The community of Manton can breathe a sigh of relief – again. The Oddfellows is open, for drink (obviously) but now for food as well. And, with an experienced landlord at the helm, for many years owning some well known and successful pubs in the south of the UK, and tempted out of retirement by brewers Wadworth, but, and more importantly, the chance to run the Oddfellows.
For a publican who’s been ‘in the business’ for most of a lifetime, this is the first time that John Harrington has actually been a tenant. Always before he’s owned the pubs he’s run, sometimes owning several, all of which were sold when he retired a few years back. But the ‘lure of the Oddies….’ Too strong.
What will make the Oddfellows popular again? What will make it stand out? “Service, for a start” explains John. “Customers are the lifeblood of any pub. Without them you don’t have a business, but they will only come in if they like what they see, and they will only come back if they are welcomed, treated with respect, and they get excellent service and excellent value”…… “And then they might come back again!”
It’s been an up and down few years for The Oddfellows. A very popular pub with a strong and immediately local audience in Manton, but also close to The College (for staff, of course), but also the area of West Marlborough. Great area, lots of good potential customers, but also a very attractive and welcoming pub.
The Oddfellows joins the rest of the West Kennet Valley pubs, although one of which is now a (very popular) Indian Restaurant – The Burj at The Bell in West Overton. In Beckhampton there is the Waggon & Horses, always with a well-populated car park front, rear and opposite. And then, in Lockeridge is the acclaimed ‘Who’d A Thought It’ where, to secure a table for one of their superb Sunday roasts an advance booking is a must, and advance meaning well before…..
This area, the West Kennet Valley is somewhere that is valued by those that live there, for many reasons, but one of which being the range and quality of the pubs in the immediate area. And for anyone venturing in to the West Kennet Valley area, plenty to choose from (especially so now that the Oddies is back) and always a good and enjoyable experience to be had, whatever the choice made. So good reasons to keep coming back, and also enjoy the stunning scenery, walks and world famous features such as Silbury Hill, Avebury, the West Kennet Long Barrow and of course, the ‘medieval motorway of the South’ – the Ridgeway.
But at the Marlborough end of the valley it’s the Oddfellows in Manton. John and his team will welcome you in and probably say ‘thanks, see you again soon’ when you depart. And you’ll be back.
A year at Stonebridge Wild River Reserve
