Chatter and conversation is a feature of all Hook Norton pubs, but not many can claim to the sound of Love Birds. The amorous pair live in an aviary close to the back door of this pretty village pub.

It is a busy pub, complete with large beer garden, which is suitable for small children. Inside there is a small comfortable, low-ceilinged, friendly bar area, which leads onto an eating area.

The Hare and Hounds is focal point of the village life, but it is also suitable for the many travellers and walkers who pass by. Nearby is Wardington Manor, an Elizabethan house that built in 1665 on the site of a former nunnery. It was severely damaged in a major fire in the roof in 2004, however, swift action by the villagers who formed a human chain, saved the house’s irreplaceable collection of ancient books and atlases.

Four miles away is Sulgrave Manor, Manor Road, Sulgrave Nr Banbury Oxfordshire OX17 2SD, the home of George Washington’s ancestors.