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We have just spent a very enjoyable holiday in England, visiting friends and family and generally relaxing in the countryside. While we were there we did of course visit a great many pubs of various styles – old and modern, simple and multi-purpose. Some were a lot better than others but there were none that we actually regretted going to. Here are thirteen of them.
The Red Lion, Long Compton
Apparently this place is quite well known but I had never heard of it. We had a quiet drink there on the way home from an afternoon of driving and sightseeing.
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The Mason’s Arms, Swerford
Like so many country pubs, this place has become part pub, part restaurant. We dropped in for a drink one afternoon, only to find it closed, but we went back a few evenings later for a wonderful, if expensive meal. The waitress was interested to chat to us because she had just finished 6 months as an exchange student at Berkeley.
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The Unicorn Inn, Deddington
This was one of the closest pubs to where we were, within walking distance. We went here just once, at a time when there were hardly any customers, and we sat in what in effect was a private room for an undisturbed quiet drink.
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The Drabbet Smock, Haverhill
I have no idea what the name signifies. This is a modern gastro-pub, where we had dinner with my daughter and her fiancé. It was even bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside (a sort of Tardis effect) and was doing a great business.
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The Dun Cow, Dunchurch
This pub in south Warwickshire has something of a reputation as a restaurant. We went there in 2002 and decided to make a second visit. The place was buzzing and the food was excellent.
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The Coach & Horses, Adderbury
This place has no culinary pretensions. Just a nice little pub in a small country town. We spent a nice hour there.
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The Joiner’s Arms, Bloxham
Another quiet little country pub. A pleasure to visit.
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The Wharf Inn, Fenny Compton
The Oxford Canal runs right behind this pub and the wharf in question refers to a mooring point there. In the old days of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when the canals were used to transport goods the way the highways and railroads are used now, there were pubs situated at frequent intervals along them where bargees could eat, drink and even sleep. In our hard bitten twenty-first century the only boatmen we saw on the canal were there for the fun of it and there were no bargees in the pub when we dropped by – just a few people enjoying an afternoon drink.
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The Three Wishes, Edgware
This pub is in what used to me my old stamping ground about ten years ago, but it was not one I visited regularly. We found that my old local, the Railway Arms, had closed down, so we dropped in here for refreshment. I don’t know what the George Michael poster was all about. He wasn’t there when we were!
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The Silver Cross, Whitehall
This was the only pub we went into in central London. It’s at the north end of Whitehall, just a few yards from Trafalgar Square. At 6pm on a summer evening it was full of tourists visiting London and civil servants from the surrounding government offices, popping in for a quick pint before going home.
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The Falcon, Shipston-On-Stour
We stopped here on the road to Stratford-On-Avon. It was a nice enough pub but they had an overhead TV playing some sports crap far too loud.
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The Bure Farm, Bicester
We decided to go to a pub we had never been to before, so we drove south along the A4141 until we came to the outskirts of Bicester and went to this place. It is very new, and very large. Luckily it wasn’t too crowded. It was a nice day so I suppose we should really have sat in the garden instead of indoors.
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The Blue Boar, Chipping Norton
One of the nicest pubs we visited during our trip. It’s a very old pub, as the picture shows, but the back has been built onto, and we sat in a rather Mediterranean looking patio and had a rather nice meal at a very good price.
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I have not seen you around for awhile. Now, I know why!
Great pictures!
Posted by: Chelle Y. | June 18, 2008 at 06:33 PM
Wow... you make me want to go on vacation. I think... I think I've been to the Silver Cross.
Posted by: susiej | June 18, 2008 at 06:40 PM
Welcome back! Sounds like you've done a pub crawl extraordinaire. I love the really old ones, so much history has seeped into the walls with the fumes of the drink...
Posted by: Robin | June 18, 2008 at 06:57 PM
Wow, sounds like you had a great trip. Some of those pubs look like homes. Great pictures. Happy TT!!
Posted by: Michelle | June 18, 2008 at 07:00 PM
No wonder you've not been around! I think I hate you. Nah. We don't have these wonderful inns and things here. I've discovered a wonderful system of old "Wild West" hotels, but nothing like those wonderful inns of the UK. I stayed in on in Romsey that was about 500 years old. For some reason I think I stayed at the Red Lion, or at least stopped there.
SJR
The Pink Flamingo
Glad to see you're back.
Posted by: SJ Reidhead | June 18, 2008 at 07:06 PM
I wondered what happened to you. I thought you might have gotten lost on holiday! Sounds like you did have a wonderful time! yea!
Of course, while you were gone, I had to resort to my second in line for the "what does this mean?" english person. (Half past six) You haven't been usurped though! :)
Posted by: On a Limb with Claudia | June 18, 2008 at 07:52 PM
You've made me thirsty for a pint of beer. Or six. Great photos!
Posted by: SandyCarlson | June 18, 2008 at 08:41 PM
I love the names of the pubs and places. They sound right out of armchair mysteries...
"A Grisly Death in Chipping Snibble"
"The Suspicious Preacher of Fenny Compton"
"Murder in the Drabbet Smock"
:)
Posted by: Wylie Kinson | June 18, 2008 at 09:03 PM
It so much makes me wish I were strolling around over there...just to look at the buildings if nothing else. I particularly liked the looks of the Blue Boar. It sounds so British.
Posted by: Lilibeth | June 18, 2008 at 10:01 PM
Beautiful pics...the houses all have so much character. Id love to go there some day. Happy TT my friend...glad to have you back:)
Posted by: Lori | June 18, 2008 at 10:03 PM
Hi!!
Welcome back. Sounds like you had quite a time. The pictures are great. If you and your wife ever make it to my part of the woods,I'll take you to colonial Williamsburg. I'm sure you will enjoy it. The whole town is done up like the early 16 houndreds. It's quite interesting to see how people lived back then. Glad to see your back.
Posted by: Mary Emken | June 18, 2008 at 10:17 PM
I love those pictures! If I ever venture across the pond, I will definitely go find those! I love the look of Bure Farm, it doesn't even look like a pub!
Happy TT
Posted by: Lisa | June 18, 2008 at 10:24 PM
It's nice to see you posting again! Happy TT.
Posted by: pussreboots | June 18, 2008 at 10:28 PM
Oh, I love the shot of The Dun Cow! Such a pretty place. "Chipping Snibble"??? LMAO!
Posted by: Janet | June 18, 2008 at 11:08 PM
Been wondering where you were!
Posted by: Ann Bruce | June 18, 2008 at 11:16 PM
Welcome back!
They all have such character! Sadly when we were in England we were only there for about 3 days (and it was, it pains me to say over 20 years ago now, ouch!) when I was 12, so I don't think we made it to too many places. We saw Stonehenge, and made it to Windsor Castle, and we just missed the changing of the guard at Buckingham, but then managed to walk out of an alleyway just as the Queen's motorcade was driving by! We thought that was pretty funny, all our lives here in the US and none of us has ever seen one of our presidents in person, and then go to England for 2 days and see the Queen by accident!
Posted by: Shaunesay | June 18, 2008 at 11:21 PM
I love this post! I'm sending the link to my father-in-law who is originally from England. He is taking two of his grandaughters there for two weeks later this month. I bet he knows some of these places. Great TT today!
Posted by: forgetfulone | June 18, 2008 at 11:39 PM
Welcome back, Nicholas! Very, very cool TT. I LOVE that last pub. I just wanna go there! Happy TT!
Posted by: Winter | June 19, 2008 at 12:52 AM
Hey -- fun! Happy Thursday.
Posted by: Wacky Mommy | June 19, 2008 at 01:25 AM
Welcome back, Nicholas. Great pictures! I hope to go and see the pubs for myself one day.
Posted by: Nicole Austin | June 19, 2008 at 05:31 AM
Now I'm thirsty! And its 7am!!!! Great pics and thanks for sharing them :)
Posted by: Sue | June 19, 2008 at 07:17 AM
What a great post! *sigh* Makes me feel even more homesick! Thanks for stopping by mine and welcome back!
Posted by: Karen | June 19, 2008 at 10:06 AM
Great photos! I enjoyed reading this post!
Posted by: Shannon H. | June 19, 2008 at 10:29 AM
Beer me! I just came back from another interview. This could really be The One! I am thrilled!
This sounds like a fantastic holiday! We missed you in Thursday Thirteen land.
Posted by: cajunvegan | June 19, 2008 at 11:56 AM
While I realize that if the 3 Wishes is good enough for George Michael, it should be good enough for me, my favorite photo is still The Drabbet Smock. The name alone won me over! Best wishes to your daughter and her young man, and thanks for visiting my TT.
Posted by: The Gal Herself | June 19, 2008 at 12:10 PM
While I realize that if the 3 Wishes is good enough for George Michael, it should be good enough for me, my favorite photo is still The Drabbet Smock. The name alone won me over! Best wishes to your daughter and her young man, and thanks for visiting my TT.
Posted by: The Gal Herself | June 19, 2008 at 12:11 PM
Great post and great pix. Happy TT!
Posted by: Chris | June 19, 2008 at 12:47 PM
My daughter received a college scholarship that included a semester at Wroxton College (years ago). She loved England and hopes to go back again someday. I'll ask if she ever visited any of these spots!
Posted by: Briggie | June 19, 2008 at 01:01 PM
ooooohhh I am sooo wanting to go there--- what lovely shots, what lovely homes, and shops and lush plantings --I am so happy for you
Posted by: marcia @ joyismygoalm | June 19, 2008 at 01:35 PM
It's like deja vu! ;) I'd love to go to Europe some time soon. I'd love to visit pubs and taste the local fare. Really enjoyyour blog.
Posted by: mitchypoo | June 19, 2008 at 01:59 PM
Welcome home! It sounds like you had a nice trip. I'm quite intrigued by the bigger-on-the-inside pub. What a random way to employ Time Lord technology. ;)
Great pictures, by the way.
Posted by: Celticlibrarian | June 19, 2008 at 02:13 PM
You are my kind of traveler! My husband and I love to spend time in bars and pubs when we travel...local ones, not tourist traps. As a matter of fact, one of our favorite places in Paris was an English pub near our hotel!!!
Posted by: Di | June 19, 2008 at 03:15 PM
OK, I'm officially jealous. I've traveled all over Continental Europe, but never made it to England. *sigh* I really wanna go, but my dh is still in love with Germany. Not that I don't love Germany, too, but occasionally I want to go someplace new.
Thanks for the wonderful pics.
Happy TT!
Posted by: Denise | June 19, 2008 at 04:10 PM
Welcome back! It looks as though you had a wonderful trip!
Posted by: Darla | June 19, 2008 at 06:13 PM
Welcome back! You've been missed!
I'm very impressed by your amount of pub visits...there's really nothing like an English pub and it's one thing we really miss here, but on our recent trip back we only got to 2 different pubs, albeit a number of times each! They were lovely though..old-fashioned with low ceilings, low beams and huge fireplaces...sigh.
I love the name...Chipping Snibble! You didn't make it up, did you?!!
Glad to see you're back. Bella:)
Posted by: Bella Mocha | June 19, 2008 at 07:14 PM
FANTASTIC PUBS! Sue and I SO NEED to get there... so many pubs, so little time...
Posted by: Matthew James Didier | June 19, 2008 at 09:59 PM
We've got a restaurant named the Unicorn a couple of blocks from where I live.
Not the same place though. ;-)
Posted by: Lisa Andel | June 20, 2008 at 12:02 AM
So that's where you've been. I missed you.
I love all these pictures. It gives me the feeling of actually being there.
Posted by: Alice Audrey | June 20, 2008 at 12:35 AM
Great list and pictures. Wonderful TT. Have a great weekend.
Posted by: misty w | June 20, 2008 at 08:13 PM
I don't think I recognize any but I'm still jealous!! Which did you think I'd know?
Posted by: DB | June 20, 2008 at 09:56 PM
Ohhh, cute pubs! REALLY cute pubs. How I loved London....!
Posted by: Haley-O | June 20, 2008 at 10:37 PM
Welcome back Nicholas. Hope you had great time at my end of the pond ha!
All those pubs look great. Bet you went to more than thirteen though didnt you *snigger*
You defo have to put more pics up if youve got them :)
Hey i bet you had like over 100 messages in your inbox when you came back didnt you!?
Posted by: Tina | June 22, 2008 at 12:52 PM
Welcome back Nicholas. Hope you had great time at my end of the pond ha!
All those pubs look great. Bet you went to more than thirteen though didnt you *snigger*
You defo have to put more pics up if youve got them :)
Hey i bet you had like over 100 messages in your inbox when you came back didnt you!?
Posted by: Tina | June 22, 2008 at 12:52 PM
Oh how fun! I would love to spend time going to Pubs in England! Looks like a fantastic group of places you went to. Great that you didn't regret one. I can't say the same for many of the bar/pubs I've been to!
Happy belated TT!
Posted by: Allison | June 23, 2008 at 08:00 PM
Glad you've enjoyed your break. Blimey, I think you've visited more pubs in a fortnight than I have during my lifetime!
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