The Red Lion, Banbury

Traditional village local in Cotswold stone, with quite a narrow frontage but the front bar and lounge (separated by a single step) extend back into another room where the sports TV can be found. Still busy on a Sunday afternoon when some of the country eating houses in the vicinity were closing. Three real ales on handpump: Hooky (£4.20), Wye Valley's Butty Bach and Grand Prix from Prescott.

Official site of The Red Lion - thehorleyviews.com

Official site of The Red Lion - thehorleyviews.com

TomTom led us to this pub (we've got the GBG as PoIs) on a long cross country run. Horley is a tiny Cotswold stone village well off the tourist trail and I suppose the Red Lion reflects this, it's very much a locals' local. So it's olde worlde, beams and open fire, all of that, but also a big telly at the back and a disco set up for the evening's bacchanalia. There's nothing at all wrong with any of that, it's doing exactly what village pubs should do, provide a service to the community and a friendly welcome to all comers, rather than shut out the community in favour of flogging 3663 dinners to your in-laws. However if your in-laws are me and like delicious Hook Norton beers with a pickled egg and a packet of crisps in pleasant company they'll be in seventh heaven.