Ipsden pub named South Oxfordshire pub of the season

The South Oxfordshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale has awarded the King William IV pub in Ipsden the coveted pub of the season title.

A popular drinking spot for locals, farmers and visitors from further afield, the rural pub has been run by Emma Righton for the past two-and-a-half years.

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Ms Righton said: “It was quite funny, as we were celebrating National Farm Animal Day. We always do a dress-up day on a Friday so we were all wearing t-shirts with a farm animal on for the award.”

The farmer-turned-landlady is close with Chilterns farmers that surround them and bills itself as ‘the pub with the view’ because of the stunning scenery that surrounds it.

A spokesperson for South Oxfordshire CAMRA said: “A most enjoyable late afternoon presenting South Oxfordshire CAMRA’s Spring 2026 Pub of the Season award to Emma Righton and her team at a packed King William IV, Ipsden.

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“Well done to everyone at the pub, which has the best pint of Brakspear beers for miles around.”

A spokesperson for CAMRA described it as in the “perfect setting to sip down a well-kept pint of Brakspear Gravity, which is always served straight from the cask”.

The King William IV joins another nearby pub, the Cross Keys in Wallingford, which was voted branch Pub of the Year and branch Cider Pub of the Year for 2026.