Bell

Exceptional unspoilt pub, super value snacks, very well kept beers, good quality house wines, lovely friendly atmosphere, and nice garden; can be busy

Quite unspoilt and unchanging, this 14th-c country pub is held dear in the hearts of its many loyal customers. It's a special place and has been run by the same family for over 250 years – who continue to ban mobile phones, piped music and games machines. 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 mulled wine 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.

Excellent value bar food is limited to filled hot rusty rolls and a variety of ploughman' s; in winter they also do home-made soup.