70.
Another jaunt around Otmoor, this time by bike, Saturday 11th September 2004
It was getting Autumnal, but Dave and I
thought that there was just time to get one more cycle crawl in the country
done. Seeing as my car was now back on the road, we decided to chuck the bikes
in the back and head for the Bicester area to hit a couple of scattered pubs
first before heading back leisurely via Otmoor. Kicking off after lunch, our
first port of call was the rather quaint Butchers Arms at Fringford, next to a
cricket pitch where what looked like an end of season game was taking place.
The pub is how a village pub should be; nice bar, horse brasses, outside
toilets, locals perched on seats at bar. The beer was good too - we had a
couple of excellent halves of Deuchars IPA, and I imagine that the Broadside
and London Pride were pretty decent too. There was also an excellent array of
snacks. The Red Lion at Stratton Audley is also another decent pub, quaint and
thatched, although the bar area is very small. It's a little upmarket too, and
there seemed to be a load of twats drinking in there watching rugby at the time
of our visit, you know, the sorts that work in the City during the week.
However, the interior is pleasant and cosy enough, though we made a point of
sitting out the front although there is also an extensive beer garden at the
rear. Beer - Deuchars IPA, Ruddles and London Pride - was good, but not quite
as good as the Butchers Arms.
Marsh Gibbon has two pubs, one of which is
annoyingly shut at 4.30 on a Saturday afternoon, so we had to make do with the
Plough. It wasn't bad actually, being a good, no-nonsense boozer populated with
quite a lively bunch of people drinking lager. The interior is a bit spartan -
essentially a room with a bar on one side, but without fitted seats, just a few
scattered tables and chairs so it's quite difficult to get settled in there.
Nonetheless, it's a decent place, with good beer (Old Hooky and Worthington
Cask) and it does cheap and cheerful basket meals all day, and the bar snack
selection is very wide-ranging. Actually, the beer was good value too. Well
worth a return visit
Finding no more pubs, and the time being
gone five, we decided that we should really get on our bikes. Leaving the car
in Launton, we ventured first to the Black Bull, another no-nonsense pub; how a
village pub should be. Adnams Bitter and Bass were on draught, and were quite
good. The bar snacks were excellent and there was a very good extensive menu
for those with a hunger. Curry and Pasta were listed under 'foreign food', and
things like bacon sarnies were also sold. Small traditional looking bar and low
beams, good seats for eating and drinking - yes, a good pub. The Bull Inn on
the main road in Launton is not as good. It is a Greene King pub which has been
turned into a very plush drinking establishment, though they did a good half of
Suffolk Summer along with IPA and Ruddles. It's really an eaters' pub, not a
drinkers' pub; it's very light inside and there are no cosy seats. You wouldn't
feel comfortable settling in for a few drinks. Nonetheless, the quality of the
beer does force me to recommend a repeat visit (if you can get to the bar as
this is the only place where the locals will sit!)
It had started to rain by the time we had
got past the barracks into Ambrosden, but it wasn't far to Arncott, so we
pushed on. An old building, recently renovated which we presumed to have
previously been a pub greeted us. It was the Tally Ho Hotel. A bit of a waste
of time really - what on earth is a trendy place like this doing near a
squaddie settlement?? It's only redeeming feature was that there were a couple
of moderate bar maids serving, and once the frothy beer had been pulled
(Everards Beacon: no draught) there were some comfortable seats. Strangely, it
hadn't actually been a pub, but the retention of wooden beams made us think it
had. It's not a place for drinking unless you are staying at the hotel and
fancy a beer with your food. And it was expensive! In actual fact, there was
another pub at Arncott, which was pleasing as we had thought it had been turned
into the Tally Ho. No, the Plough is still there, a rough and ready pub doing
Mild, Theakstons on pissflow and a mysterious Adnam's 'Best'. Highlight was the
girl serving who we speculated knew the punters quite well. The Mild tasted
good, and washed down some excellent pork scratchings very well. Quite cheap
too, however, I wouldn't like to go in on a busy Saturday when it's full of
squaddies...
We moved on for it was getting dark, and
hoped to break the back of the cycle. We proceeded at pace to the Nut Tree at
Murcott and just got in the door before the rain started to piss it down. The
Nut Tree is a very foody establishment indeed; however it is very quaint and does
a great bit of beer and has a tiny bar, so is still worth a visit. They had
Adnams on, but we went for the Vale Brewery Wychert, which was superb, if a
little pricey. I would be quite happy to dine here, and if you are lucky, there
is a one really good window seat at the bar. I think that there are also some
tables outside. A pub where no-one seems to be arsed is the Crown at
Charlton-on-Otmoor. There's nothing distinctive about the place. It was quiet,
with about a dozen locals drinking there, no doubt the ones who didn't feel
like going further afield that evening. Uninspired beer in the shape of IPA was
on, and the pissflow options are quite limited too. They do have a good snack
selection, but I can't see myself making a pilgrimage back.
Back to civilisation, and the first stop
was the Swan in Islip, a pub which seems to quite like its diners. However,
it's pleasant enough, doing reasonable Abbot and IPA. Quite a nice barmaid was
there when we were, but she seemed to want to stay at one end of the bar.
Pleasingly, there are drinkers' tables near the bar, and if you get there on a
fine day, one can drink outside on a raised patio. The other pub in Islip is a
little bit better. The Red Lion is also quite foody, but has a beery area near
the bar and a good waitress. Notably, the beer is varied and good quality. On
the occasion of our visit, we were presented with a choice of Bass, Deuchars
IPA, Adnams and London Pride. It was good although there was nothing extra
special on. In the past they have been known to have some weird and wonderful
things on draught, so worth a return visit.
It was getting cold now, but fortunately
it wasn't far back into Kidlington, and the King's Arms, the best pub in the
village. Unfortunately, they had almost run out of beer that day, so we had to
settle for mediocre halves of Bombardier and IPA. Its regular appearance in the
CAMRA magazine means that better things are on periodically, and there are also
beer festivals. Inside it's another traditional boozer, and the gents' are
outside. Bar snacks are how bar snacks should be. Just up the road is the Six
Bells. This is a nice lively, friendly locals' pub, and they had an offer on
the Young’s Bitter (Adnam’s Broadside was still conventional price). The beer
wasn't bad, and served by four reasonably attractive bar staff, so we couldn't
complain. Final stop was the Squire Bassett, a big yellow pub on the main road
through Kidlington. It's more of an estate pub, but OK and has quite an
interesting design, featuring an island bar, and the food's pretty good. We had
a swift half of Bombardier each whilst listening to the jukebox, which had some
quite good music on, eg Aztec Camera, Deacon Blue (Real Gone Kid ). Time
was getting on, but we just had time to get the last of the detritus from the
Chippy across the road, before collapsing in front of Match of the Day
on TV.
Dan
Lovegrove
dan@doctor-lovegrove.com
Last updated 26th September 2004.