The King’s Head and Bell on East St. Helen’s Street is holding its 2nd Summer Beer Festival this weekend. On Saturday, the Hook Norton draymen (Taffy and Roger Hughes) brought their shire horses to the pub. On Sunday afternoon, Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers will be doing some dancing and playing music from 2pm.
Hook Norton Dray (Picture borrowed from Kings Head and Bell facebook page)
There is a good range of 20 real ales outside (and 4 more at the bar). Many of them are from local breweries including:
- Loose Cannon, Abingdon: Pale Ale and Abingdon Bridge
- Hook Norton: Hooky Dark, Hooky Gold, Old Hooky, Hooky Double Stout, Haymaker, Flagship
- Appleford: Power Station
- White Horse: Saracen IP
- Vale: Grumpling
- West Berkshire: Dr. Hexter’s Healer
- Oxfordshire Ales: Pride of Oxfordshire
- Butts: Barbus Barbus
From further afield are:
- Andwell, Hampshire: Gold Muddle
- Box Steam Brewery, Wiltshire: Tunnel Vision and Funnel Blower
- Cottage Brewery, Somerset: Licence to Chew
- Rebellion, Marlow: Mutiny
- Red Squirrel, Hertfordshire: Summer Ale
- Sadlers, Stourbridge: Stumbling Badger
- Adnams: Broadside
- Wadworth 6X
There are also 5 real ciders.
I haven’t tried everything yet, but probably the Hooky Flagship is my favourite so far.
You can also see more pictures of the horses on The Abingdon Blog