The Black Horse, Chipping Norton

Facebook page of The Black Horse - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Black Horse - www.facebook.com

Official site of The Black Horse - lionhearth.co.uk

Official site of The Black Horse - lionhearth.co.uk

This is the only pub in the small village of Salford, a couple of miles West of Chipping Norton, and was formerly known as the Black Horse until being taken over by the present incumbents in early 2016. The pub has been stripped out to give it more of a dining-pub feel, with exposed stonework, bare boards and lots of fresh paintwork characterising a single room set up with a section of wall running through the middle that gives a little partitioning between the front and rear. The servery is located to the right on entering and there are seating areas to either side of it, including a pleasant raised space to the left and what appeared to be the cosiest spot opposite the old stone fireplace on the left hand wall. We also spotted a small, well kept patio area through the rear window which is probably a nice spot on a warm day. There were only two other customers in on our Saturday evening visit, both of whom left not long after we arrived, only to be replaced by a group of four who proceeded to play darts in the rear left corner for an hour or so. Three handpulls were in action, dispensing Sharps Doom Bar, Ruddles Best Bitter and a real cider. I had a couple of passable pints of the Doom Bar and my Dad managed to get through the same amount of the Ruddles. The barman was a very pleasant young chap, popping over to advise us when it was last orders and wishing us a cheery farewell as we left. I presume this place does its best business at lunchtimes, as this extremely quiet Saturday evening did not appear to bode particularly well. The pub suffers in terms of character from its conversion to a foodie friendly venue and doesn’t really feel like a rural pub any more, whilst the beer choice is unlikely to be a draw for anyone outside the village. One to perhaps consider for a bite to eat, but aside from the friendly service, I wasn’t too drawn by this place.

The Black Horse for many years, this pub in the tiny village of Salford on the western outskirts of Chipping Norton was in threat a year or so ago after the death of the long incumbent landlord, but is now back in business with a change of name. Internally, it's a chunky single L-shaped room affair, with the small bar to your right as you enter along with bare floorboards and lots of wood and exposed stonework. There's a raised area to the left of the bar which looks out onto a tiny 'beer patio'; the raised area being commandeered by a handful of diners, and the predominately larger bar area was populated by a greater number of locals. Of the two of the three ales available (London Glory was reversed) were Ruddles County and GK Molecule of Life - the latter in great shape - although the selection might give you an idea of who they are aligned with.