friendly (but not obtrusive) style. We had a great time, good service and the couple said they would be back again - far better than their local!

Always love all the Beckford group for lunch, supper and overnight stays. The teams are all brilliant and it is a style and experience that we both love. The food is always delicious and imaginative. Thank you!

Fab to find an atmospheric pub that serves first class food! Excellent and varied menu which made it more difficult to choose. Every course was a culinary delight. Helpful and attentive staff. ||One of the most enjoyable and tasty meals I’ve had in a long time - yet still a proper English pub. Highly recommend and will definitely be back!

A return visit to The Beckford Arms for a pre Christmas lunch. This place never disappoints. Beautiful setting, wonderful food and excellent service from the friendly staff. We had a lovely table in the bar area and were fortunate to have the Chef’s dog, the venerable Frank, overseeing operations and making sure everyone was happy. A perfect way to start the festivities

The perfect couples' retreat for a long weekend away from London. Highlights include wood burning stove, bathtub with a view, nearby woods for long walks in fresh air and great locally sourced pub food. I booked a weekend at the Beckford Arms after searching quite a while for a British gastro pub with attached inn. I loved the idea of getting out of London for a long weekend and not dealing with an airport. And, most importantly, getting great food. It took a lot of Googling before I found Beckford Arms, which had good reviews, is about a 2.5 hour drive out of south London and had rooms avail for £95/night including breakfast in the attached pub (closest contenders clocked in around £150/night and upward). Then I found their lodges. The mini lodges (there are just two) are two minutes away from the pub/inn, and cost a bit more. But lodges include a kitchen, wood burning stove, living room/dining area, and an upstairs mezzanine level with a roll top bath with an amazing view over the Fonthill Estate, which included a lake, trees and lovely green fields full of sheep and horses. Breakfast is included in the price, and with the lodge, you could choose to have breakfast in the pub, or they would stock your kitchen and you could cook your own whatever time you felt like it. We went for the lodge and it was so worth the extra cost. Service: Everyone, from the person I emailed with back and forth leading up to the visit to set up dinner and lunch reservations during our stay (they are very popular) was really helpful. Servers in the pub were super friendly and efficient and the woman who popped by our lodge to offer clean towels and more kindling was lovely. We booked in-room massages from their recommended masseuse and she was wonderful, one of the best massages I've ever had. Food: Pretty damn good. I had a breaded chicken, bacon and avocado sandwich with fries and salad that was a huge portion though a tad on the greasy side. For our Saturday night dinner out we shared the 22 oz coute de bouf steak for two with heaping sides of salad and chips and peppercorn sauce. It was incredible, and per our request, dined by the real fire in the sitting room. The breakfast was fantastic as well, the eggs benedict divine. Accommodation: Perfect. The lodges are the perfect size and they do not allow children, they are set back from the road and there are only two of them - so it is the perfect couples' retreat. The entire upper floor is loft/mezzanine style, allowing views out the floor to ceiling windows toward the lake. The wood burning stove warms the whole lodge wonderfully. The bed was big and comfy, the bath is placed with a great view over the fields and lake. The kitchen is small but well stocked - it meant we could bring a few items from home to save eating in the pub every meal (like popcorn and sandwich fixings) and they provided a kettle, coffee/tea and milk. Wifi is provided and it was pretty good. Area: Beautiful! Driving in from the A303 meant driving through a beautiful stone arch into the grounds that feels magical. The Fonthill Estate is gorgeous and a five mile walk is plotted out (including photos so you don't get lost) on pamphlets you can pick up in the pub. You'll walk around a lake, through forest and fields and get a great view of the village from up high and see sheep, horses, dogs, swans and more.

YES: The rooms, the surroundings, the staff, the breakfast, the coffee. DON'T: ...expect scones with your tea - or gastro food (but it's very solid pub grub - think Soho House).

Comfortable and welcoming, in beautiful surroundings; attentive and thoughtful staff and very good food. We stayed for one night, and the room was comfortable and very nicely presented, with a lot of thoughtful little extras like bath salts, a spare toothbrush and a spare razor.