The Peacock

You'll walk in and find locals at the bar, which gives you a real flavour of how people actually live in rural England without the crowds you'd get elsewhere. The atmosphere is relaxed and unhurried – the kind of place where settling in for a drink feels like the whole point of the afternoon.

They do straightforward pub food done properly: hearty, warming dishes that don't try to be anything fancy. Lunches and evening meals are satisfying, and if you're here on a Sunday, the roast is worth making time for. There's usually a local brewery ale on tap, and everything feels designed to be enjoyed slowly, with conversation and the easy-going company of whoever happens to be in.

Oxhill itself is a pleasant village, and this pub really is its nerve centre. It works well as a base if you're exploring the northern edge of the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Shipston-on-Stour is close by for a quick market town browse, and you've got Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick within easy driving distance, so it suits perfectly as a comfortable stopping point during a broader day out in the area.