20th March 2010

A night in a Hook Norton pub

Staying in an English pub, like the Pear Tree in the village of Hook Norton, instead of a hotel can be cheaper, and it certainly should provide more character and plenty to drink writes Chicago Tribune writer Judy Hevrdejs.

According to Judy some travellers seek out England's pubs for ales and beers.

Some seek out pubs for their beds. The reason? Travellers find that a country pub may be the only lodging in tiny villages dotting the English countryside.

And it is how, during a visit to Hook Norton in Oxfordshire, she ended up chatting with a pub-stay connoisseur who lodged at the Pear Tree Inn a short walk from the Hook Norton Brewery. Judy said: “A country pub, of course, can be quite different from a boisterous city pub or a theme pub. It often is the heart of a village, with locals as its proprietors — good resources for sightseeing and pub-walk tips (because pub walks that involve hiking along marked footpaths from pub to pub are popular pastimes). They offer character — and characters — you won't find at a standard-issue hotel. “The Pear Tree is where pub aficionado Vivienne Sharp chose to stay when she travelled from her home in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. A pub stay, the travel group leader and lecturer told us, can be cheaper, offer more character and, normally, have a central location in the village.

“Though many date to the 18th century (and earlier), pubs have updated their facilities, so many accommodations are en suite (the bathroom's in your room), have widescreen TVs and provide in-room tea and coffee fixings.”