Pub News from the Vale and beyond
PUB
NEWS
As
of Monday 11th August, the Shoulder of Mutton in Wantage reverted to
its restricted opening hours of 1600 – 2300 hrs. Monday through Friday, noon
to 2300 hrs. on Saturdays and noon to 1600 hrs. and 1900 – 2230 hrs. on
Sundays. At present, Butt’s
Traditional and Barbus Barbus are being served as well as Loddon Ferryman’s
Gold, all in excellent condition.
The
Lamb at West Hanney has now closed and its future is uncertain which is a shame
because it had become of late the best pub in both Hanneys for beer quality.
The food was pretty good too. We
live in hope that it will reopen soon under new management.
Late
last month, the Vale of the White Horse Drinkers’ Club met at the Trout at
Tadpole Bridge where Burford Bitter, Young’s Bitter, Brakspear’s Oxford Gold
and Ramsbury Bitter were on offer. Our
next pub-crawl will take in pubs towards the western end of the Vale of the
White Horse and will probably include the Fox and Hounds at Uffington, the White
Horse at Woolstone and the Rose and Crown at Ashbury. See appropriate web-page for further details.
On
Friday 8th August, Lawrence Rogers, Chris Naish made one of their
regular pilgrimages to the Red Lion at Ampney St. Peter, a national inventory
pub built of Cotswold stone about five miles from Cirencester.
The main bar where drinks are served and where John Bernard, the
79-year-old landlord holds court, has no bar counter and can become quite
crowded if a dozen customers all try to squeeze into it at the same time.
Across the corridor is a larger bar which is only used in emergencies as
an overflow because it lacks the intimate and friendly atmosphere of the main
bar where conversation and merry banter are the sole sources of entertainment. There is also a beer garden which is well-frequented during
the summer. Some traditionalists
maintain that the sign of a really outstanding pub is that it not only has an
outside gents’ but also boasts an outside ladies’ too.
In this respect, the Red Lion earns top marks. No keg is served in the Red Lion; there just isn’t any room for any more than the two
handpumps in the corner of the room from which either Hook Norton Bitter, Hook
Norton Best, Timothy Taylor Landlord or Timothy Taylor Golden Best are served.
It was noted with great glee that the Abingdon Arms in Wantage has recently started selling Greene King Mild alongside Morland’s Original and, currently, Sundance. The landlady intends to keep the mild on as a regular provided that it continues to sell in sufficient quantities.
Last
updated by Chris Naish on 12th August 2008