It looked like the quintessential English village pub: cloaked in ivy and climbing plants, beautiful old stonework, interior walls and exposed beams dripping with brass and porcelain, open fireplaces, flagstones. I’m told that under its previous ownership, the Royal Oak won a lot of awards and appeared in many guides. The present owners have been there for a little over 2 years and I’m unsure if they’ve been able to keep up the high standards. I have noticed since my visit that the pub has been dropped fom the current Camra guide; my pint was just OK. The food was homemade, reasonably priced, and just OK.

This is a super village pub with amazing food. It has received plenty of Good Pub Guide, AA, and other accolades, including being rated the 3rd-best village pub in the UK by the Independent newspaper.

It’s certainly a lovely pub, matching the lovely village it’s set in. The owners will happily tell you that the 16th-century building is made from stones freed up when the Tudors dissolved a nearby Benedictine Abbey. It’s also got big oak beams, a large inglenook fireplace, horseriding gear and pottery for decor, seats in front, and a beer garden.

You’ll find two of my favourite drops here, Old Speckled Hen and Flowers. There’s a good menu, the pies and the seafood being standouts.

And the pub, like the entire village of Cerne Abbas, sits under the watchful and endowed gaze of the Cerne Abbas Giant. It’s a spot that guarantees conversation.