The Miller of Mansfield, Reading

A real shame that we couldn't get a pint here to start yesterday's crawl – pub was closed until 19:00, presumably for a private function. We did get as far as the bar, where glasses were being polished in preparation, but the barmaid had to go & check whether she could serve us and unfortunately the answer was no. No-one else there, other than the practising musical trio, so I'm sure it wouldn't have harmed! Anyway, a beautiful old building and very attractive, if small, front bar area with three unusual beers on offer; I can't leave a rating but it would have been very positive, given the chance.

This is a pleasant and interesting old building, sitting at the side of the road that links the two villages of Goring and Streatley at the point where the village ends and the riverside begins. The larger of two street doors (the other being blocked, as I discovered) leads into the central one of three rooms which adjoin the bar. There's a large fireplace here, and several good-sized armchairs and a variety of tables and seating of various kinds. The other rooms seemed to be mostly set up for dining. The bar had three hand pumps with just two beers, though both are local: Rebellion IPA and West Berkshire Good Old Boy. The latter was fine, though at £3.50 a pint a bit pricier than the Brakspears at the other two pubs in the village that I tried. My notes tell me that I should deduct two points from my rating for the dreadful lounge-bar type music which was playing at hard-to-ignore volume. Did the world really need another version of American Pie? Wasn't the Don McLean original horrendous enough? I found myself squirming irritatedly in my seat and finishing my drink sooner than intended in my hurry to get away.