Royal Oak

OK this beautiful pub is too small to be able to provide an extensive, foodie menu but what it does offer is wonderful ‘bar meals’.
Three reasons to go there:
1. Harveys Best on gravity feed (i.e direct from the barrel)
2. Dogs allowed in and outside.
3. WONDERFUL pasties made from the remains of their Sunday roasts. (I actually proposed to the’ lady wot cooks’ but was refused on the grounds that my wife might object)
Staff friendly and helpful, locals don’t bite — i.e. a great welcome.
The building is full of old-​world charm — beams, fireplaces, nooks, crannies — you get the picture?
A delightful place.

There are not many pubs I would go out of my way to visit but The Royal Oak at Wineham is most certainly one of them. We had the great good fortune to be camping at Blacklands farm, which is only 20 minutes walk away, so this became our «local» on the extended bank holiday royal wedding weekend.
It’s a real gem of a place with a picture postcard look; timber framed with white walls and tiny windows this is the classic old school English country pub come to life. Inside it has kept its traditional character with low ceilings and rustic furnishings. There is a front room which houses the bar (no visible hand pumps threw me at first before I realised it all comes straight from the cask) and another small room with three tables out back which is great for a romantic dinner of an evening. There is also another room in an original «annexe» to the main building which is opened for diners during busy periods; this might be a good choice if you are with children.
Alternatively on fine days, such as those we have had this past weekend, there is no better place to be than the lovely garden out front. We were camping with our old pals the Yeoman’s, who had their delightful two year old Aoife in tow. She had a ball exploring the garden and getting up close and friendly with the various breeds of dogs, and their owners, who were visiting on a Saturday lunchtime. I do believe a very good time was had by all.
The beer, as I said, is poured straight from the cask and is well kept and in tip top condition. Nothing much out of the ordinary in the choice of Dark Star Hophead and Harveys Best and Knots of May which were being served on our visits but hey, they were drinking very well indeed in the spring time sun and we kept coming back for more.
We ate here on the Friday evening and had a great meal. I had the Catalonian inspired fish stew with chorizo and fennel which came with crusty bread and a garlic rouille; a big bowlful and very tasty indeed. B had the confit duck on a bed of champ with a garnish of rocket. Despite being under seasoned, she scoffed the lot in quick time and declared herself more than satisfied with her supper.
After a morning spent walking we returned here on the Saturday to try out the Ploughman Boards. After a few miles with a two year old on the back I was pretty hungry so we decided to go for a Board each and that was a pretty good call to make because 45 minutes later there was not a crumb to be had. All of the Boards were extremely fine and came with a bit hunk of crusty bread, more butter than could possibly be good for you, some rustic coleslaw, home-​made chutney, picked onion, salad and a choice of rare roast beef, cheese, ham, scotch egg or smoked salmon. If you looked hard as you entered the pub there was a note pinned up indicating where they were sourcing most of this local produce which was a nice touch.
The punters are a mix of campers from down the road at Blacklands, and the very discrete mobile home site next door, who sit alongside a motley crew of locals.
Service comes with a smile and the owner Michael is a lovely fella who offered up great advice and some wonderful hospitality. This is a special pub in a fantastic location and I am already dreaming of a return visit.