#286 Brasenose Arms, Cropredy, Oxfordshire : 1998 to 2021

 Trips along the Southern Oxford Canal are quite rare for us and so the first time I ever visited Cropredy was on the evening of Wednesday 2nd September 1998 - just 18 years into my canal adventuring!

There are two pubs in Cropredy and on this first visit, we sampled both, but I'll concentrate on the Brasenose Arms this time.

Do I have any recollection as to what it was like? Err...no! Looks like it was an M & B pub from the lantern above the entrance.

Our next visit was a lunchtime stop on Tuesday 24th August 2004 on a trip that started out in Oxford.

It would appear, from my image library, that we again visited both pubs in the village. We probably ate in the Red Lion and had a final pint in the Brasenose Arms before setting off again.

All new exterior signage and it would appear to be one of Enterprise Inns stable of pubs (M & B lantern has also gone).

Our most recent visit was on Tuesday 18th May 2021, the day after the second relaxation that allowed eating and drinking INSIDE pubs and restaurants.

On this occasion, I chose the Brasenose Arms because it had been serving a large garden of customers with food since the first relaxation to outdoor drinking/dining and so, I reasoned, they'd be best set up to serve us a decent evening meal. If only I'd paid more attention to the website, which clearly stated (I saw later) that Tuesdays were the chef's days off. So, no food, also they'd taken the decision not to open the pub, just garden service!

Well, we tried the Red Lion, but not surprisingly, it was fuly booked. So, it was back to the Brasenose Arms for an evening of not-cold-enough lager, crisps, nuts and scratchings! Could've been worse, at least we managed a few pints!

From the outside, the pub appears to have changed little, but it is no longer part of Enterprise Inns, who are now part of Stonegate pubs. As far as I can ascertain it is now privately owned.

#285 Ye Olde Reine Deer Inn, Banbury, Oxfordshire : 1998 to 2021

 One of the joys of visiting Banbury on the Oxford Canal is getting the chance to revisit Ye Olde Reine Deer Inn.

Our first visit was at lunchtime on Tuesday 8th September 1998 as part of our return journey from Oxford.

Not my best composed picture, but it shows off the pub quite nicely. I remember it being a proper pub that served food and somewhere that was worth revisiting.

We duly returned four years later at lunchtime on Tuesday 28th May 2002.

At first glance it looks to be unchanged (apart from the window boxes), but the sign has been replaced with a subtle change of name to Ye Olde Reindeer Inn and the removal of the supporting beam.

It wasn't too long before our next return on the evening of Monday 23rd August 2004.

Still the same pub sign and still the same old unspoilt pub!

It was to be a good number of years before we returned to Banbury, this time en route to the River Thames at lunchtime on Saturday 27th July 2019.

Not surprisingly, the signage had changed in the intervening 15 years and the pub had reverted back to being Ye Olde Reine Deer Inn. With the added bonus that the sign is now parallel with the (now pedestrianised) street below! Inside, the pub was largely as we remembered it.

It was only a couple of years later that we returned (twice, both lunchtimes) on Wednesday 19th May 2021 and Monday 24th May 2021.

Our first visit included my first drink inside a pub for many months! It was very quiet inside on both occasions, but it is still a wonderful pub.

Canal Cruising in Continuing COVID Times (Part 2)

 You left us last time as we were staggering back to Peggy Ellen after a 3/4 pub lunchtime session in a cool and damp Oxford. This gave us a couple of hours rest before we headed out into Jericho for the evening.

This was our mooring on the Oxford Canal and, after a short stroll over the cut, this (below) was to be our residence for the evening.

It was 7:30pm and, fortunately there was a small table available, right in front of the bar, so table service worked well for us. It is now as much a French restaurant as a pub, but they didn't mind that we only wanted to drink. We did get quite comfortable as it felt like we were back in a proper pub with some atmosphere for the first time on our trip.

Our plan had been to explore more of the pubs in Jericho, but we got so comfortable that we stayed all night...even pushing the boat out for some Garlic & Chilli Chips and a Tomato & Onion Salad to keep us sustained!

Next morning we were up and ready to resume our journey back to Napton, but there was the little matter of turning the boat. Our previous trips had been in the 35ft long Emma Jane which could be turned easily without leaving the canal. Peggy Ellen is 57ft long which necessitates the use of Isis Lock to descend onto a backwater of the Thames, turn the boat and negotiate the lock again to get back onto the canal.

This was our first real queue for a lock on the trip; we were fourth in line which is quite ironic as we were moored so close to it overnight! The delay was exacerbated by one boat not following instructions which resulted in them having to be towed away from the weir on Castle Mill Stream! To be honest, if the instructions hadn't been pointed out to me I'd probably have done the same thing!

This delay meant that by the time we reached The Highwayman we were too late for lunch as there was no food served between 2pm and 6pm!

So, it was another session of nuts and crisps washed down with cold lager. Not ideal, but we survived! It is also an hotel and it had fairly modern décor inside. By the time we'd downed our third pint it was way too late to expect to get to Lower Heyford and find a seat, so we made a momentous decision to have a 10 minute afternoon cruise to The Boat Inn at Thrupp. This time there was plenty of mooring space (which was filled within half-an-hour of us pulling up)!

Another long walk to the pub! We'd booked in advance because The Boat Inn is really a restaurant these days and a bit of a tourist destination as it has featured in "Inspector Morse" - indeed, we were seated in the Morse Room. This was another pub that closed when most people had gone home. Unsurprisingly we were last out! Not overly busy for a Saturday night; a combination of the weather and the pandemic restrictions I suspect.

 

Next destination, The Bell at Lower Heyford for Sunday lunch (booked in advance!)

The journey had taken somewhat longer than anticipated, but after ringing the pub from one of the locks, they held onto our table. It was quite busy and the Sunday lunch was served differently to anywhere else I've encountered before. Essentially, you bought a sharing platter for two (for £28-95p) and that was your Sunday lunch! It seemed to work and it was all cooked and presented well.

Our next stop, for Sunday evening, was Aynho Wharf. We knew that there was no way we'd get there before the 6pm Sunday closing time (not to be blamed on the pandemic as this was becoming increasingly common before the plague struck!)

 

Our plan had been to get a taxi into Banbury, but after an afternoon of cold and rain followed by an increased downpour shortly after we moored our plan was abandoned. There was no point in wandering around Banbury in the rain trying to find pubs that might be open...and boy, did it rain!! So, it was an evening of beer/lager and sandwiches.

 

Next day we were back in Banbury for lunch...and no guesses for which pub we visited!

It was even quieter than before, but it was a Monday lunchtime!

Our afternoon trip to Cropredy should have been fairly uneventful, but for the first time in many a long year, I was caught outside during a hailstorm! Whilst the hailstones weren't particularly large there were moments during the downpour that I couldn't see the front of the boat from my position on the tiller. We were in a lock, so this wasn't critical!

 

At Cropredy, the sun finally reappeared giving a lovely evening glow. To avoid the problems we had on the way down to Oxford, this time we'd made a booking!

The Red Lion was fairly busy again, mostly with diners, but discovered quite a few locals in the other rooms. The food was good and the landlady (same one as on our visit in 2019) was as attentive and chatty as ever. So, again feeling close to being back to normal.

Next day brought us the final, long leg back to Napton...unless The Wharf at Fenny Compton was open. (The landlady of the Red Lion seemed to believe that it was closed!)

 

As we passed by, it looked as though she was correct.

It didn't look open, but there was someone watering flowers so it may be on the way back. However, up-to-date internet information is not to be found. So, another lunchtime of sandwiches on the move!

Another pub we passed by (that was definitely open) was The Folly at the bottom of Napton Locks.

It is many years since we last stopped at The Folly - this time it was because our mooring is only half an hour away and the King's Head is only a short walk from the marina.

...and so this is where we finished our journey.

It's fair to say that the King's Head is more restaurant than pub, but I doubt that it would have survived in it's previous incarnation just as a pub that did food.
 

So, after a week-long trip how is hospitality holding up? We didn't manage to get into as many pubs as I expected and we missed more pub sessions than I thought we would. This was partly due to the route we chose as there are long stretches of canal with no pub making the ones that have survived even busier. It was also, in part, because we'd set off the day after the restrictions had lifted.

 

It was quite an eye-opener to see the magnificent efforts taken by those pubs with outdoor space to maximise that area with some fantastically inventive structures. Hopefully they will reap the rewards from their efforts.

 

Our next trip is planned for August - will the pubs be fully open by then? I would hope so, but given the record of this government and it's loose regard for consistency, who can say?

Canal Cruising in Continuing COVID Times (Part 1)

 For our first boating trip of 2021 we waited until indoor hospitality was open again, albeit under Summer 2020 rules. Our destination was Oxford on the basis that we hadn't been there (for a good session) in a long time.

Travelling from the boat's home marina at Napton-on-the-Hill presents a bit of a dilemma as the refreshment stops between there and Cropredy (9 hours cruising away) are limited. There is The Folly which is just half an hour from the marina and The Wharf at Fenny Compton which is about 4½ hours away, about which we had no information regarding it's status.

So, it was a lunch on board without stopping!

We arrived at Cropredy in plenty of time and it was a pleasant sunny evening. There are two pubs in the village; the Brasenose Arms which had been open (outdoors) for several weeks serving food to a massive garden.

Unfortunately for us, the chef has his day off on Tuesdays, so the pub building was closed and there was no food available...only drinks were being served in the garden.

We strolled round to the Red Lion only to find, unsurprisingly, that it was fully booked and we couldn't even get a drink! So, it was back to the Brasenose for a sumptuous fare of crisps, nuts, scratchings and not cold enough lager!

So, our first pint of 2021, inside a pub, was in Ye Olde Reine Deer in Banbury.

This time we found it without too much trouble and there was no problem finding a free table. It was disappointing that it wasn't busier, but it will take time to get back to some semblance of 'normal'. As many people are noting, the full range of (Hook Norton) beers wasn't available, but there was sufficient choice for us.

For the evening we'd already booked our table at the Great Western Arms at Aynho Wharf. Even before the pandemic, this had become an upmarket gastropub, but it was remarkably quite busy.

Our table was in the Lavender Garden which is a semi-outdoor area taking maximum advantage of existing outbuildings. All-in-all, a pleasant experience.

Our lunchtime stopping place for the next day was Lower Heyford. Unfortunately, The Bell doesn't open on Thursday lunchtimes and the Barley Mow was completely closed, awaiting new management. So, this was the venue for another sumptuous lunch!

A brief stop to stock up with essentials like cheese and corned beef for a beer and sandwiches lunch on board the good ship Peggy Ellen. Then we resumed our journey south - next stop Thrupp.

Along the way we passed by former "EastEnders" actor Phil Daniels and his boat Tuppence, moored in an attractive tree lined cutting, just before we came across the sad sight of the now closed Rock of Gibraltar pub.

It's a pub that I've never actually been into...and now never will!

After miles of canal where the pubs are half-a-day's cruising apart, you get to Thrupp where there are three pubs within a 15 minute walk of each other! There were no mooring spaces outside The Boat Inn, but plenty of room outside The Jolly Boatman!

This shows how close we were moored. It is a pleasantly run pub - they managed to find us a table, the food was good, the lager cold and they pre-warned us that closing time was dependent on how busy they were. In the event, it was around 10pm when they closed the bar allowing us a relaxed drinking up period. Luckily for us, the pub's one-way system led us out through the garden/smoking shelter, almost to our front door!

 

Next stop Oxford! It was another rainy day when we moored up in Jericho and strolled along the last few hundred yards of the canal and into the city. Dreaming spires, fantastic old and characterful pubs...you've guessed it though...Wetherspoon's Four Candles was our first stop!

Amazingly there was no queue, although there weren't many free tables. We were downstairs, so the technical glitch with their app didn't affect us as we got the table service, which worked very well. After a couple of pints and lunch we moved on in search of a pub that we'd been into in 1998, but remembered little else about apart from it's name - the Three Goats Heads.

What a fine pub it is and, unexpectedly, it's a Sam Smiths boozer! I'm not a fan of Sam Smiths Old Brewery Bitter, so I was on the lager and my travelling companion went for the OBB! Sadly, it wasn't very busy - most likely a combination of the pandemic restrictions and the fact that it was rainy and cold!

Next we wanted to find a pub that neither of us could remember the name of. We knew that it was a small corner pub close to one of the colleges and that it had a magnificent collection of ties. This is when a smart phone with a map is your friend.

As they used to say in local cinema adverts, "'ere Bert, this is the place!" We stepped inside The Bear and it was seemingly unchanged except that, in these curious times, it was full...with just three people inside! Sure, we could've had a drink in the 'beer garden', but what's the point? With the current rules, I don't know how many more pubs there are in a similar situation, because that just isn't viable.

Moving on, we found a lovely little pub that we'd never been to before for our last pint of the session.

The White Horse is somewhat TARDIS like in that it goes back a long way inside which meant that there was plenty of space for us! Obviously, no-one was drinking outside, but the rain had finally begun to ease. I don't really recollect too much about the interior other than it felt like a proper town pub...and they served food as well.

By the time we'd had a pint it was almost 5pm and so time for the long stroll back to the boat to 'prepare' for our evening session. As we walked back past the 'Spoon's we could see that a queue had formed. A little further on and we came to the terminus of the Oxford Canal...only a few more steps to our mooring!

(Next time - a night out in Jericho, a 10 minute afternoon cruise between pub sessions and a river almost in flood - stay tuned for more tales of "Canal Cruising in Continuing COVID Times"!)

#265 The Wheatsheaf, Banbury, Oxon : 1998 to 2019

This pub is one to file away under..."What? Really? We've Never Been Here Before!"

And I'm going to break with a tradition that I've maintained over the years I've been doing this blog...I'm going to give you the 'Now' picture first!

It was lunchtime on Saturday 27th July 2019 and we were slightly lost, trying to find Ye Olde Reindeer. It was a number of years since we'd been to Banbury and we couldn't get our bearings having ventured through the Castle Quay Shopping Centre. We were getting a bit thirsty, saw The Wheatsheaf and went inside.

Not a particularly inspiring place; a typical back-street town boozer decorated inside in 'music venue black'. Neither I nor my fellow traveller believed that we'd ever been here before. I didn't give it another thought until I'd returned home and was going through my old pictures looking for candidates for the blog. This is what I discovered.

Obviously the same pub although the exterior decoration has been completely changed over the past 21 years. Checking back through the old logs, we were in Banbury on the evening of Monday 7th September 1998 when we'd obviously done a bit of a pub crawl.

This vindicates my whole raison d'etre for taking these pictures, but it is still frustrating to have forgotten whole pubs!

At least it is good to see that it is surviving and found it's own niche!

#264 The Bell Inn, Lower Heyford, Oxfordshire : 1998 to 2019

This is another in the new series of pubs that we visited during Emma Jane's sojourn in the South that we've returned to in recent times. At least, this time, I remember our first visit.

It is quite rare that I remember visits to pubs from almost 20 years ago, but our first visit to The Bell on the evening of Thursday 3rd September 1998 is an exception. The Oxford Canal is a very rural waterway and it tends to meander away from many villages. So, when we arrived at Lower Heyford, we expected to stay in the one pub all night. Unfortunately, we arrived at the tail end of a wake which had occupied the pub and the kitchen was closed for the evening. After taking advice from the locals, we had a pint and moved on to 'The Sausage Pub' (Horse & Groom), but I'm not sure whether we walked or got a taxi!

After a few years we returned, on the evening of Sunday 22nd August 2004.

This time, I have no recollection of the visit as we travelled back from Oxford. It appears that the signage had stayed the same, but that the ivy had been cut back somewhat!

That was the last time we ventured further south than Banbury on the Oxford Canal until this year.

This was a lunchtime stop on Sunday 28th July 2019 and the first thing I noticed was the lack of ivy. Also, the signage had been replaced and it is now The Bell Inn. Apart from that, I don't think it has changed much in 21 years (even the telegraph wires and TV aerials are the same!) The Sunday lunch was very good as was the beer (whatever it was - I don't take notes!)

Interestingly, the canal view from the road bridge has probably changed little more than the pub.

Oxford Canal, Lower Heyford 1998

Oxford Canal, Lower Heyford 2019

#169 The Red Lion, Knowle, West Midlands : 1996 to 2014

Although Knowle is only a few miles from Lapworth where our boat was moored for many years, we very rarely visit the village by boat. This is mainly because it is on a different canal (Grand Union) and the journey from there into Birmingham is far less attractive than the North Stratford Canal route.

In the days before I took a picture of every pub we visited we'd been to the Red Lion, but the first occasion I have a picture was from the evening of Sunday 7th April 1996.

Back then it had been renamed Felons & Firkin, but you can just make out that the red lion hanging sign is still there. This visit to Knowle came at the end of our first Easter trip to Stratford-upon-Avon as we had some time to kill on the way back to our moorings.

Our next visit was on the evening of Friday 31st May 2002 as the last stop on our one week trip to Banbury and back.

By this time it had reverted back to its original name and was now part of the Ember Inns chain of M&B.

It was quite a long while before we returned, this time on the evening of Sunday 28th September 2014.

This time it was at the start of a journey that started at Napton Junction and we visited Knowle before heading off to Stratford-upon-Avon. It is still part of the Ember Inns chain, but with an added 'The' to its name.

From the outside, very little has changed and I'm pleased to say that it has retained the quite magnificent hanging sign which I took a picture of a few days ago.

Inside, well that's a different matter. Back in 1996 it was a typical Firkin pub, then in 2002 it was a typical Ember Inn of that era - a cross between a pub and a wine bar - and in 2014 it was still typically an Ember Inn, but now a hybrid of a pub and a restaurant.