Working through my One Drive revealed a few upsides to Lincolnshire I’d neglected to tell you about during my rant about “Gastropubisation“. Memory fades fast once you get north of 30.
Another contender for “Dick & Dave’s big Lincs Adventure” is the Durham Ox in Thimbleby, which is a decent name, but not a patch on nearby Ashby Puerorum.
A good walk west of Horncastle (20 minutes Mr RM, 40 minutes Mrs RM) brings you to the edge of the Wolds, though I guarantee you none of the gentlefolk there had earned their calories.
One chap at the bar, a dozen or so in three really attractive little rooms isn’t bad business for early April. Our barfly enquired where the guest (Magpie) came from, and I volunteered the city without embellishment, so as not to appear a beer twit. He blanked me.
The friendlier fella below had the run of the best room, overlooked by Sir Winston, so I left him/her to it. It wasn’t the only one with proper pub seating.
The mark of a good country pub is that you feel comfortable as a drinker, and I did here, with the added bonus of a good vantage point to watch the inevitable condiment/bill splitting/mispronunciation of Ashby Puerorum drama, but no such luck. There was more conspicuous munching than talking.
All I can tell you is that the Bateman XB was drinking well (NBSS 3.5), a first in some while, and the pub was as relaxing a place as you could wish.
But the music was wonderful. 1930s jazz and “California Dreaming“. Mama Cass would have eaten well here, but I was saving myself for pate man.
retiredmartin 
That’s a great experience, but a boring movie. Nice to see Batemans get some praise. I have enjoyed their beers.
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Batemans XB at NBSS 3.5 makes a great experience on its own.
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If this pub is called the Spotted Bull, why have you included a photo of the inn sign for the Durham Ox?
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I have no idea. That’s the sort of thing The Pub Champion should be investigating, isn’t it ?. Or Dick & Dave, at least.
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Having investigated, my beer-stained notes appear to say Spotted Bull, suggesting I looked at the sign on the way into the pub and renamed it. Is this a variant on “East -West Syndrome”‘?
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Umm, according to the GBG, it is the Durham Ox. Now that’s an impressive mistake 😮
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It is indeed the Durham Ox. As I implied, I must have looked at the picture rather than the name on the sign. Always best to blame Brexit or Aliens though.
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In there last night. Like the sign but was horrified to learn they intend replacing it with one that just has writing a la GK. Did you notice the older sign propped up on the floor behind the bar (though it looks more modern than the one outside)?
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I do now you mention it. Signs with just writing are just evil, though in fairness I wouldn’t have called it the Spotted Cow in the blog originally if that was the case !
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