The Bell, Chipping Norton

Official site of The Bell - www.thebellatcharlbury.com

Official site of The Bell - www.thebellatcharlbury.com

A nice old stone-built inn with a comfortable feel. A number of different rooms area arranged round the central bar, including a cosy lounge with settles and armchairs, and a couple of dining areas. Outside there is a small patio at the rear, with a very large garden at the far end of the car park, extending down to a stream. A Greene King pub, draught ales were IPA and Hardy & Hansons. Accommodation and food available.

Old character pub owned by Greene King. A number of rooms, perhaps a little gloomy inside. I found the rear room nicest with varnished floorboards, red walls, comfy chairs, upright piano, old room callers and an unusual wall-mounted jigsaw clock. The main bar is fairly sparse, has Inglenook fireplace (lit), striped fabric banquette seating and a jarring modern pine bar back. To right is a basic seating room with half-length exposed stone walls and an extra-long scrubbed table. Another fire, this one a wood stove. Very basic rear patio. Four pumps with three on; house beer of GK provenance, Ruddles County and GK OSH (ok). I didn’t really take to this place but there’s potential, it just needs a bit of livening-up.