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The Chequers Inn - Wooburn Common

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Beautiful pub and restaurant-with-rooms

A beautiful pub in gorgeous rolling countryside, with luxurious bedrooms, an award-winning restaurant and gardens to loll about in on a sunny afternoon… sounds lovely. But all this just 30 miles from the middle of London? The Chequers Inn could easily sound too good to be true, if it wasn’t very real and totally perfect for that quick and easy weekend break.

This 17th century coaching inn has been transformed into a rural retreat bar none. The bar is cosy, firelit and full of original beams and flagged floors, while the newly-refurbished lounge is comfy rural chic at its best. The inn’s 17 en-suite bedrooms are all individually and stylishly furnished, with antique pieces mixing with neutral colour schemes to create little havens of calm. The rooms at the front of the inn offer stunning views over the Chilterns countryside, while clever other-halves wanting to woo will choose the gorgeous four-poster suite – cosy, romantic and hard to resist.

Downstairs, The Chequers’ restaurant is one of the best in the area and winner of a whole bundle of awards. The restaurant itself is beautiful – half Edwardian, half modern, the crisp, white table linen mixed with groovy leather chairs, eclectic prints and plants make for a stylish and opulent place to eat. Although, if you’re lucky enough to stay during a rare balmy summer evening, the tables are laid outside and you can enjoy your dinner along with the beautiful Buckinghamshire sunset. Menus are vibrant, fresh and luxurious, with British classics given a French twist, plus the puddings are to die for. No wonder the reviews have been so effusive. Of course, your breakfast also lacks nothing in terms of quality and panache. Yum yum.

And all this at wallet-friendly prices. In fact, special mention should be made of The Chequers’ great weekend deals – at the moment, you can get a room and full English breakfast for two nights, plus a three-course Table d’Hote dinner, all for £135 per person. Who says luxury has to break the bank?

Where is it?

Hidden away in the Buckinghamshire countryside, within spitting distance of the M40 and yet still an oasis of calm, The Chequers Inn sits at the foot of the Chiltern Hills, close to the banks of the Thames. Because it’s so close to London, this pretty corner of England is often over-looked by Weekenders, but its scenery, picturesque villages and country pubs make for a great relaxing break.

Just 3 miles from Wooburn Common is the pretty riverside village of Cookham, a huddle of small shops, restaurants and the perfect base for walks along the Thames or up Winter Hill – a 200ft beauty spot that offers fantastic views. The village is best known as the birthplace and home of British artist, Sir Stanley Spencer, and the small but brilliant museum dedicated to his work is a fascinating place to visit (www.stanleyspencer.org.uk Tel: 01628-471885). Two miles from Wooburn Common in the other direction is the jaw-dropping Cliveden (www.nationaltrust.org.uk Tel: 01628 605069), a behemoth of an Italianate mansion, once the hub of early 20th century society, and now one of the most luxurious hotels in the country. Bought by the American Astor family in 1893, Cliveden is most famous for its part in the Profumo Affair, while other notable guests have included most royals and countless A-listers (although today it has been infiltrated by premier league footballers and their wedding parties). The house is open to the public on selected days during the summer, while the amazing formal gardens, woodlands, and riverside walks are open most of the year. If you find yourself seduced by the A-list lifestyle, you can buy day or half-day packages at the hotel’s award-winning and truly beautiful Pavilion Spa (www.clivedenhouse.co.uk Tel: 01628 668561).

If the grandeur of Cliveden isn’t exciting enough for you, try this… Wooburn Common is the perfect base to start The Midsomer Murders Tour! Yes, the majority of the Sunday night cult classic (trust me – this programme is addictive. Just ask Ricky from The Kaiser Chiefs…) is filmed in the beautiful Buckinghamshire countryside close to The Chequers Inn, and you can download a suggested route to follow from the Bucks Tourist Website (www.visitbuckinghamshire.org). Take in Inspector Barnaby’s favourite drinking holes, visit the real Badger’s Drift and find out why this particular corner of Britain has seen more murders in the last ten years than downtown Brooklyn has seen in a lifetime.

Where can I eat?

The restaurant at The Chequers Inn really is a no-brainer of an eating option, as the food is fantastic and, after all, there really is nothing better than eating a fab meal and downing a bottle (or two) of vino safe in the knowledge that you’re within stumbling distance of your own bed.

If you are looking for an alternative, however, there are plenty of amazing restaurants within easy reach. The riverside village of Bray is just 7 miles from Wooburn Common, and home to The Fat Duck (www.fatduck.co.uk Tel: 01628 580 333) – perhaps the most famous restaurant in the UK. Owned by Heston Blumenthal, this 3-Michelin-Star powerhouse has been named 2007 Best Restaurant in the UK and 2007 2nd Best Restaurant in the World. Blumenthal’s uber-innovative, scientific cooking style makes for arguably the most amazing food combinations you will ever put in your mouth – the tasting menu (including, famously, snail porridge and Nitro-scrambled egg and bacon ice cream), is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Fat Duck takes bookings up to two months in advance, so you need to be quick off the mark to get that table.

For something a little less breathless (and a lot easier on the bank balance), Blumenthal has also opened The Hind’s Head in Bray (www.thehindsheadhotel.com Tel: 01628 626151) – a cut-above-the-average gastro-pub that serves brilliantly comforting British classics, alongside puddings to die for and an award-winning wine list.

Other culinary legends in the area include The Waterside Inn (www.waterside-inn.co.uk Tel: 01628 620691), Michel Roux’s 3-Michelin-star restaurant, also in Bray; Dean Timpson at The Compleat Angler (www.deantimpson.co.uk Tel: 01628 405405), 6 miles from The Chequers Inn at Marlow; and the Michelin-starred Waldo’s at Cliveden (details as above).

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A beautiful pub in gorgeous rolling countryside, with luxurious bedrooms, an award-winning restaurant and gardens to loll about in on a sunny afternoon… and all just 30 miles from London.