The Royal Oak

It’s a nice place, in a quiet spot, with a great location. There’s a well attended pub downstairs, though I didn’t eat there for dinner. Staff were really friendly and went out of their way to welcome me, especially when I had a couple of questions at breakfast. The continental breakfast had a good range of fruit, pastries, tea and coffee. I’d happily book again.

The pub has a lovely atmosphere, but on my visit the kids were running around and jumping on tables while their parents were busy with other things. I understand it’s family friendly, but with a busy main road and car park right nearby, letting children play unsupervised feels like a real safety issue. Management should consider asking children to stay seated with adults after a certain time, or bringing in an adults only rule after 7:00 PM instead of the later cutoff they have now. It’s a pub, not a crèche. They need to make sure the place stays respectful for everyone.

We went with the kids for Sunday roast, and it’s a clean pub with a friendly atmosphere that welcomes dogs. The kids’ portions were a good size and good value at £10.50. I had the trio meat roast for about £22, which was very good in some parts, though the roast potatoes were rubbery and the chicken overdone. Hopefully we’ll be back to try it again. There’s parking at the back, and I’d recommend reserving. We were lucky to find a free table as walk-ins.

We had to cancel at very short notice because of a family bereavement, and the team were understanding enough to refund us. I wanted to thank them for their kindness at such a difficult time.