The Bell Inn, Witney

The good residents of Ducklington are very fortunate to have two such solid village pubs in the form of the Bell Inn and The Strickland Arms. The Bell Inn has the better location, situated on the village green and duck pond. Externally it is a pre-13th century building with thatched roof. The interior is exposed Cotswold stone walls, wooden lintels, open fires, and a collection of old photos and other memorabilia. There is a main bar room with stone tiled floor and wooden bench tables, a carpeted lounge room which a bit surprisingly had a pool table in the middle of it, and then a separate restaurant room laid for dining Unfortunately the personal let down for me for the Bell Inn is that it is a Green King tied House and only Abbot, OSH and Morland Original were available. Shame as this is the type of idyllic village pub that could really do justice to a regional brewery ale offering instead of the bland and the ubiquitous from Bury St Edmunds. In this respect the Strickland Arms up the road shades it.