The Royal Oak Exmoor

Every once in a while you come across a great inn and pub. The Royal Oak is not that, it is far superior. We spent 3 nights there, and one of us took ill. Jane, one of the owners, went out of her way to try and arrange an appointment with her local GP. Steve took time out of his busy schedule to assist on another matter. The personal hands-on approach shown by the owners is what makes this inn so much better than most. Our room was large and spacious, and excellently well maintained, and the food was excellent.

The four of us came for a meal on Sunday evening.. we were blown away by the hospitality and the quality of the food! One of us had 3 allergies and they catered for it amazingly and were very knowledgeable about ceoliac disease. Absolutely 10/10 for service and food! Will definitely be back.

Another excellent stay at the Royal Oak. Comfortable rooms, excellent breakfast and very good hospitality from Jane and Steve; they always make you feel very welcome. Cosy bar with log fire and good choice of local ales. We ate there on Friday night and the food was very good and reasonably priced.

We received a very warm welcome from our hosts. We were staying in the cottage next door for the weekend so it was a very convenient location to go for a drink or for a meal. We had dinner on the Friday night which was lovely with plenty of choice. They kept the kitchen open as we were late arriving for which we were very grateful. We also had Sunday lunch which was amongst the best I’ve ever eaten. It’s a lovely pub and also has rooms so would be very happy to stay there next time

It says much about the Royal Oak in the tiny village of Winsford in Somerset that we didn't complain about the weather once. We had decided to spend the last week in March visiting Exmoor as my wife keeps those hardy little ponies that thrive on the 267 square miles of moorland and we wanted to see them in their natural habitat but the weather was just vile. It had been vile all month, and the month before that. Having booked into room four, which is a wonderful sized suite with a four poster bed, a dressing room as well as an excellently stocked bathroom we first met Jane who is the marketing force and landlady at the pub and then her husband, Steve, a builder who is the man that keeps putting out the numerous time bombs that go off when you own a property that dates back to the 12th century. He also collects roots, great big ones that he gathers from the sea shore, cleans and leaves them as primitive ornaments dotted about the place. When we saw vegetable root soup on the menu one night we thought it might be some kind of homage to the great Winsford root collector. During our stay he was also busy installing a new floor in the post office and village store that is also accommodated in the spacious ground floor of the pub although often popped up behind the bar, serving some fine local Exmoor beers and cider and also a highly potent locally produced gin. In short the pub is the absolute heartbeat of the community as any good village pub should be. The food is also first class providing a breakfast substantial enough to go without another meal until you return that evening for dinner, itself excellent value and proper locally sourced staples like pies, steaks and fish with a choice of fat or skinny chips. The wine list is pretty good too. There is nothing prissy about the place with even a sign outside welcoming walkers wearing their muddy boots rather than demanding they be removed before entry as often found elsewhere. And walking Exmoor this March was most certainly muddy. So there we are, it is a very well run establishment and it boasts the sort of thatched roof you see on chocolate boxes or Visit England travel brochures. With lots to see around about, even if you are not bonkers about Exmoor ponies, the Royal Oak in Winsford is one place in England very well worth visiting and while you are there do compliment Steve on his roots.

Each year a group of 22 of us get together for a reunion, we started this in 1991 and continue to this day. I have to say we all agreed that /the Royal Oak is one of the very best hotels we have visited. The team led so well by Jayne went out of their way to make our stay of three nights areal pleasure. The quality of the food was excellent really hearty food with generous portions. The room were very comfortable and spacious. The breakfast was plentiful and cooked to order. The area is very rural and has the centre for great walks both long and short. I look forward to returning very soon.