Offenham, West Midlands. During our visits to the UK we of course like going to the big cities (London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester...) but we also enjoy visiting smaller towns and villages, where we really get the feel of what the countries are all about. Offenham has been great. With a population of approximately 1,650, it has a village shop/post office, a brewery, and the pub. It is a traditional country pub that dates back to the 1770s and sits on the River Avon. In the late 19th century it was known as the Waterloo Tavern, and by 1903 had been renamed the Bridge Inn.

The Old Twyford Bridge crossed the river here and was part of the old road from London to Worcester dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period. It was destroyed in 1265 to cut off Simon de Monfort's retreat. Later on a ferry operated at this location, allowing travellers from the East (like Oxford) to bypass Evesham on their way to Worcester. The ferry continued to operate until the 1980s.

Out in front is a large beer garden down by the river (which was a great place to watch a massive fireworks display on the last Saturday night we were in town). Walking inside you are met by a small bar, with bar seating to the left and a restaurant on the right. This is truly a "public house". By the time we left Offenham we had made so many friends and felt so welcome and at home. Owners Alistair and Chloe have run the pub for four years and have turned it into a real gem (plus they plan to start running the ferry again next summer!). Fantastic ambiance (you know how I love to see wood beams on the ceilings), great food (best pork belly I have had in a long time!), and great beer, including Butcombe Original (an old favorite) and White Knight English IPA from Goff's Brewery in Cheltenham (a new one to me that tasted delicious!) The entire staff (I hate that word - I should say hosts/hostesses, bartenders, sommeliers, waiters/waitresses - they do it all) were awesome! A special shout out to Ricky and Indi who were so nice and shared lots of helpful information about the area.

And if you do make it to Offenham make sure you walk a few hundred meters down the road to the Boat Lane Brewery. Brewmaster Ian is offering up some very tasty beers!