The Woodman Inn - Durham

Head down Gilesgate and you'll find The Woodman doing what a good neighbourhood pub should: serving decent drinks, proper food, and creating the kind of atmosphere where regulars know the bar staff's names. It's the sort of place where you can nurse a pint and read the paper without feeling rushed, or arrive with mates and actually hear each other talk. The wood-heavy interior (fitting, given the name) gives it a warm, lived-in feel that's refreshingly unpretentious. You're in the heart of Durham here—close enough to the Cathedral and Market Place to pull in visitors, but locals clearly outnumber them, which tells you everything.