The Falkland Arms
Great Tew Chipping Norton Oxfordshire OX7 4DB
‘Well-behaved children ONLY are welcome in the garden’, says the sign, which delights childless punters and terrifies parents. It does the trick for kids that can read too, as this famous Cotswolds gastro pub is an adult-only zone inside the building. That's not the only old-fashioned thing about it – it’s one of the few places in the country where you can still buy snuff behind the bar, as an aperitif or to finish off your lunch and supper. There’s a formal dining room, but eating in the bar is nicer, and lends an authentic pub feel to the experience – beams at head-banging height, roaring fire, pewter tankards and all. The garden has views over the Great Tew estate (home to 2011’s Cornbury Festival), and is big enough for small people to frolic – while remembering their manners, of course.
