Jim's Good Pub Guide by Bus - by Jim Sargeant

14 Pubs Near Banbury

Good Pub Bus
480
Overland to the frontier via outposts:
Sele, Lamp, Stag, Bish, Wyk, Chan + Between Banbury and Shipston on Stour the
Good Pub Bus passes 8 hostelries where
a pint of cask-conditioned beer may
be imbibed – and in Shipston
there are 6 more.

On the way:

On the way:
Saye & Sele Arms, Broughton.
Lampet Arms, Tadmarton.
Stags Head, Swalcliffe.
Bishop Blaize, Burdrop.
Wykham Arms, Sibford Gower.
Chandlers Arms, Epwell.
George Hotel, Lower Brailes.
Gate Inn, Upper Brailes.
And in Shipston:
Black Horse.
Coach & Horses.
Falcon.
George.
Horseshoe.
White Bear.

Saye & Sele Arms, Broughton. OX15 5ED. 01295-263346.
2.7m west of CQ. 4 x cask: Adnams Bitter,
Wadworths 6X + 2 guests e.g. Archers or Frankton Bagby.
Open 11.30-2.30 Mon-Fri (3pm Sat) + evenings (7pm) & Sunday.
Food lunchtime & evening
every day except Sunday evening.
GBG 2005 p389.
GPG 2004 p589.
How to catch the bus:
From Banbury bus station take bus 480 at 12.30 pm Mon-Sat.
Journey time is about 10 mins. Continue towards Shipston at
1338 or 1538. Last bus back to Banbury from Broughton 1749.

Lampet Arms,Tadmarton.

OX15 5TB. 01295-670428.
4.6m west of CQ. 2 or 3 x cask: Hooky Bitter,
Theakstons Bitter + occasional guest.
Open all day every day
(Mondays from 4pm). Food
lunchtime & evening 7 days.
Live music some Saturdays.
Pool table. B&B.
How to catch the bus:
From Banbury bus station take bus 480 at 12.30, 1.30 or 3.30
pm Tues-Sat (pub is open all day). Journey time about 15
mins. Continue towards Shipston at 1342 or 1542. Last bus
back to Banbury from Tadmarton 1742.

Stags Head, Swalcliffe.
OX15 5EJ. 01295-780232.
5.3m west of CQ.
3 x cask: Hooky Bitter + continually
changing one northern and one southern bitter. Also
Old Rosie cider.
Open 11.30-2.30 + evenings (6.30pm) and Sunday. Closed
Monday lunchtime. Food lunchtime & evening every day except
Sunday evening. Background music is often Classic
FM. Occasional live music.
B&B.
GBG 2005 p396.
GPG 2006 p580.
How to catch the bus:
From Banbury bus station take bus 480 at 12.30 pm Tues-Sat.
Journey time about 20 mins. Continue towards Shipston at
1348 or 1548. Last bus back to Banbury from Swalcliffe 1739.

Bishop Blaize, Burdrop.
OX15 5RQ. 01295-780323.
6.4m west of CQ.
2 or 3 x cask: e.g. Vale Special, Theakston Grouse Beater, H&H Olde Trip.
Open 12-2.30 Mon-Sat + evenings (6pm) and Sunday. Food
lunchtime & evening 7 days.
GBG 2006 p389.
GPG 2006 p578.
How to catch the bus:
From Banbury bus station take bus 480 at 12.30 pm Mon-Sat.
Journey time about 25 mins. Bus stops 50 yards past the pub.
Continue towards Shipston at 1352 or 1552 (note: Wykham
Arms is only 0.4 miles along the road so you may choose to
walk). Last bus back to Banbury from Burdrop 1732.

Wykham Arms, Sibford
Gower. OX15 5RX.
01295-780351.
6.8m west of CQ.
2 x cask: Usually Hooky Bitter + one from North Cotswold e.g.
Pig Brook. Taittinger champagne available by the glass.
Open 12-3 Tues-Sat + evenings (6pm) and Sunday lunch.
Closed Sunday evening and all day Monday - else food lunchtime
and evening every day.
GPG 2006 p591.
How to catch the bus:
From Banbury bus station take bus 480 at 12.30 pm Tues-Sat.
Journey time about 25 mins. Bus stops just before junction
with Temple Mill Road – at which turn left to find Wykham
Arms in 20 yards. Continue towards Shipston at 1352 or 1552
(note: Bishop Blaize is just 0.4 miles back towards Banbury).
Last bus back to Banbury from Sibford Gower 1732.

Chandlers Arms, Epwell.
OX15 6LH. 01295-780344.
6.6m west of CQ.
3 x cask: Hooky Bitter, Old Hooky + seasonal or guest e.g.Haymaker.
Open all day every day. Bar
food lunchtime & evening 7
days. Occasional live music;
folk musicians meet on 2nd &
4th Tuesday.
GBG 2006 p392.
GPG 2003 p 599.

How to catch the bus:
Warning! Although the Good Pub Bus will take you to Epwell,
you cannot get back till the following morning. So you could
take a tent and ask the landlord for a pitch in the garden. And if
you arrive on a Friday you will have to camp over till Monday.
From Banbury bus station take bus 480 at 1.30 pm Mon-Fri
and request to be taken to Epwell. Journey time about 30
mins. Return to Banbury next day at 0907. No service Saturday
or Sunday. Note: only the 1330 service Mon-Fri can be
requested to visit Epwell.

George Hotel, Lower Brailes.
OX15 5HN. 01608-685223.
9m west of CQ.
3 x cask: Hooky Bitter, Old Hooky + seasonal or guest.
Open 12-3 + evenings (5pm). Open all day Fri-Sun. Food
lunchtime and evening every day. Live music Sunday afternoon
and Monday evening; folk musicians meet first Friday.
Much musical merriment on St. George’s Day. B&B. Pool table.
GBG 2004 p473.
GPG 2006 p759.
How to catch the bus:
From Banbury bus station take bus 480 at 12.30 pm. Journey
time about 30 mins. Ask to be dropped at the George, opposite
the church of St George – after whom the pub is named. Continue
towards Shipston at 1402 or 1602. Last bus back to Banbury
from Lower Brailes 1725.

Gate Inn, Upper Brailes.
OX15 5AX. 01608-685212.
9.6m west of CQ.
3 x cask: Hooky Bitter, Hooky Dark + guest e.g. Brains SA.
Open 12-3 + evenings (6pm). Closed Monday lunchtime.
Food lunchtime Tues-Sun and evenings Tues-Sat. Renowned
for fish & chips Tues evening through Thurs.
GPG 2006 p762.
How to catch the bus:
From Banbury bus station take bus 480 at 12.30 pm Tues-Sat.
Journey time about 35 mins. Ask to be dropped at the Gate.
Continue towards Shipston (3miles) at 1405 or 1605. Last
bus back to Banbury from Upper
Brailes 1722.

SHIPSTON PUBS
12.5m west of CQ.

If you have used the Good Pub Bus en route for a couple of
lunchtime visits you may arrive in Shipston on Stour for an hour
or so to look round the town.
Shipston has 6 pubs and at least half of them stay open all day.
Or you may choose to come directly to Shipston for a lunchtime
visit and tour around before catching the last bus back
to Banbury at 1710.

Black Horse, Station Road,
SHIPSTON. CV36 4BT.
01608-661617.
4 x cask: usually Abbot, Tiger, Greene King IPA + one continually
changing e.g. Spitfire, Cumberland.
Open 11-3 Mon-Sat + evenings (6pm) and Sunday. May be
open all day Sat. Food lunchtime and evening every day except
Sunday evening. B&B.
Ancient thatched pub which predates the railway by 300
years. No need to hurry for the last train. It left for Moreton in
Marsh in July 1929.
GBG 2002 p472.
GPG 2006 p760.
How to get there: see Real Ale
Trail.

Coach & Horses, 16 New
Street, SHIPSTON.
CV36 4EN. 01608-661335.
3 x cask: Hooky Bitter, Hooky Dark & Old Hooky.
Open all day every day. Food lunchtime & evening except
Sunday evening & all day Wed. Occasional Karaoke.
GPG 2006 p761.
How to get there:
See Real Ale Trail.

Falcon, Church Street,
SHIPSTON. CV36 4AS.
01608-664414.
2 x cask: usually Hooky Bitter and Adnams Bitter. Also Old
Rosie Cider.
Open all day every day. Food lunchtime (till 1.45pm) and evenings.
No food Sunday evening nor all day Tuesday. SKY
Sports TV. B&B. Occasional live music.
How to get there:
See Real Ale Trail.

George Hotel, The Square,
SHIPSTON. CV36 4AJ.
01608-661453.
2 x cask: Hooky Bitter + one continually changing e.g.
Everards Tiger or St. Austell Tribute.
Open 12-3 Mon-Fri + evenings (6pm) and all day Sat & Sun.
Food lunchtime and evenings every day except Sunday evening.
SKY Sports TV. Pool table.
How to get there:
See Real Ale Trail.

Horseshoe Inn, Church Street,
SHIPSTON. CV36 4AP.
01608-661225.
3 x cask: Ruddles Bitter + 2 continually changing – often
from Archers Brewery and sometimes from the Wizard at
Whichford e.g. One for the Toad. Also Old Rosie cider.
Open 12-3 Mon-Thurs + evenings (7pm) and all day Fri-
Sun. Food lunchtime & evening every day except Sunday evening.
B&B. Occasional live music.
GPG 2006 p761.
How to get there:
See Real Ale Trail.

White Bear, The Square,
SHIPSTON. CV36 4AJ.
01608-661558.
4 x cask: Old Hooky, Bass, Adnams Bitter + one continually
changing – often from the Titanic Brewery.
Open all day every day. Food lunchtime and evening every
day except Sunday evening.
Live music Sunday evenings. B&B.
GPG 2006 p753.
How to get there:
See Real Ale Trail.

Where are the ships?
The shipyards and slipways
can be hard to find
but the names Sheep
Street and Watery Lane
give a clue to the most
likely origin of the
town’s name :
sheep-wash-town.

Real Ale Trail In Shipston on Stour

How to get there:

From Banbury bus station take bus 480 at 11 am Mon-Sat and
stay on board to the terminus at Tilemans Lane in Shipston.
Journey time about 45 mins. The Black Horse is at the junction
of Station Road, Tilemans Lane and Watery Lane.

On leaving the Black Horse go left down Station Road to the
junction and carefully cross over to Church Street. Walk
along towards the church and note the bus stop by the Shipston
Guest House for the 1710 return bus to Banbury. Just past
the pedestrian crossing in Church Street you will find the
black and white timbered Horseshoe Inn.

Go left from the Horseshoe, carefully cross over Mill Street
and follow the pavement curving right to the junction with
New Street. Again carefully cross the road to find the Coach
& Horses. Coming out of the Coach go left along New Street and continue
past Edward Sheldon Wine Merchants to cross the
road and enter the Square where the White Bear (once a coaching
inn) will be found on the right.

A couple of doors further on is the George with a fine façade
dating from its coaching inn days of King George III (after
whom it is named). Both the White Bear and the
George have rear entrances through their car parks and by
using either one you can exit to Church Street. Go left and pass
the fish & chip shop to arrive at the Falcon at the junction with
Sheep Street.

The Falcon car park adjoins Pettiphers Garage (TEXACO
fuel) and the bus stop for returning to Banbury (1710 last bus)
is diagonally opposite.

Visiting Boatman?
If you have just arrived at Castle
Quay by narrowboat then welcome
to Banbury. The next thing you
might want to do is wet your whistle.
By the Banbury lock and footbridge
165 stands the Mill Arts Centre
where a pint of Abbot Ale or Greene
King IPA awaits you. Open 10 am-
2pm and 7-11.
On the opposite side of the lock is
the bus station and home of the
Good Pub Bus. Why not step aboard
and explore some delightful country
pubs? Back by 6pm.

KEY:
GBG: Good Beer Guide
GPG: Good Pub Guide
CQ: Castle Quay in Banbury
where shopping centre
and bus station meet
the Oxford Canal.

Starting from Shipston?
Take bus 480 at 9.50 am and stay aboard till Banbury
bus station. Journey time about 45 mins. You
then have a couple of hours to look around
before catching the 12.30 pm towards one of
the pubs. Have you been to Tooley’s Boatyard &
Museum recently? (situated at Castle Quay)

The author thanks the members of North Oxfordshire CAMRA and
Shakespeare CAMRA and the contributors to the Good Pub Guide for
their help in creating this guide. Any improvements would be welcome to:
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Ver 2006/4 Copyright Jim Sargeant & BrailesVillage.co.uk