The Olde Bell Inn

Mr Smith and I have been going to Henley-on-Thames in Berkshire for the last six years to visit good friends, and not once have we turned down the road to Hurley. Now that I’ve been to Hurley, which is less than 10 minutes from Henley, I am annoyed at the many missed opportunities to spend time at The Olde Bell Inn.

The exterior looks like any other Tudor pub – white, slightly wonky, with leadlight windows and orange roof tiles – and you’d be forgiven for walking right past. Don’t. Upon crossing the threshold, the first thing we noticed was the typical English inn oak bar. A roaring fire beckoned, but before we could settle down, we had to check in.

The receptionist was efficient and friendly, and within minutes we were climbing the rush-matted stairs, ducking the low-hanging door frames (people were obviously built more compactly in Henry VIII’s day) and turning the key to the recently refurbished Room 10.

Even with a king-size bed, flatscreen TV, several chairs, side table and whatnot, there’s enough space in the room to dance around, swing a cat and do the fandango. The bathroom is similarly vast and has dark oak floors, a walk-in shower with a monsoon showerhead the size of a dinner plate, and my favourite Australian botanical skincare range Aesop. The best feature, however, is the deep, claw-footed, roll-top bath.

The view across the meadow garden makes up for the fact that Room 10 is above the restaurant – which, if you’re a light sleeper, may mean you get woken by early breakfasters.

Mr Smith and I lazed around reading the papers on the bed for a while, then we discovered the DAB Roberts Radio. We tuned into 6 Music’s Funk & Soul Show and, indeed, danced around the room. No cats to hand, though. All this exertion made us thirsty, so we sidled into the bar, grabbed a pew and proceeded to sample the local concoctions served up by the friendly Australian barmaid. We started with a Rebellion lager brewed in nearby Marlow Bottom, and finished with a Rhubarb Fizz, made from a reduction of rhubarb grown on the premises and topped with Prosecco.

Feeling peckish, we walked the few steps to the restaurant, where they aim to provide ‘locally sourced fare done simply’. The dining room’s most striking feature is a chandelier made from deer antlers, which gives it a slight hunting lodge feel. My purple sprouting broccoli with goat’s cheese is one of those easy-to-do, yet surprisingly moreish combinations. Mr Smith enthused over his crispy calamari, followed by whole grilled lemon sole with caper butter. I had garlicky mussels with steamed new potatoes, done so perfectly that the skin was just peeling off.

The sommelier that popped over to tell us about the wine was knowledgeable to a fault. We also discovered the easiest cocktail to make at home. Take freshly squeezed blood oranges, add a little sugar syrup and top with Prosecco. The Olde Bell Inn calls it a Blood Fizz, but we’re renaming it the Bloody Mimosa and looking forward to adding it to our repertoire.

After a cheeseboard, we retired to wingback chairs next to the aforementioned roaring fire and enjoyed a single malt whisky or two. Only guests of the inn are allowed to stay in the bar after 11pm, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves. I decided to run a long, hot bath while Mr Smith fetched a bottle of bubbly and an ice bucket. Room 10 is less than one minute from the bar, but we can’t abide warm champagne.

The rest of the evening is a bit of a blur, but I can tell you the beds are extremely comfortable, and that perhaps you shouldn’t have a piping hot bath if you’ve been drinking whisky.

Presuming you’re up in time for breakfast, I can recommend the fruity yoghurts, while Mr Smith says his Full English was terrific. We wandered around the picturesque – and teensy – village of Hurley and did the loop to the river, along to the boatyard and back to the inn (20 minutes, tops), and we saw exactly four people. Try walking near the river in Henley on the weekend and see the difference.

If you like beer gardens and fancy a short sojourn, two nearby are worth a visit. The Five Horseshoes is 20 minutes by car from Hurley and 14 minutes from Henley, while The Bird in Hand is just nine minutes from the inn. The beer garden at The Olde Bell is so large and beautiful that you probably won’t feel the need to track down others, but both of these are good options if you’re in the mood for a change of scene.

I’m looking forward to my next trip to visit our friends in Henley, mainly in order to schedule a dinner stop at the Olde Bell Inn – but, next time, I won’t imbibe quite so much whisky by the fire.