Prince of Wales, Temple Cowley, Oxford

Located atop a steep hill in a part of Oxford that I never knew existed, this pub is one hell of a slog from the city centre. I’m guessing that it dates from the 1930s and broadly has two wings either side of the entrance, though what doesn’t date from the ‘30s is a veritable Jodrell Bank of satellite dishes bolted to them; Greene King probably read the previous review as all letters are now present and correct, though no improvement has been made to the place. The one item of note is the old and very rare Morrells logo emblazoned above the bar’s parapet, thereafter there’s a colour scheme comprising various shades of grey, with a modern laminate floor, traditional furniture and little décor aside from sports’ fixtures, with witless drivel on the TV, in this instance a documentary about a rogue freshwater shark’s man-eating antics in Australia; for the love of God. On my early evening visit customers were few, elderly, local but harmless. The ale front amounted to just a reversed Abbot clip, then one unused pump, me opting for a half of Guinness (£2.15) served in a Stella tulip by a decent barman. Requiring quite some effort to reach, this isn’t a great place, one which I wouldn’t use if I lived locally; the Cricketers Arms is nearby, slightly more central and marginally superior.

Official site of Prince of Wales - princeofwalescowley.co.uk

Official site of Prince of Wales - princeofwalescowley.co.uk

Another 30s build in the Cowley suburb this boozer is two-roomed and has its main bar area through a door to the right with a pool table centre stage atop a floral red carpet, a large bay window with low faux-banquette seating and almost full-height wood panelling on parts of the walls. A long function room is accessed via a door which faces the entrance, with the two rooms in an L-shape to each other. Two ales were available which were GK IPA and GK St Edmunds, the latter of which was awful. An extremely local clientele on a Friday night meant it was a cursory nod, head down and quaff quickly job.