Inspiration of the Week: pints of Georgian charm in a former pub in Dorset

We do love a good pub. Cosy, convivial and quaint, the best ones are those that make you feel right at home the moment you walk through the door. No wonder, then, that this three-bedroom apartment – set within what was once the Cross Keys on a pretty Georgian street in bustling Bridport – feels as comfortable as it does. One gets the sense that good times have been had in this place. As it comes on the market, we take a tour of its finer details.

A large part of the appeal of this place is the sheer amount of period details on show throughout. While its conversion has seen the building transformed from public to private, sensitive handling means little of the original loveliness has been lost in the process. Among the best bits are the large 16-pane sash windows at the front of the apartment, and the hefty handsome exposed beams. Bearing the marks of time beautifully, their timber is a portal to the past, a reminder of the age and distinction of this historic home.

But you’ll have to forgive us now, as we’re about to contradict ourselves. For while we do love a good pub, perhaps the greatest draw of this apartment is how delightfully un-pub-like it is. Forget swirly carpets, claret-coloured walls and sticky tables; here, a palette of cool stone tones finds friendship in classic pieces of antique brown furniture (a folding tray table here, a neat secretaire there), while paintings, prints, mirrors and miniatures in elegant black or gold frames bring a bit of hotchpotch country-house style to the spaces. Patches of bare stone walls in honeyish hues – reminiscent of the Dorset cottage vernacular ­– warm everything up wonderfully.

Honouring history while retaining character and making sure that modern life makes sense is the holy triumvirate of any conversion – and this one’s nailed it. Last orders, please!