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	Bell, Aldworth
	(A329 Reading--Wallingford; left on to B4009 at Streatley)

Description

‘One of the best pubs I’ve been to’ ‘worth many many stars’ and ‘still the benchmark’ are just a few of the delighted comments readers have sent us about this unpretentious gem of a pub. It’s been run by the same family for over 250 years and remains a favourite with the wide mix of customers who love the fact that mobile phones, piped music and games machines are banned. Quite unspoilt and unchanging, the rooms have benches around the panelled walls, an ancient one-handed clock, beams in the shiny ochre ceiling, and a woodburning stove. Rather than a bar counter for service, there’s a glass-panelled hatch from which they serve the very well kept Arkells BBB and Kingsdown, local West Berkshire Old Tyler and Mild and a monthly guest from West Berkshire; also Upton farm cider, good house wines and spiced porter at Christmas; no draught lager. As you might expect, the pub games here are traditional: darts, shove-ha'penny and dominoes. The quiet, old-fashioned cottagey garden is by the village cricket ground, and behind the pub there’s a paddock with farm animals. In summer there may be occasional morris dancers, while at Christmas local mummers perform in the road by the ancient well-head (the shaft is sunk 365 feet through the chalk). It tends to get very busy at weekends; dogs must be kept on leads.

Features

Free house ~ Licensee H E Macaulay ~ Real ale ~ Bar food (11-2.45, 6-9.30; 12-2.45, 7-9 Sun) ~ No credit cards ~ (01635) 578272 ~ Children welcome ~ Dogs welcome ~ Open 11-3, 6-11; 12-3, 7-10.30 Sun; closed Mon and Mon bank hol evenings