Urban Pubs With A Rural Feel

In the Spring I will be taking a look at some of the country's best rural pubs, but meanwhile, as we still have a bit of Indian Summer to come (hopefully) here's a run-down on some of my favourite city pubs, that can give you just a little glimpse of country living thanks to their gardens, bucolic views or rural feel.

Cambridge Cambridge Blue, 85 Gwydir Street, off Mill Road. 01223 471680 The Blue is a delightful backstreet pub that dates from the 1860s. It was first known as the Dewdrop Inn, a dreadful Victorian pun widely used at the time. The pub was built to serve railway workers who lived in the small terrace houses in the area but now draws a wider clientele. The current name reflects the university boat race - there was once a wreck of a Cambridge boat in the bar. The Blue has a spacious back garden with a rural feel. There's a large conservatory as well as simple bars with bare boards and masses of breweriana on the walls. It's a haven for beer lovers with 12 ever-changing cask beers plus a vast range of Belgian and American bottled beers. Landlords Terri and Jethro stage regular beer festivals.

Chester Mill, Milton Street. 01244 350035 The Mill stands alongside the Shropshire Union Canal and you can watch boats passing from the bar - the hotel can arrange canal trips and "real ale cruises". Excellent accommodation is available, but there's none of the "will you be eating with us" pressure: visitors and locals are welcome to use the spacious bar as a pub. And what a pub! There are 15 cask beers on offer, including mild ale and two house beers, Mill Premium and Cornmill, brewed by Coach House and Phoenix breweries. The Mill was originally a corn mill and has been in the hands of the Vickers family for 21 years. It's a splendid base for touring the historic delights of Chester.

Penzance Pirate Inn, Alverton Road. 01736 366094 This really is a rural pub in the town, a granite inn converted from a 17th-century farmhouse in the 1950s. There's a large beer garden and shade is provided by many trees and shrubs while buses stop outside the entrance. The lounge has an impressive stone fireplace and raised dining area: the food is recommended. Real West Country cider is drawn from casks in the cellar while the cask beers include two from Cornwall - Sharp's Doom Bar and Skinner's Betty Stogs.

Derby Royal Standard, 1 Derwent Street. 01332 366283 This is a rescued pub, closed in 2006 when the council wanted to knock it down to make way for offices and housing. But the locals stood up and said no and Trevor Harris of the local Derby Brewing Co bought the sight and renovated it. It's open plan with sandblasted walls, large windows, seats outside in a covered courtyard and steps up to a balcony with ample seating and almost sylvan views over the River Derwent. Trevor's son Paul runs the pub and offers a good range of food and beers from his father: Triple Hop, Business as Usual, Dashingly Dark and Double Mash, plus a good range of imported beers, mainly from Belgium and Germany.

Durham Dun Cow, 37 Old Elvet. 0191 386 9219 This ancient ale house dates from the 16th century and draws its inspiration from the folk tale concerning monks from Lindisfarne who in 995AD were searching for a resting place for the body of St Cuthbert. They encountered a milkmaid looking for her lost cow and she directed them to the hamlet of Dun Holm, now Durham. The inn is named after the animal and the story is told on the wall of a corridor that links the small snug bar at the front and large lounge at the rear. In spite of the encroaching castle and cathedral, the Dun Cow retains a rural and intimate atmosphere: drinking here is like stepping back in time. The beers on offer include Black Sheep Best Bitter, Cameron's Castle Eden Ale and Jennings Cumberland Ale, good northern brews.

Hertfordshire Farmer's Boy, 134 London Road, St Albans. 01727 860535 Delightful cottage pub once surrounded by hedges before London Road had pavements. The small area by the bar opens out to a side room with ample seating. There's more seating on a paved outdoor area. At the rear of the pub is the Alehouse Brewery, which brews for the Farmer's Boy and another local pub, the Lower Red Lion. The food is cooked on the premises and the chips get rave reviews. Beers include Alehouse Clipper IPA and Farmers Joy plus Fuller's London Pride and Taylor's Landlord. An excellent refreshment point before visiting St Albans Abbey and Roman Verulamium.

Lancashire Sun, 63 Church Street, Lancaster. 01524 66006 A town centre pub with a country feel, with exposed brick work, wood panels, beams, a 300 year-old oak door, open fireplaces and a well - the latter suggests brewing may have taken place here centuries ago. Food and accommodation are recommended while the beer range is superb. The Sun is the main outlet for the local Lancaster Brewery and offers the full range of Amber, Blonde, Black and Red along with Thwaite's Wainwright from Blackburn and four regular guest beers. There's also a good selection of Belgian beers and malt whiskies. There's an outside heated area for nicotineys.

York Maltings, Tanners Moat, foot of Lendal Bridge.01904 655387 Shaun and Maxine Collinge are legends of the York pub trade and many visitors to the city call in at their riverside pub and never move on. The design is best described as quirky with ancient cigarette advertisements mingling with remedies for chest infections and a plethora of old railway signs - the station is three minutes away. Food from the Dragon's Pantry at lunchtime is homemade and good value: the chilli is described as "incendiary". There are fine beers to accompany the food, including the local York Brewery's Guzzler along with Black Sheep Best and regular guest beers and ciders: porters and stouts are often available. Beers from mainland Europe are sold on draught and in bottle.

Edinburgh Starbank Inn, 64 Laverockbank Road, off A901. 0131 552 4141 There are breathtaking views over the Firth of Forth to Fife - try saying that after a few pints - from this charming waterside pub with U-shaped interior, bare boarded floors, old brewery mirrors and a conservatory for diners. Given the location, it's not surprising that fish features strongly on the menu, available lunchtime and evening, along with a daily vegetarian dish and such pub staples as ploughman's and steak and ale pie. There's occasional live jazz on Sundays, wi-fi access and a tremendous range of beers, mainly from Scottish breweries: you may find Caledonian Deuchars IPA and Harviestoun, and watch out for the classic 80 Shilling Ale from Belhaven of Dunbar.

Cardiff Mochyn Du, Sophia Close. 029 203 71599 The name means black pig and comes from a Welsh folk song. The pub (right) is a converted Victorian gate house on the edge of Sophia Gardens and enjoys a delightful rural location on the edge of the city. It's also just a few minutes' walk to Glamorgan cricket ground, which now enjoys Test status. The pub is surrounded by trees, bushes and flower beds, there's ample outside seating and a new conservatory offers both fine views and a good menu. The main wood-panelled bar has many sporting photos, including a surprising one of Ryan Giggs in a Wales rugby shirt: is he planning a late career change? A splendid range of beers comes from Welsh independent breweries, including a number of small micros. The houue beer is supplied by the Vale of Glamorgan Brewery.