This great pub is smack-bang in the middle of crop circle country and has an alien theme to it. The food is nothing short of exceptional and the atmosphere is fantastic.
The service, however, is slow at best and sometimes non-existant. The first time we visited, my wife was the only person at the bar and still didn't get served for over 10 minutes, even though there were staff wandering around. You simply do not go to this pub for great service.
The chef at the Barge is a dedicated soul who has embraced the 'eat local' movement to full effect. I have had local pork belly and lamb from just 2 miles away - both incredible meals! On our first visit my wife had the beetroot and goat's cheese risotto which she loudly declared as being sublime. Apparently this is a meal the chef is particularly proud of.
Ales are local and tasty, the lager cold and the white wine a bit ropey.
However, the real reason most come to this pub is the camping... set on about an acre, it can get quite busy and noisy as it's popular for groups. Last weekend we were bookmarked by a large batch of uni students who were involved in a 17 hour drinking session at one end of the site and a large group of friends who started fighting at 5am at the other end. My advice - plan on having late nights if you're camping here.
Which brings me nicely to things to do!
Photography is a keen hobby of mine. If you have the same bug, you'll need to take your tripod with you. The canal by the pub is the scene for some beautiful night time photography over the water and wheat fields.
During the day there might even be some crop circles to explore - there were 3 last week! A quick google should tell you if there's any around. To find exactly where they are, just look around the field for something that looks like a flag - it'll be the farmer's donation box.
Walking west along the canal for 2 miles brings you to the delightful village of All Cannings - home of The King's Arms. This pub had an amazing menu, was dog friendly and showed the Formula 1 on Sunday! We liked it so much, we made the trek twice over the course of the weekend. The King's Arms also has much quieter Caravan Club camping facility with space for up to 5 vans.
I believe this is a great place to visit for a weekend and will be back - just take ear plugs and be prepared to wait for a drink!
