The Corner House, Oxford

Aptly named due to the location, this is an interwar years’ pub that was built for the Slade estate which never arrived. A first in here the other day, to a place that’s a bit in the middle of nowhere, somewhere between Headington and Temple Cowley. The interior is somewhat modernised, a smoky blue, white and pale grey colour scheme, with a white tiled bar back and new boarded floor, cloth upholstered banquettes to much of the periphery then traditional furniture. There was sport with the sound off, a games machine and a decent soundtrack. Customers were mixed though very local and annoyingly, with a great number of young children running around. A sad nod to real ale here in the form of a handwritten pump clip reading ‘ Fullers London Bitter’. Knowing fully what this meant and given that everyone else was on the lager, I wisely swerved it, opting for a half of Stella at a very reasonable £2.15 a half, served by a charming barmaid. This place is ok, but it’s an awful faff to reach; a decent real ale would have got the score up a little. I can’t imagine ever coming here again, but I wish it well.

Situated on a corner plot (surprise, surprise) between Cowley and Headington just off Oxford's ring road, this circa 1930s build had one boarded window which unsettled on entry, as well as a clientele all rapt by the early kick-off North London derby, but a friendly landlady and a cheap drink (£1.35 a half) from a three-ale line-up helped settle the nerves. Dark wood abounds in this cosy two-roomer, most of which appears original. It's no great shakes, but it's clean and tidy inside and my Bank's Amber was in decent shape (the other two ales were Lancaster Bomber and Hobgoblin).