I

n England pubs aren’t just places where you can buy alcohol (although the odd pint or two is very much encouraged); they’re also intrinsically wrapped up with the country’s history.

Nowhere is this more apparent than at the Prospect of Whitby on the banks of the River Thames. It was here that the likes of "Hanging" Judge Jeffreys, Charles Dickens and Samuel Pepys once supped their brews (obviously not at the same time) and – so the legend goes – where criminals were tied to posts and left to drown at high tide.

For a pub with a slightly pleasanter history, however, head for the Leicester Arms , not in Leicester but in Kent . This 16th-century inn hasn’t changed much over the centuries; it still has oak beams, a roaring fireplace, fine local ales and, if you have too many of the latter, grand four-poster beds in its bedrooms.

The Wheatsheaf in Cumbria has had an altogether more varied background, though. This pub started off in 1762 as three cottages and a shoeing room for horses. Rather inauspicious you might think; but throughout its 200-odd-year history it’s become a focal point for local horsey types and, more recently, a bit of a culinary gem, serving dishes like potted Morecambe Bay shrimps and carved loin of Holker venison. Delish.

Over in Wing, near Rutland, The Kings Arms is the perfect destination for a cosy pint and some top grub on a chill winter's day. The large crackling log fire of this inn which dates back to 1649 means it's a tough place to leave for a stroll around Rutland Water Nature Reserve just down the road.