The Duke William Verified listing

The Duke William

Set in the peaceful village of Ickham, just five miles east of Canterbury in rural Kent, The Duke William is a pub with rooms offering a true taste of modern British hospitality. This smart village inn appeals to food lovers and weekending couples alike, blending classic country comfort with a laid-back, genial atmosphere. Whether for a one-night stop while exploring east Kent or a longer gourmet escape, The Duke William promises a relaxed and delicious break surrounded by hop fields and orchards.

At a glance

• Hotel: 4 Silver Star Inn
• Accommodation: 4 rooms
• Primary restaurant: The Duke William
• Google guest rating: 4.6/5 from 872 reviews

Why we like it

The Duke William works especially well for a Gourmet Getaway because the restaurant keeps dinner naturally connected to the overnight stay, while the small-scale inn character keeps the stay relaxed and joined-up.

Eat

The Duke William

The Duke William serves local, seasonal British pub food in a traditional Kent village setting. The menu mixes pub classics with more ambitious seasonal dishes, and Sunday roasts are a major part of the identity.

Representative current specials include mussels with smoked bacon and Kentish cider, broad bean and mint mousse with pancetta, and the pub's own signature sausage roll. The atmosphere is very much modern country pub rather than formal hotel dining.

Food is served Monday-Friday 12pm-3pm and 5pm-9pm, Saturday to 9.30pm, and Sunday 12pm-5pm. The restaurant is on site.

Sleep

The Duke William features four boutique-style guest rooms, each individually decorated to evoke the warm, understated elegance of a smart country house. Expect crisp linens, handmade beds, pops of colour, and thoughtful touches that make for a restful stay after a meal downstairs. En-suite bathrooms feature modern fittings, and each room is named and styled uniquely, appealing to couples on a short break as well as solo explorers looking for a characterful base.

Retreat

A stay at The Duke William places you in the heart of Kentish countryside, with leafy lanes and walking routes leading towards Sandwich, Wingham, and historic Canterbury. Guests can spend contented afternoons unwinding in the garden or ambling to local vineyards and nature reserves. The cultural sights of Canterbury, including the cathedral, are just a 15-minute drive. London is under two hours by train (from Canterbury West), making a Friday-to-Sunday gourmet escape highly doable. With the White Cliffs and coastal trails also nearby, this is an inviting spot to slow down, explore, and indulge.

The Gourmet Getaway

Indicative build-your-own Gourmet Getaway: the live price panel combines our current accommodation-and-breakfast benchmark with the selected restaurant's dining cost for two. It is designed for comparison and is not an official hotel package price. Because room and menu prices can change, use the price panel as the current indicative figure.

If you prefer an official hotel package, check the hotel's direct offers for the dates you are considering; availability and inclusions can change.

Best for

Food-led short breaks · Countryside weekends · Inn and restaurant-with-rooms stays · Dog-friendly stays

What guests say

Google reviews currently average 4.6/5 from 872 reviews. Recent guests repeatedly praise the food, friendly staff, rural setting and traditional pub atmosphere. Breakfast also comes through strongly in overnight-stay reviews, while the garden, village setting and fireside feel are part of what guests remember.

There are occasional complaints about slow service or value on individual visits, but these sit against a much larger body of positive feedback. The practical takeaway is that the Duke William is most compelling for travellers who want character, countryside and good pub food rather than formal hotel luxury.

Gourmet Getaways view

The Duke William is a good fit for travellers who value atmosphere, local character and pub dining over traditional hotel luxury. Its Kent village setting makes it particularly appealing as a relaxed countryside stop where the evening revolves around good food, drinks and an easy walk upstairs afterwards.