Pip's

You won’t find a quirkier place to stop than this 1850s railway carriage and old double-decker bus. Now transformed into a café, the train carriage, with its original booths restored, offers private tables for groups, with communal tables out in the ivy-strewn marquee. Tables on the bus are sunny upstairs and cosier below with lovely views, and there are picnic benches and plenty of grass for children to play on.

Menus change daily which means abundant organic salads in summer, warming comfort food with a twist in the colder months. It’s a grazing-style format, so visitors can sample several of the creative flavour combinations on offer.

Stock up at the Bakebox and deli in a shipping container outside, with delights such as mozzarella ciabatta, farm green falafels and raspberry and dark chocolate nut bars. Order ahead to have orders ready to collect on the fly. The Trading Post farm shop next door is also worth raiding. Described by the Times as ‘a mini Borough market’ it offers a cornucopia of local fare and natural whole foods: pickles, smoked fish, eggs, cheese, homegrown veg, organic wine and fresh-cut flowers.