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.


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Dan Lovegrove
dan@doctor-lovegrove.com

Last updated 26th September 2004.