The Crab & Lobster

This 17th-century whitewashed inn sits on Pagham Harbour, a tidal estuary that teems with preening birds. It’s a peaceful stop, protected by a country lane mostly ignored by tourists. Inside, the restaurant/bar comes with a smouldering fire at one end and a wood-burner at the other. You’ll find pretty art, fresh flowers and a chic alcove with banquette seating; in summer, life spills onto a terrace for lunch in the sun. Beautiful bedrooms come in duck-egg blue with crisp white linen, garden flowers, flat-screen TVs and lovely bathrooms. Three have views across fields to the water, the other has a telescope with which to scan the high seas; the cottage has a well-equipped kitchen and a sitting room, too. By day you explore an area overflowing with history: Fishbourne Roman Palace: 11th-century Arundel Castle, and Bosham, where King Canute tried to turn back the waves;. Excellent food waits your return, fine dining with an emphasis on fresh fish and of course crab and lobster, sourced as locally as possible.