Editors’ picks: 10 of our favourite UK pubs for summer

If you’re dreaming of long days soaking up the sun, ice-cold drink in hand, soaking up the scenery, the National Geographic Traveller (UK) team has just the ticket. Here are our 10 favourite pubs in the UK for summer drinking, from a remote beachside boozer to an urban brewery bar.

1. The Beachy Head, Eastbourne, East Sussex 

After the thigh-burning ascent from Eastbourne to Beachy Head lighthouse, you’ll be ready for a thirst-quenching pint or two. Enter The Beachy Head, a rustic pub with regional cask ales, beers and ciders on tap. It’s the knock-out views that are the real draw, with the vast pub garden offering an uninterrupted panorama across the clifftops and out to the channel. It’s also one of the few places along the south coast where you can stay in a campervan overnight without charge — all that’s asked is that you buy a meal in the pub. This seems a very good deal, given the menu of pub classics, brunch options and cracking selection Sunday roasts. The surrounding South Downs are primed for coastal walks and nearby Birling Gap is a popular spot for sea swims. Megan Hughes, project editor, National Geographic Traveller

2. Cross Guns, Avoncliff, Wiltshire

A short amble from Bradford-on-Avon along the Kennet and Avon Canal brings you to the Cross Guns. It dates back in part to the 14th century, and the pub’s storied history is apparent in its timber beams and stone walls — but ignore all that and march straight through to the garden. Spilling down to the River Avon in a series of terraces, with views of the aqueduct carrying the canal, the garden is the perfect spot for a cold pint on a hot day. Amanda Canning, deputy editor, National Geographic Traveller 

3. Piglove by the River, Leeds, Yorkshire

A short walk from Leeds city centre, local brewery Piglove’s riverside taproom is the perfect place to while away a lazy summer’s afternoon. The set-up is simple: dozens of picnic tables sprawl across a sun-soaked patch of grass next to the gently flowing River Aire. With an enticing selection of craft beers and a rotating line-up of street food vans, this informal watering hole has become a firm favourite among locals seeking a relaxed spot to unwind and catch up. Matthew Figg, contributor, National Geographic Traveller

4. The Old Neptune, Whitstable, Kent

Many Londoners escape the scorching city for Whitstable’s oysters and lobster, but the ultimate prize at the end of a windswept seafront walk should be a pint at The Old Neptune — The Neppy, as it’s known locally. Its whitewashed exterior beams in the sun like a lighthouse calling weary travellers to one of Britain’s few pubs actually on the beach, while inside you’ll find an extensive menu of local ales and continental lagers. Visit on a balmy weekend evening and pair fish and chips with sunset views and free live music. Karlina Valeiko, deputy digital editor, National Geographic Traveller 

5. The Peterboat, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex

After getting your fill of seaside amusements in Southend, slow the pace in Old Leigh, where the estuary is lined with cockle sheds and traditional pubs — including The Peterboat. With a history dating back to the 17th century (though the original iteration burned down in 1892), this old fisherman’s inn has long been a popular spot with locals as well as visitors — and with good reason. The fish and chips are brilliant, while the outside area, overlooking the estuary, is ideal for soaking up the last few rays of the day with an ice-cold beer. Lucy McGuire, project editor, National Geographic Traveller 

6. Princess of Wales, London

It’s impossible to come to this Hackney pub on a gloomy day without making a mental note to return in better weather, as it’s a quintessential summer spot. Not just because of the refreshing cocktails, or the mouthwatering burgers being flipped at the outdoor Burger Shack, but — crucially — thanks to its location. Sitting on the River Lea, this pub has a fabulous waterside terrace where you can soak up the sun, and picnic benches right on the towpath where you can watch the boats go by, watermelon and basil spritz in hand. Berkok Yüksel, content strategist, National Geographic Traveller

7. The Globe Inn, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk 

The recipe for a great British summer is: take a popular seaside location, add a sunny, parasol-shaded courtyard terrace full of lively chatter and copious bunting, and top off with a local seafood platter full of smoked crevettes and lemony aioli. Pair with a chilled pint of Adnams. The result awaits at The Globe Inn, the dog-friendly north Norfolk gastropub a short wander from the candy-striped beach huts and pine-backed sands of on Wells-next-the-Sea, as well as Holkham Beach’s grassy dunes. Georgia Stephens, commissioning editor, National Geographic Traveller

8. Port Charlotte Hotel, Islay, Argyll

Like many of Islay’s best boozers, this one is housed in an old inn. Set in Port Charlotte, one of the Hebridean island’s prettiest villages, this 19th-century beamed beauty has crowned the coast since the Lochindaal Distillery drove local business. That landmark has long gone but the hotel’s bar offers an array of peaty malts from Islay’s nine distilleries. With low ceilings, walls patchworked with Glasgow School artwork and live music on the tiny stage, this is a cosy spot — handy in Scotland’s changeable summers. And with its own little beach and windows overlooking Lochindaal, the pub offers dolphin-spotting while you dine on Islay scallops, oysters from Loch Gruinart, or top-notch venison, beef and red partridge from island estates. Sarah Barrell, senior editor, National Geographic Traveller Food (UK)

9. Tŷ Coch Inn, Porthdinllaen, Gwynedd

Sand in the bar, sand in the toilets, sand between your toes — this is what to expect from a pilgrimage to the Tŷ Coch Inn on Wales’s Llŷn Peninsula. It’s the type of laid-back pub built for summer days, where pints of local beer are served in paper cups because it’s inevitable visitors will end up on the dreamy, sheltered beach off its front steps. When the sun’s out, a festival vibe prevails. Reaching Tŷ Coch is half the fun: the pub’s in an isolated old fishing village owned by the National Trust, with no public road, so to get there you have to hike 20 minutes over a clifftop or along the beach from the small town of Morfa Nefyn. Lorna Parkes, commissioning editor, National Geographic Traveller

10. The Swan Inn, Chiddingford, Surrey 

This quaint country pub in even quainter Chiddingfold is a dog-friendly spot — perfect for retiring to after a long amble across Surrey’s rolling green hills and open fields. You’ll find treats on hand for canine companions, as well as plenty for humans, too, including a delicious amaretto cherry sour and a number of draught beers. The seared scallops alone are enough reason to plan a visit, and in summer an additional draw is the recently renovated garden. Layla Turner, project editor, National Geographic Traveller