Friendly and popular Victorian corner pub, colloquially known as 'The Shoulder'. It is a short walk from the town centre, with five constantly changing beers on handpump to suit all tastes, whether expert or novice. The interior was redesigned in late 2022 to allow greater space for customers and has reopened following the extensive refurbishment, including an outdoor drinking area. A former local, county and regional CAMRA Pub of the Year, it has also had many entries in this Guide's past.
A wonderfully traditional small-town pub. The great feature is a highly unusual glazed-in snug right in front of the main entrance which probably had been a servery area (hence the closed-up small window and vertically sash window): small opening to the long, thin servery beyond with hand pumps, unusually, mounted against the wall. On the left is a public bar, its odd shape due the corner site: large hatch servery. Right of the snug a corridor leads to the rear yard with outdoor drinking: on the right is a room opened to the corridor in 2002; on the left is a widened space with a counter in front of the servery.
The rooms have varying amounts of match-board panelling. There are a couple of bell-pushes for table service, one in the main bar the other in the snug (we mention this because, although bell-pushes (and hence) table service were common from the Midlands northward, we know of few in the south). The doorway on the side elevation used to lead to an off-sales. At the side of the pub is a pitch for the popular Oxfordshire game of Aunt Sally (played May-Sept): to achieve the required 30 feet for throwing the sticks, players have to stand in the road!
A wonderfully traditional small-town pub. The great feature is a highly unusual glazed-in snug right in front of the main entrance which probably had been a servery area (hence the closed-up small window and vertically sash window): small opening to the long, thin servery beyond with hand pumps, unusually, mounted against the wall. On the left is a public bar, its odd shape due the corner site: large hatch servery. Right of the snug a corridor leads to the rear yard with outdoor drinking: on the right is a room opened to the corridor in 2002; on the left is a widened space with a counter in front of the servery.
The rooms have varying amounts of match-board panelling. There are a couple of bell-pushes for table service, one in the main bar the other in the snug (we mention this because, although bell-pushes (and hence) table service were common from the Midlands northward, we know of few in the south). The doorway on the side elevation used to lead to an off-sales. At the side of the pub is a pitch for the popular Oxfordshire game of Aunt Sally (played May-Sept): to achieve the required 30 feet for throwing the sticks, players have to stand in the road!
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This Pub serves 5 changing beers and 0 regular beers.
Shoulder of Mutton, Wantage
Source: National