Battlesteads Hotel & Restaurant

On the outskirts of Wark (rhymes with bark), a pretty village on the River North Tyne, this is a handsome, village inn - formerly an 18th-century farm - bedecked with hanging baskets. The food and location are what people come for, plus they like to support its green principles; with biomass boiler, solar panels and kitchen garden it aims for a minimal carbon footprint. It's comfortable and homely, rather than swish and stylish, with low-beamed bar, clutter of stuffed birds and framed cartoons, and wood-burning stove. Locals, walkers and dogs prop up the bar, as well as overnight guests. Bedrooms in the pub are comfortably traditional, with kingsize beds; the newer lodge rooms, behind the pub, are vast and offer private decks plus huge modern bathrooms with spa baths. Local sourcing is more than tokenism: salads, herbs plus much of the fruit and vegetables come from the kitchen garden, sausages from the village, meat from local farms. Menus are bold modern British, the wine list is organic or ethically sourced, and real ales are local. Round off the night with a stargazing session in the on-site observatory; the area is a recognised Dark Sky Site.