The Royal Oak, Woburn

An attractive, thatched pub on the outskirts of the village, this is a fairly small pub albeit with several different rooms and a mixture inside of both old and more contemporary styles of decor. The central bar is an L-shape around the bar counter and has old flagstones on the floor, as well as a few very old oak beams on the ceiling although in most places this has been re-plastered. A brick fire-place was off to one side and there were the usual obligatory horse brasses dotted around. Towards the rear is a small dining area with about four tables that were laid up for food. This has a slightly more modern ambience, with a carpeted floor, very floral wallpaper at the back, a large mirror, blinds on the windows and generic pictures of country scenes on the wall. To the left is a small room with a couple of tables, a maroon and cream colour scheme, a few leather armchairs and a plasma stuck up on the wall, although not in use. A small area to the right of the bar counter has wooden boards on the floor and one more table, and this leads in to a carpeted snug with a large walk-in fire-place complete with wood burning stove and a copper chimney hood. All in all quite a mismatch of different styles in several different areas although the total area of the pub is not large. A good selection of “pub grub” dishes were offered with options such as Haddock & Chips, Ham Egg & Chips, Chilli Con Carne, Steak & Ale Pie and a selection of burgers and jackets. Most of these were priced around the £7 mark, and my lasagne with garlic bread and salad was a decent enough dish given it’s price point. Some of the meals were available also available as a “2 for £10” deal during the week. Beers on tap were a little disappointing with just Abbott Ale and Ruddles Best. The solitary cider was Thatcher’s Gold which suited me just fine, although I was a little upset to find it served in a Strongbow glass.