The Red Lion, Witney

A superb community-owned country pub in the Oxfordshire wilderness - a whitewashed stone building now a freehouse, having previously failed as a GK-tied house. A small bar faces the entrance with a smallish, quarry-tiled area to the left, with stone fireplace against the far left-hand wall and three wooden tables with chairs. An exposed stone area to the right with open fireplace, bar boarded floor and a couple of tables as well as a 'hidden' room up a step via an open doorway to the right of the fireplace housing a handful more tables and seemingly designated for dining. Three Oxfordshire breweries on offer on the three stumps - Brakspear Bitter, Loose Cannon Abingdon Bridge and North Cotswold Winter Solstice - the latter very nice indeed and £1.90 for a half's worth. Young, friendly staff, and no unnecessary background muzak. This is rather isolated, location-wise, but it's a great turnaround from what came before, and it's worth a visit if you get over here.

Official site of The Red Lion - theredlionnorthmoor.com

Official site of The Red Lion - theredlionnorthmoor.com