THE Running Horse is a nice place to have Sunday lunch, whatever the weather.

If it’s chilly, the inside is warm and welcoming with a proper pub feel about it. If it’s sunny, there are tables to sit outside and a playground for the children to let off steam in.

And on one of those changeable days we’ve had lately, when the weather can’t seem to decide whether to be hot or cold, we had the best of both worlds.

We sat in the main dining area of the pub right next to a window overlooking the fledgeling River Ray running past.

Even 14-year-old Tom commented on how nice it was to watch the water running by. He had a bit of extra time to study it as he didn’t need to look at the menu: “I want beef,” said the growing lad on the way in. So did I, but in the interests of a fair and balanced review, I went for nut roast.

The menu offers three choices for meat eaters, Welsh top rump beef, roast gammon with a cider and red onion sauce and chicken breast with sage and onion stuffing, and three for vegetarians – nut roast, a parsnip, sweet potato and chestnut bake or roasted vegetable and Wensleydale bake. They’re all £8 for adults and £4 for children.

Our meals were swiftly served and came with roasted and crushed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and gravy with veg on the side.

It all appeared to have been home-made (even the Yorkies) and was filling and tasty. The crushed potatoes were a particular hit – closer to a mash than a crush but well-seasoned, creamy and delicious. The gravy was good and rich and the chunky carrots, cauliflower, mangetout and cabbage were well-cooked without being mushy.

While I did look on enviously at the beef, the nut roast was good too, packed full of peanuts, grated carrot and rice.

We were too full to tackle a pud but there were a selection at £2.95, as well as ice cream at £2.50 and children’s novelty ice creams at £2.