The Cross Keys: a long-standing favourite

A third place that has stood the test Nestled in the quiet village of Woolstone, surrounded by houses that don’t quite match its own personality, is a building that was alive way before our time. The Cross Keys is a 16th century pub that boasts sturdy colour-washed rubble stone walls, timber-framed casement windows and a traditional thatched roof, as if to prove its age to the newer buildings around it. Several hanging baskets line the walls of the grade II listed building, flourishing with flowers of different kinds and colours. The stone walls also host a number of lanterns, which lay dormant until they need to illuminate the building in place of the sun. Towards the back of the pub is where you’ll find the 16th and 21st centuries meet. Undergoing a major renovation in 2018, The Cross Keys was extended to include what was once an old barn. The building flaunts its new bi-fold doors, which open up into a patio with a pergola, sheltering wicker benches and marble-print tables. Past the outdoor seating area, you’ll find a garden of round picnic benches with parasols labeled ‘Aperol Spritz’, accompanied by a wood-panelled bar. Modern contemporary meets old rustic charm The rustic charm of The Cross Keys continues inside of its centuries-old walls. Stepping up and through the small wooden door (head ducked, of course), you’re met by low ceilings holding onto exposed wooden beams and uneven flooring that dips and rises, both acting as reminders of the years the pub has served. Its modern characteristics shine through in each and every small detail. Stained wooden tables, leather chairs, and fabric-covered stools fill the floors across the restaurant and bar. The walls, which vary between the colours of blue, green and yellow, are home to a number of picture frames, many bearing images that pay homage to the history that happened within them. Each table is dressed with tall wine glasses and silver cutlery laid on stark-white napkins. Every room is dimly lit with spotl...