Pub scouting - a new tradition?
With winter now approaching - and daylight savings ending today making the afternoons event shorter - we've decided to try to spend each Sunday exploring a new pub. To help with our research we've invested in the current edition of the Good Pub Guide. Pubs are mentioned because of their interest e.g. character, surrounding, history, and of course food/ales.
Today we set off for Aldworth a few miles west of Goring. You'll recall that Goring is a favourite as James loves to watch the lock in operation. We set the satnav to follow only secondary roads; the objective being to see the countryside and quaint villages along the way. The pub in question is the Bell Inn. It's old - built in the 14th century and run by the same family for 250 years.
Arriving at when we though was 1pm but was actually 12pm (clock in the car was not reset for the end of daylight savings...), the small pub was already filling. You can imagine what it was like. Low beams of course. But also small nooks with lovely old (and well used) timber tables and benches pushed into them. The publican was very inviting and we spent some time after ordering discussing the history. The pub is also well frequented by locals. There was much banter between them. Merrilyn later got chatting to one. He walks his dog along the Thames at Goring and then makes his way to the pub for lunch.
The menu is simple. Ploughman's - of course. But also hit roles with a range of different fillings and a delicious soup. We ordered Ploughman's and James had a roll with smoked salmon.
We pulled up a bench beside a giant - and now disused - fire place. It wasn't long before even this space filled. We shared our table with a family of four from local Streatley who dropped in after a morning rugby training session.
We heard that the pub is so popular that in Summer the queue goes out the door. The interesting part I think - they don't come for the food. It's the atmosphere. Friendly folk and good conversation. Now isn't that what a local pub should be all about?
Who knows - perhaps the Sunday pub lunch will become our new tradition. If so, we're now well on the way to becoming Anglicised.
Oh - and we have a special pub in mind for next weekend. But you'll have to come back to find out about it...
Today we set off for Aldworth a few miles west of Goring. You'll recall that Goring is a favourite as James loves to watch the lock in operation. We set the satnav to follow only secondary roads; the objective being to see the countryside and quaint villages along the way. The pub in question is the Bell Inn. It's old - built in the 14th century and run by the same family for 250 years.
Arriving at when we though was 1pm but was actually 12pm (clock in the car was not reset for the end of daylight savings...), the small pub was already filling. You can imagine what it was like. Low beams of course. But also small nooks with lovely old (and well used) timber tables and benches pushed into them. The publican was very inviting and we spent some time after ordering discussing the history. The pub is also well frequented by locals. There was much banter between them. Merrilyn later got chatting to one. He walks his dog along the Thames at Goring and then makes his way to the pub for lunch.
The menu is simple. Ploughman's - of course. But also hit roles with a range of different fillings and a delicious soup. We ordered Ploughman's and James had a roll with smoked salmon.
We pulled up a bench beside a giant - and now disused - fire place. It wasn't long before even this space filled. We shared our table with a family of four from local Streatley who dropped in after a morning rugby training session.
We heard that the pub is so popular that in Summer the queue goes out the door. The interesting part I think - they don't come for the food. It's the atmosphere. Friendly folk and good conversation. Now isn't that what a local pub should be all about?
Who knows - perhaps the Sunday pub lunch will become our new tradition. If so, we're now well on the way to becoming Anglicised.
Oh - and we have a special pub in mind for next weekend. But you'll have to come back to find out about it...
posted by Marty at
Sunday, October 28, 2007
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