Wheelwright's Arms, Watford

-- Please note: Opening times are variable as the pub only has a limited amount of days per annum permitted on its licence. The pub currently operates at certain weekends. Always best to check ahead on their Facebook group page; The Wheelwright's Arms (which you have to join as it's currently a private group).

In 2020 a Watford community project achieved its ambition to return a public house to this small village, following the closure many years ago of the Stag's Head and Henley Arms. It is a tiny pub created from a redundant and dilapidated farm building and stands in an attractive grassy meadow. It's one of those unusual situations where the garden is many times the size of the pub. And what a size the grounds are! They accommodate a large marquee, several benches and umbrellas, and a couple of smaller refuges to protect one from bad weather, You'd be hard pressed to get more than 10 people comfortably inside the actual pub itself. During many of its opening hours, Thai food is served from a mobile kitchen in another part of the garden. Dogs and horses are welcome and many riders hitch up their steeds in a designated part of the grounds. There is plenty of parking available in the adjacent field. The pub is run entirely by a volunteer workforce and has a loyal local following. The ales on tap are often supplied by Hook Norton, but only one may be available owing to the brevity of the opening hours.