Hobsons Best Bitter at the Little Lark, Studley

This local’s pub has stood the test of time but seems to have transformed itself lately into a pub for fine dining. The traditional horseshoe bar has been knocked through to form one long bar in the pub’s centre; which has surely lost some patronage space towards the back. The front of the pub still retains its lounge and log fire but cushions have been added to give it a cosy feeling. The tables aren’t set for food, but each place has a menu in the form of a laminated placement. There’s also a blackboard with daily specials. Three real ales adorn the bar in reasonable condition, and a large sign outside proclaims that one of them is “brewery-fresh”; presumably because the brewery itself is two miles down the road. The pub also used to print its own newspaper; and an old printing press together with a selection of amusing headlines forms the décor.