The Crown is a 500-year-old gastropub with 13 indulgent rooms that sits proudly on the high street in Bildeston, a very handsome Suffolk village near Hadleigh. The pub is full of interesting and original features, with low beams, huge old fireplaces, secret staircases and lots of cosy spaces with squishy armchairs for a winter warm up or four beautiful courtyards and terraces for summer sips. When you step inside it’s like being given a hug – both the atmosphere and the service are wonderfully friendly and feel-good.

It’s rural charm at its best here. You’ll find an attractive dog-friendly bar where you can order a Mauldons Suffolk Pride beer or glass of bubbly before heading into the lighter and lovely dining areas for an exquisite meal you won’t forget in a hurry. The Crown has always had an amazing reputation for its food – ask any Suffolk resident with taste and they’ll tell you its one of their favourite foodie destinations. It’s not just hearsay though, the pub has been the proud owner of 3 AA Rosettes since 2008 and now as part of the Nedging Hall Estate, which also own The Lindsey Rose, The Brewers Tap in Sudbury and Mauldons Brewery, it’s only getting better!

Pretty much every pub these days says its menu is locally-sourced, but The Crown takes this one step further with its ultra-local estate-to-plate menu that uses ingredients from the 5,000 acre estate right on its doorstep. The estate’s gardening team and the pub’s chefs work closely together to ensure the menu changes in tandem with the Suffolk countryside throughout the seasons. Everything from the venison to the fruit and vegetables comes from within a few miles of the pub’s front door. Keep an eye out for special tasting events throughout the year. Next up? Best of Suffolk Wild Game with fine wines on 29 November.

If you live near to The Crown then lucky you for having such a fabulous local. If not, make a weekend of it and stay in one of the 13 en suite rooms, each individually designed and where historical charm and modern touches meet in perfect harmony. The pub’s location in a golden triangle between Bury St Edmunds, the Dedham Vale and the historic towns of Lavenham and Long Melford makes it a great base for exploring the very best of south and west Suffolk.