The Bell, Brackley

Official site of The Bell - www.bellbrackley.com

Official site of The Bell - www.bellbrackley.com

A bustling locals pub, u-shaped round a central bar counter, with a prominent dartboard and a couple of large sports screens. Furnishings are motley traditional, as is the decor. A large log burner produces heat, while opposite is a nice inglenook fireplace which doesn't seem used, and a separate games/function room to one side advertises pool and more darts. Just Doom Bar on handpump, admittedly in fair nick, with a couple of Landlord drip mats just there to tease. Adequate for its purpose.

This is probably the best traditional pub in the town although the competition isn't up to much, it's at the far northern end of the High St but well worth a walk. Traditional two bar set up, lounge to the left, which was empty and a public to the right which was humming along nicely even early evening. It's fitted out with the usual public bar accoutrements – pool table, darts, big screen, mainly tables and chairs but with a nice bench seat in the bay window. Lots of vertical drinking space, relatively lots, as it's not that big, but the locals like to congregate round the bar. The lounge has a large collection of brass ware and its counter has three handpumps, Hobgoblin, Doombar and Hooky Bitter as the choice, the Hooky was very cloudy although tasty and not tainted but the Landlord rightly insisted on changing it presumably due to appearances, unless he mistook me for a Cask Marque inspector, the pub was the only one in the town with Cask Marque accreditation but no longer.