The Red Lion, Oxford

A first in here to a pub which sits on the border of attractive Old Marston and the modern (1930s') development of New Marston. This is seemingly an old stone pub, one of the last in the area due to recent wholesale closures. Unfortunately this is a Greene King outlet and gives the impression that it has had quite an extensive interior makeover; oddly the interior almost looks quite new. There's some exposed stone/brick, furniture is conventional, the colour scheme is contemporary and the bare boarded floor is most definitely modern. The end result is that it's not especially cosy. There are two rooms, one with a dartboard and one that seems to be geared more towards dining, though this isn't a gastropub, fayre revolving more around the likes of steak/gammon and chips, macaroni cheese and the like - nothing wrong with that if done well. Outside there's an extensive beer garden with floral planters, covered with jumbrellas. There's also an outdoor pizza oven along with kennels adorned with signs warning the public of the presence of an Alsatian and Staffordshire bull terrier. Additionally, there's a motorhome park. Ales: Morland's Original, Greene King's Abbot and Old Socks Finest Ale which may be brewed for the pub. It was ok though I didn't clock the price as we were in rounds. This pub is very much off the beaten track and it's unlikely you'll end up here unless you are undertaking a caravan tour of Oxfordshire; it's quite a trek from Oxford's city centre and doesn't provide sufficient reward for the effort required. Allied to which there's not much else around here save for - as I recall from around 20 years ago - the superior Victoria Arms to the north. On the plus side, the pub's open until at least 11.30 pm each night (12.30 am on Friday and Saturday).

Official site of The Red Lion - www.redlionoldmarston.com

Official site of The Red Lion - www.redlionoldmarston.com