The Punchbowl Inn, Woodstock

An attractive and traditional looking pub in the heart of Woodstock, this has clearly had a makeover at some point, and despite the Cotswold stone exterior, it now has quite a contemporary feel inside and is more reminiscent of a lounge bar than a traditional inn. Internally it’s a L-shaped pub with one bar at the front and a further one running down the right which also housed the bar counter. Flooring at the front was pale wood strip, whilst at the rear was a mixture of stripy carpet and dark tiling by the bar. There was quite a bit off exposed stone walling which was an attractive feature, but even the large fireplace at the front somehow looked a little false, I thought, despite the pile of logs stacked up. Paintwork was the usual gastro-pub shades and there was also a feature wall papered wall at the rear as well as a couple of long handled copper pans on display. Most chairs at the front were low suede arm chairs and there were a few hammered copper tables. A TV was up on one wall, but fortunately this was not in use. There were just two beers on tap both from Arkells with their Wiltshire Gold and the seasonal Sir Noël, whilst the solitary cider was Stowford Press. There was nothing really wrong with this pub, but it seemed a bit lacking in the way of any atmosphere and there are certainly better options just a stones throw away.

Official site of The Punchbowl Inn - www.punchbowlwoodstock.co.uk

Official site of The Punchbowl Inn - www.punchbowlwoodstock.co.uk

The Punch Bowl has recently changed hands, and is more upmarket than previous reviews on other sites. The front of the L shaped bar area is set out for eating, and back alongside the bar has a TV. Accomodation was comfortable. The bar has two handpumps with Arkells 2B and a seasonal (wheat beer on my visit). The food was 'pub grub' but it would not be a surprise for it to be taken upmarket by the new team.