Located in the heart of Crondall, between Farnham and Odiham, The Plume of Feathers is a friendly pub steeped in history and cosy character. Dating back to the 1600s, this Grade II-listed beauty is thought to be one of Hampshire’s oldest watering holes – Oliver Cromwell even bunked here in 1645 (before popping off to lay siege to Basing House, as you do).

Fast-forward to 2025 and after a top-to-toe restoration and new stewardship, she’s looking fabulous inside and out – still cosy and candlelit but with a polish that makes her feel a little bit glam too. The log fires crackle, the candles are always lit and the weekly line-up is far more enticing than the treadmill of life: Monday Pie Night (pie, chips, pint – say no more), steak frites with peppercorn sauce and a cheeky glass of red on Wednesdays and a proper old-school quiz on Tuesdays. Winter cocktails deserve their own fan club – mulled wine, flat white martinis, or a gorgeously autumnal spiced orchard mule with rum, apple, ginger beer and cinnamon. Yes please.

And when it’s time to totter home? You don’t have to – if you’re coming from out of town there are three boutique guest rooms upstairs where you can collapse in comfort. With wreath-making workshops, fireside suppers and the kind of villagey buzz you can’t fake, The Plume of Feathers is history, hospitality and a hefty dollop of Hampshire charm all rolled into one.