please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
The Rowing Machine now has several real ales, Green King IMA and Abbot Ale being regulars, while London Glory, Doom Bar, Hog's Back, etc. have been recent guests. The IPA is £2 29p.
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It's a "Hungry Horse" - cheap & cheerful but nothing special - ...as it says on the tin.
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The Rowing Machine caters for drinkers and those wishing to dine, and is good value in purely financial terms. Abbot and other real ales are available for about �2.70 per pint. One small criticism concerns the lack of bar stools in the "drinking area" - single people do not want to sit at tables that are clearly arranged for groups.
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going up all the time!
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As intimated in the previous post, The Rowing Machine was re-opened as a Hungry Horse establishment on 16 December 2009 - the owning company having finally decided to intervene in what had hitherto been a failing and poorly-managed pub." A recent visit revealed that, in addition to a total interior refurbishment, the pub not only sells real ale - it also displays CAMRA literature! $
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Having been run into the ground by previous landlords, this wretched place is now being converted into a "Hungry Horse" establishment.
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this pub has been under new management for the last few weeks and the pub is looking alot better and getting busier... they have made it a family pub again where children are welcome in the lounge bar... though there is a separate over 18s only bar. Huge beer garden and car park at the rear... the bar staff are friendly and the ale is good... worth giving this pub a try
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Pretty basic estate pub, obviously purpose built at the same time as all the surrounding houses. You can see the planning that's gone into it - large car park, big garden with children's play area, etc.
Inside the pub feels more like a club, perhaps a Rugby Club, a Royal Legion, or a Working Man's club. It's large, has a pool table and two dart boards, and by the looks of it, a crowd of quite friendly regulars.
I quite liked it really, and the GKIPA was fine.
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What a dive, i reckon the carpet in the bar is at least 25 years old, as is the decor. The bar staff look drunk. the regulars are like something out of "one flew over the cuckoo's nest" This has to be the funniest looking pub i have ever had a drunk in.
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I am amazed this pub is still going. My Dad used to drink here back in the mid 1970's. I went in a few months back whilst revisiting Witney, and it looked just the same as I remember from back then. The curtains, the wallpaper, the carpet... The beer. Talk about the pub that time forgot, I felt I was back in 1974! All that was missing was the awful 1970's clothes. Still, lets wish the place well. I hate seeing any business go under, but currently - yes, it is STILL yer typical estate pub, just as it always has been.
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This must surely be the worst pub in Witney. Although it rarely seems to be busy, there is no attempt to welcome new customers, the bar staff being miserable and totally indifferent. The customers (such as they are) are no better - although, let�s face it, few of them are likely to brain surgeons or experts in the correct use of Latin grammar. So, go to the Rowing Machine and be totally ignored by staff and customers alike as you sip your glass of ale amid the early 1960s d�cor of this typical estate pub.
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ive heard the new landlord will be taking it back to what it was, a family pub catering for families they are going to start doing food again and entertainment at weekends
anonymous - 23 Aug 2007 08:28 |
HEAR THE LANDLORDS LEAVING CAN ONLY BE GOOD FOR ROWING MACHINE. HOPEFULLY THE NEW LANDLORD WILL MAKE USE OF THE VERY LARGE LOUNGE BAR AND INTRODUCE LIVE MUSIC AGAIN.
anonymous - 4 Aug 2007 19:54 |
A typical estate pub, although the food is not too bad. There are two good-sized bars and an attractive beer garden.
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