IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
The Ivies, WANTAGE, OX12 8BP

The Red Cross Hall on Wallingford Street which moved here from the Hospital back around 1970.

This dual Elizabeth II post box is outside 18 Wallingford Street OX12 8AX and has on its top, a knitted crown, orb and sceptre to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday 6th May 2023.

The Kings Arms along Wallingford Street Wantage.

An old public house on the fringe of the town centre. It is a Grade II listed building and was originally a private house but later became a public house. It dates from the early 18th century, but the mock timber-framing is mid-20th century. Trade directories show that it was in use as a public house by 1840, but this could have happened much earlier. There is a beer garden.

An interesting example of a surviving Morland's Brewery sign. Morland were based in Abingdon and were taken over and closed by the Suffolk brewers Greene King in 2000. Morland had a lot of pubs in Wantage but it may be that this one wasn't transferred, as Greene King normally replace old signs with their own. Royal names for pubs have always been popular as they demonstrated loyalty (genuine or not) to authority, and especially after the restoration of the monarchy in the 17th century. Image

Another public house along Wallingford Street Wantage.

A popular pub in Wantage, on the corner of Wallingford Street and Partridge Close. Despite being called the Shoulder of Mutton, the pub has a vegetarian and vegan restaurant. There are also plans to have an onsite micro-brewery. Meanwhile ten hand pumps dispense real ales from various local independent brewers. The pub was judged Pub of the Year 2012 by the local White Horse branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). The banner on the side of the pub proudly announces this fact. Image Image Image

The Shoulder of Mutton used to be a Morland house but at some point it became a free house. It is a nice touch that this Morland sign remains on the pub's exterior. The Morland business almost survived 300 years, as it was started in 1711 by farmer John Morland in the village of West Ilsley in Berkshire. In the 1880's the brewing operations were moved to Abingdon, where the company had already acquired two local breweries. In the 1920's it purchased the Wantage Brewery Company and in 2000 was itself taken over by Greene King, who promptly closed the Abingdon brewery. These Morland signs do differ slightly, as can be seen from another Wantage example:- Image Unfortunately there is no prize for spotting the differences! Image Image Image