This revamped village inn offers a friendly atmosphere, house-brewed ales and some nice touches to welcome young families
French supernatural drama The Returned had several scenes in which characters tried to escape from the mountain village only to end up driving round in circles, passing the same landmarks again and again until it dawned on them that they could never leave. As we drove through the village of Edington for the third time, past the impressive 14th-century church – again – I was starting to feel mild panic that the reverse would happen: we would never arrive at the Three Daggers. Wiltshire, with its ancient stones and its crop circles, is known for mysteries, but this was getting ridiculous. We found it on our fourth tour of the village – as three locals told us, you can’t miss it.
The Three Daggers is a 200-year-old village inn that had been set for conversion into residential use. But Chad Pike, an American property developer and owner of nearby Priory Farm, bought it and revitalised the tired interior with all the classic markers of the modern pub: slate floor, zinc bar, wood-burners, old black and white photos. That was in 2010. Two years later, three guestrooms, a microbrewery and a farm shop were added, and there are plans for more rooms across the road. The latest addition is the “beer bus”, a jazzed-up Citroen H van that will tour festivals selling Daggers ales.
Related: Pembroke Arms, Salisbury, Wiltshire: hotel review
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