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The Stapleton Arms - Buckhorn Weston

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An elegantly laid-back country pub

If you’re looking for a laid-back place to stay, the lovely Stapleton Arms could well be your idea of heaven. A relaxed and stylish makeover has made this country pub in the middle of a little Dorset village an oasis of flag-stoned chic - a huge, light and airy bar, with its squidgy sofas and big, stone fireplace, is as welcoming in the height of summer as it is as a cosy, winter retreat, while the gorgeously elegant blue dining room is as much a destination place to dine as any city-centre restaurant.

Upstairs, four luxury bedrooms offer the ultimate in intimate country retreats. Each has a big, comfy bed, with crisp, Egyptian cotton linen and cosy cushions and throws. The decor mixes the Georgian period features of the building with contemporary touches perfectly, with flat-screen tellies and DVD players sitting alongside lovely original fireplaces. Big sash windows overlook the village - the little post office opposite is pure Enid Blyton - while the green-ness of the countryside beyond wafts in. The enormous bathrooms are amazing - with free-standing baths, power showers and some fantastic toiletries. It’s all lovely.

Breakfast at The Stapleton Arms is a treat, with local bacon and eggs, home-made bread, fresh fruit and freshly-ground coffee on offer... and that’s just a taster of what this place is about food-wise. Mouth-watering lunch and dinner menus using loads of local ingredients, including fish caught on the Dorset coast that day, meat from animals grazed on Dorset grass and vegetables grown less than 20 miles away, are brilliant - the perfect complement to lungfuls of fresh air. The home-made pork pies that are stacked on the bar are a particular favourite, while the puddings are to die for. Whether eaten in the friendly bar area, the restaurant or in The Stapleton’s cute beer garden - it’s all great.

Where is it?

Little Buckhorn Weston lies on the edge of the undulating Blackmore Vale, 9 miles west of Shaftesbury. It’s a tiny place, with the post office and a church and The Stapleton Arms and that’s about it - perfect for a middle-of-nowhere escape. The surrounding Dorset countryside is great for walking, so bring your wellies/walking boots (depending on how serious you are...). The beautiful Blackmore Vale and the lush Stour Valley - miles of rolling hills and farmland that famously inspired Thomas Hardy and featured heavily in Tess of the D’Urbevilles, are right on the doorstep. Walk through lovely Duncliffe Wood, 5 miles from Buckhorn Weston, and up Duncliffe Hill for some stunning views across the whole area.

The famous cobbled Gold Hill in the pretty town of Shaftesbury is another must-climb, if only to pretend that you’re the small boy with his bike in the Hovis advert (the Ridley Scott-directed ad was filmed here). The steep, cobbled street of picture box loveliness, lined with thatched cottages and offering fantastic views across the Vale, is definitely Shaftesbury’s piéce-de-resistance, but the rest of the small but very attractive hilltop town is a great place for an aimless potter. Log on to the Shaftesbury heritage website (www.shaftesburyheritage.org.uk) for a walking map pointing out the big jumble of historic sites in the town centre. There’s also a brilliant farmers’ market selling loads of delicious Dorset grub on the first Saturday of each month - perfect for picnickers.

Eight miles from Shaftesbury are the beautifully green Larmer Tree Gardens, home to two of the most leafy, laid-back music festivals in the UK. The Larmer Tree Festival (www.larmertreefestival.co.uk Tel: 01725 552300) is held in July and offers five days of the most eclectic line-up you’re ever likely to come across. Well-established acts (this year Jules Holland is headlining) mix with musicians from all over the world on stages amongst the trees. If the sun’s out, it’s bliss. The End of the Road Festival (www.endoftheroadfestival.com Tel: 01342 892 664) in September is just as chilled, with the emphasis on longer sets that you’d get in the country’s major festivals - so you can just lie back, relax and hear some fantastic music.

If it’s relaxation you’re after, but without the soundtrack, gorgeous Stourhead (www.nationaltrust.org.uk Tel: 01747 841152) - a honey-coloured Palladian mansion with world-famous landscape gardens that couldn’t be a more romantic spot if it tried. Laid out in the mid-eighteenth-century, the gardens and parkland lie around a huge ornamental lake, its banks dotted with follies, grottos, temples and statues. It’s easy to spend a whole day strolling through the greenery, especially if you opt for a bite to eat and a pint at The Spread Eagle Inn (www.spreadeagleinn.com Tel: 01747 840587), Stourhead’s own country pub. For one of the best night’s out in the UK, visit Stourhead for its famous Fête Champetre in July - a fireworks/music/picknicking/dressing-up extravaganza which, despite its name, is very, very British.

More historic loveliness lies 11 miles from The Stapleton Arms in the form of Sherborne - a medieval market town built in honeyed Dorset stone, with a gorgeous, bustling main street - Cheap Street - two castles and, right in the middle, stunning Sherborne Abbey. Originally a Saxon Cathedral, then a Benedictine Monastery, the Abbey was re-built in the 15th century as a jaw-dropping parish church - voted one of the most beautiful in England. As well as a great place to wander around, the Abbey is also home to its own Music Festival each May, with top names in classical music making the most of the great acoustics the cavernous interior provides. Log on to www.sherborneabbey.org for details of this year’s event.

Sherborne Castle (www.sherbornecastle.com Tel: 01935 813182) is the town’s other claim to fame. Built in 1594 by Sir Walter Raleigh, the handsome Elizabethan castle sits in 40 acres of glorious Capability Brown gardens and next to its own enormous lake. Perfect for aimless wandering and summer picnics, the castle and its grounds also play host to some great events throughout the year - open air theatre, concerts, fireworks and classic car shows. It’s also the venue for the famous Ironman UK Triathlon (www.ironmanuk.com) in September. Take an enormous picnic and relax, while hundreds of uber-fit lunatics run circles around you. Literally. Romantic weekenders (with an anorak) will love Sherborne’s Old Castle (www.english-heritage.org.uk Tel: 01935 812730) - the tumbling ruins of a 12th century palace, which later became an important Royalist stronghold in the Civil War. With stunning views across the town and the Dorset countryside beyond, it’s also a great base for walkers. For starters, the stroll through the castle grounds towards the pretty village of Goathill, just over a mile away, is especially pretty.

Sherborne itself is a potterer’s paradise, with a maze of little alleys, stunning Georgian facades and the Abbey grounds to explore, plus great shops and places to eat (one of our favourite places to browse aimlessly is Walkabout Books (www.walkaboutbooks.co.uk Tel: 01935 817 451), a tiny bookshop specialising in all things travel-related).

Where can I eat?

The lovely restaurant, bar and garden at The Stapleton Arms really are no-brainers of an eating option. Not only is the food fantastic, but there’s nothing better than enjoying a great meal and a bottle (or two) of vino, safe in the knowledge that your comfy bed’s within stumbling distance.

If you are looking for an alternative though, there are some lovely places to eat within easy reach. Shaftesbury is home to Le Chanterelle (Tel: 01747 852821) - a cosy and popular French restaurant in a pretty 18th-century cottage. Experienced head chef Ryan Lamb uses loads of mouthwatering local produce to put together a deliciously un-pretentious menu.

For something a little more rustic and infinitely more British, visit The Spread Eagle (www.spreadeagleinn.com Tel: 01747 840587) at Stourhead for way-above-average pub grub. Home-made pies, slow-cooked stews, fresh fish and some fantastic roasts all made with the best in Dorset and Somerset ingredients are fabulous.

Sherborne is full of lovely cafes and delis - perfect for brunch, lunch and tea. Olivers (Tel: 01935 815005) on Cheap Street is a great place to chill out, read the paper and neck endless cups of coffee, while The Pear Tree (Tel: 01935 812828) on Half Moon Street, close to the Abbey, is a fantastic deli-cum-cafe serving fab lunches. But if it’s dinner you’re after, The Green (Tel: 01935 813821) is the best restaurant in town, serving Modern European dishes made with the freshest local and seasonal produce.

Of course, you could visit the gorgeous Queen's Arms, the sister pub to The Stapleton Arms, in the pretty village of Corton Denham, 12 miles from Buckhorn Weston. A lovely country pub, with a chic modern twist, it offers an equally delicious menu to its sibling, mixing elegant and colourful takes on British classics with lighter dishes. The beautiful Somerset village of Corton Denham, in the shadow of a green ridgeway offering far-reaching views is the perfect base for a post or pre-lunch ramble.

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If you’re looking for a laid-back place to stay, the lovely Stapleton Arms could well be your idea of heaven. A relaxed and stylish makeover has made this country pub in the middle of a little Dorset village an oasis of flag-stoned chic.