The Guinness Arms

Located in the unassuming village of Icklingham, this old coaching inn is part of the Elveden Estate, which straddles the Norfolk-Suffolk border and has been in the hands of the Guinness brewing dynasty for over 100 years. They renovated the place a couple of years ago, turning it into a proper gastropub with some very comfortable guest rooms in various outbuildings and it's essentially a perfect location for a proper, easy-to-reach weekend in the country – with multiple footpaths leading across the estate and nearby Thetford Forest. You’re also just outside Bury St Edmunds, which is a terrific town for a spot of weekend shopping and eating, and Thetford Forest encompasses a branch of Go Ape, along with a forest centre from where you can go walking, follow mountain-bike trails and more.

There are 8 guest rooms, 4 occupying a renovated flint barn and 4 more in matching purpose-built barns next door. They’re all very well-equipped and decorated in a classic but contemporary style with boldly styled curtains and upholstery, and each is styled after a member of the Guinness family. Alec’s room is naturally full of actorish memorabilia, while Lulu’s room was created by the fashion designer herself and has a hand-painted mural and a gorgeous four-poster bed. The best rooms – Lulu and Bunny – are also the largest, with bespoke beds and large, contemporary bathrooms with spacious walk-in showers; the cheaper rooms in the original barn are  smaller but have all the same amenities – tea- and coffee-making facilities, mineral water, air-conditioning, robes, Smart TVs and good wifi.

The owners been careful to retain all the most desirable aspects of its essential pubbinness while updating it as a destination for dining and accommodation. The extension they’ve added at the back is a lovely place to eat on a summer evening, leading out onto a large patio and garden which stretches down to the gently flowing river Lark. Like its sister pub, The Elveden Inn, its food is based on ingredients from the estate, which provides pork, game and venison and fruit and vegetables to create a menu of unretentious pub grub items that are always beautifully presented and locally sourced.