The Shoulder, Wantage

A smallish traditional pub with an interesting, old fashioned layout. There is a small bar to the left, a larger room to the right and a little snug in the centre, each with a little bit of counter. T bars adorn the two larger bars while the three handpumps lurk on the bar back, these had Sharps Doombar and two beers from Butts including a really excellent Barbus Barbus. Décor is lino tiles, red plush covered benches, leatherette upholstered chairs at red Formica topped tables, although the woodwork is in trendy grey. There are open fires and pictures of the pub darts teams in the 1980s and 90s, the feel is of a good back street local although it is on one of the main roads leading out of the market place. IT does have big screens and the larger bar was set up for poker playing one night last week. A former Morlands house it now appears to be in the hands of a Pubco and is currently for let, I like it and hope it doesn't getting too modernised if sold on. One gripe I have is the nasty smell of Pot Pourri, personally I'd have preferred the stale beer and fags smell of old.