The King and Queen, Oxford

Located on Wheatley's narrow one-way High Street, this is a two-roomer, stone-built GK house with plenty more stone on display inside. The front bar is staple-shaped with a pool table in front of a stone fireplace to the left and limited seating to right. The rear bar is accessed via a door on the right-hand side and has a small bar to the left (where the ales are located) which is sub-divided by a huge, central open fireplace with a modern stove plonked in the middle. Put back is a stepped beer garden. GK IPA on two pumps (one old clip, one modern one), accompanied by an excellent Ruddles County (£3.90 a pint) with a fourth pump unclipped. Dead inside on a Tuesday evening, but a fair few out back in the garden and the landlady was a beacon on friendliness.