Quaint country village pub recommendations?

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Sp!ke

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I have the in laws over at the moment and one of their requested trips is they want to see a typical little country village and go for a traditional pub lunch.

I'm thinking thatched roofs, open fireplace and decent pub grub in a pretty village somewhere.

I'm driving them down to Stonehenge tomorrow (another request) and wondering if anyone can recommend something suitable between the Salisbury area and London.
 
Just North of Newbury is my old stomping ground, and pubs is something I could talk about for days...

My old local, The Bull at Stanford Dingley. It's not as 'quaint' as it was, but I highly recommend it nevertheless.
Or the Old Boot (out of the Bull, left, and then right at the triangle.)

Slightly further North (another 5 miles or so), the Four Points as Aldworth. It's thatched, and the food was always very good, but I've not been for donkey's years. Also in Aldworth, the Bell, which is rightly extremely popular.

Another of my old regulars is The Pot Kiln, but again, I haven't visited for too many years.

Basically, if it's between Newbury and Reading, and North of the Bath Road (A4), then I'll probably know it....

PJ
 
do avebury - much bigger, older, and has a pub in the middle of it... - oh and a few bikes may turn up (but you didnt know about that did you?)

marlborough is also good - its also the widest high street in europe.. iirc.. (went to skool their dint eye... ;) )
 
Hi Spike, don't know of any Country pubs in the area required, but I do know of a lovely Pub/B&B in Branscombe, in Devon called the 'Masons Arms'. Great place, peacefull, wonderfull food & accomodation. Highly recomended if anybody gets down that way.

I used to go to the 'Orange Tree' in Richmond all the time years ago, used to live on Kew Road & went to Gainsborough H.S. Knocked down now I understand. But the Orange Tree was great in those days, (late 70's) downstairs though.

Good luck on your search.

Cheers, Bill.
;)
 
Sp!ke said:
I have the in laws over at the moment and one of their requested trips is they want to see a typical little country village and go for a traditional pub lunch.

I'm thinking thatched roofs, open fireplace and decent pub grub in a pretty village somewhere.

I'm driving them down to Stonehenge tomorrow (another request) and wondering if anyone can recommend something suitable between the Salisbury area and London.

Can't name any pubs, but Stockbridge is on the A30 (a fun road) and is a lovely old village with a chalk stream running down the high street.

Regards,

Tim
 
Avebury, Stockbridge and Wilton are all nice places. However finding a country pub that does good food is a real challenge. The only one I can think of that is country and very good is The Plough in Sparsholt, which is heading to Winchester from Stockbridge.

Very good food, big field beside it with donkeys in (just in case you like eating within sight of donkeys). Would probably be about 1/2 hour from Stonehenge. You would need to book though. If you go via the Wallops you may come across something else en route.
 
Found a really nice one in the end. I heartilly recommend it.


From Stonehenge if u go back up the A303 towards London and at first roundabout turn right into Amesbury and follow signs for the Woodford Valley, u can have a lovely drive through some villages, u'll even pass right by Sting's house. Keep going and u'll pass two pubs, first is The Bridge Inn but worth driving onto the Wheatsheaf Inn .

http://www.allpubs.co.uk/pub/4283
 
The Bull and Butcher in Turville (near Henley). Lovely old pub in an quaint village set in the beautiful Chiltern hills. Enjoy a nice meal and if you are feeling energetic, climb up the (steep) hill opposite to the windmill (of chitty chitty bang bang fame)

Highly recommended, if a bit out of your way. Perhaps save it for another day as it is not too far from London.
 
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Not exactly a quaint village pub - but I used to go to the Harrow at Little Bedwyn quite a lot. (I lived in Great Bedwyn at the time and it was the best for miles....)
 
The Crown at Silchester is nice. South of Reading. The Rampant Cat in Wotton Hill ( South of Newbury) is also nice or was when I last went there. The Yew Tree on the Road from Newbury to Baisingstoke is great, good food and olde world.
 
imadoofus said:
Another of my old regulars is The Pot Kiln, but again, I haven't visited for too many years.

PJ

The Pot Kiln has been bought by some poncy restauranteur and turned into what basically amounts to a posh restaurant with a bar. The food is apparently superb (not been there yet despite living 10 mins away), but I'm still undecided as to whether the new owner has committed sacrilege or not.
 
DolphiN Tech said:
The food is apparently superb (not been there yet despite living 10 mins away), but I'm still undecided as to whether the new owner has committed sacrilege or not.

Sacrilige?

Sells the fine product of the West Berkshire Brewery and apart from that if is a choice between

Rillettes of rabbit with pear chutney & dressed leaves,
Muntjac ragu with homemade tagliatelle & parmesan
Tarte Bourdaloue (frangipane and poached pear tart) and
a double Macchiato

OR

Armour plated grease and gristle pie

then as far as I am concerned the man can dance naked in the nave of St Pauls slaughtering goats to the strains of Ozzy Osborne:D
 
Yes, but the problem is I remember it the way it used to be beforehand, with just as many, if not more, quality ales to be quaffed.

There are plenty of top restaurants in the area; did we really need another one, and did he really have to trash what was a superb establishment to create it? I'm not sure...the jury's still out on that one, so I shall pay a visit in the near future.

Just because it was "his family's local" for many years does not necessarily prevent it being completely ruined to create this new entity.
 

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