Stopover suggestions Oxford/Berks

[bcfczuluarmy]

Planned a bit of a trip yesterday over Easter weekend to include doing all of http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/areas/cirencester-town/gloucestershire/ that I've not done, then on Saturday head towards London for Sunday night stopover so really looking around Oxfordshire/Berks territory. Any suggestions of a pleasant place to stay on a cross country route on a motorbike staying off the M4 between the two places that has a good selection/number of pubs to visit. Not fussed about real ale just a fair few new pubs to visit without it being a large town or city, or if anyone can name a place lacking photos I'll go there.

[Quinno]

Some gaps here: http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/towns/abingdon/oxfordshire/

[NickDavies]

Some gaps here: http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/towns/abingdon/oxfordshire/

Abingdon has suffered from closures since Morland's sold out to GK and what remains is very much a GK desert. Henley is the nicer town but again has lost a lot of pubs since Brakspears stopped brewing, the beer is a lot better but accommodation won't come cheap. I may be biased but I'd say Wallingford is a good bet with half a dozen reasonable choices in a compact area, good for a pleasant evening's recreation. However there's only one so-so hotel in town and few B&Bs.

[oldboots]

A couple of places off the A34 that are better than Abingdon would be Witney and Wantage. Witney is a better pub hunting ground but may be too far north, Wantage has a couple of prize winning pubs as well as some dross and there are some virgin pubs in the surrounding villages. There's also a few decent pubs in Newbury. There are some very pleasant villages with a variety of pubs tucked away in the rolling hills between the Hampshire border and Oxford along the A34 and the A4.

[Quinno]

A couple of places off the A34 that are better than Abingdon would be Witney and Wantage. Witney is a better pub hunting ground but may be too far north, Wantage has a couple of prize winning pubs as well as some dross and there are some virgin pubs in the surrounding villages. There's also a few decent pubs in Newbury. There are some very pleasant villages with a variety of pubs tucked away in the rolling hills between the Hampshire border and Oxford along the A34 and the A4.

Talking of Wantage, Peter Fowler is leaving the Shoulder of Mutton (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/58075/) in April, so get there quick!!