Five country pubs in and around Greater Manchester with amazing Sunday roasts

Now is the perfect time to indulge in delicious food, take a stroll amongst the conkers and the red and yellow leaves, and settle into the season before Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas roll around - they do always come around quicker than you think too.

A country pub can be a destination to head to in itself, but a walk to or from it, can also be a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon too. In autumn and winter, these old school pubs and boozers really shine, with their traditional interiors including low beams, seating nooks and cosy fireplaces really setting the scene.

And whilst you're there, a Sunday roast is always a good idea. A staple of the colder months, this beloved British dish can cure even the drizzliest of days and even a lingering seasonal cold.

From thick cuts of beef and lamb, to golden slathers of chicken lavished with glistening gravy, the mere thought makes us hungry.

Then there's the trimmings too, whether you go big on lots of roasts potatoes, make sure to get your five a day with beautiful vegetables, or even signal Christmas has arrived early with some cheeky pigs in blankets, you can really have as much or as little as you like with a roast.

We say it a lot, but Greater Manchester is really lucky to have such a strong roster of places to get pub grub. In and around it, country pubs are plentiful too. We've put together some suggestions if you're in the mood for a roast dinner this weekend, and if there's somewhere you would like to recommend, then please make your suggestion in the comments.

The Packhorse, Hayfield

Not far from the Stockport border you'll find Hayfield. The scenic moorland village in Derbyshire is at the foot of Kinder Scout, and attracts hikers in their droves. It's famous as the starting point for the 1932 Mass Trespass that helped create Britain's National Parks, but The Packhorse is famous in its own right too.

The award-winning pub run by chef Luke Payne has become a much-loved part of the community. Ten years since opening, The Pack Horse has featured in the Michelin Guide and ranked 19th in the Top 50 Gastropubs Awards 2024.

Its roasts are top notch - we're talking snacks and starters even before the main event. Start with a Bloody Mary prawn cocktail before tucking into a choice of treacle-glazed Derbyshire beef or mint and honey slow-braised lamb shoulder, or even opt for the Sunday Roast For Two and try out the Whitwam Brothers grilled chicken or 600g Wing rib on the bone. There's extra jugs of gravy, jersey royals, chips, and honey carrots for sides too.

The Old Hall Inn, Chinley

Tucked away on the fringes of the Peak District, is the High Peak village of Whitehough near Chinley. It sits at the foot of Eccles Pike meaning it's great for a Sunday walk. If you need an incentive, look no further than The Old Hall Inn.

The 16th-century country pub was once an Elizabethan manor house which explains its dark-panelled rooms and minstrels' gallery.

Walk in and you'll notice it has retained its flagstone floors, wooden beams and country inn features.

Sit by one of its fireplaces and peruse its menu which include a Sunday roast served from 12 noon until 7pm. Roasts (From £20) are served with all the trimmings, including homemade Yorkshire pudding, and our beef stock gravy.

The Cholmondeley Arms

There's a Cheshire village with a fairytale castle, stunning gardens to explore and an award-winning pub, that you really need to add to your list of days out. Despite only being a tiny village, thousands flock to Cholmondeley every year - and are handsomely rewarded.

The village is largely made up of the Cholmondeley Estate, the historic parkland where its castle and gardens sit - and where many visit to walk around the stunning green spaces and attend numerous events held throughout the year.

One of the main draws of the estate though is its pub, The Cholmondeley Arms - the "The Chum" as it is also known. It sits inside a former Victorian village schoolhouse on the estate and has won many accolades over the years, including best in Britain in at the Great British Pub Awards.

Its Sunday lunch (From £17.95) features aged Lancashire beef and chicken supreme, both served with all the trimmings - think Yorkshire pudding, duck fat and rosemary potatoes, cauliflower cheese and red wine gravy. Leave space for dessert too including sticky toffee pudding, traditional apple and blueberry crumble and old school jam roly-poly pudding.

The White Hart Inn, Lydgate

Located in the picturesque village of Lydgate in Saddleworth, this award-winning pub with rooms has a lot of history. Built in 1788 by local landowner John Buckley, over the years its been used as a police station, a schoolhouse and a weaver's cottage, and during the Second World War was used as a look out point, with the cellars a bomb shelter.

The Buckley family sold the pub in 1921 to the Gartside Brewery and it remained brewery owned until 1987. In June 1994, Charles Brierley bought the freehold of The White Hart Inn and extended and renovated the pub, turning it into the award-winning venue it is today.

From light lunch to evening meals, and tasting menus too, they excel in gastronomy. This extends to their Sunday offer too. There's a range of starters from £7.50 including sweet potato soup and jamón croquette before the Sunday Dinner (£28) with options of grass-fed Hereford rump of beef, half roast Yorkshire chicken and Easingwold pork belly.

All served with Yorkshire pudding, roasted carrots, roast potatoes, creamed mustard leeks, red cabbage, red wine sauce, and pork stuffing. You can upgrade your Yorkshire pudding too (£4.50) if you fancy one stuffed with braised beef.

The Church Inn, Mobberley

This historic pub recently took home the title of best in the north west at the National Pub and Bar Awards. In bestowing the honour, organisers hailed the Church Inn: "the perfect, quintessential English village pub".

It ticks all the boxes for those after a proper country pub - brickwork clad in creepers, bouncing hydrangeas at the doorway, and a beer garden overlooking an ancient church. It's lovely at this time of year too, especially if you're after a roast dinner.

For a little nibble to start, there's the sage and onion scotch egg, as well as wild boar and apple sausages. Roasts (from £18.95) include includes 28-day aged sirloin of beef, slow-roasted lamb shank, or supreme. They also offer a mixed meat roast with all the trimmings, and you can add on cauliflower cheese too for £4.95 too.