THEY are already some of the most treasured pubs in Oxfordshire.

Now some of the county's finest places to eat and drink are being featured in a new guide that directs travellers to the 'Best of England.'

Ten establishments have made the first edition of a new pub guide which has just been published.

Focussing on rural parts of the county, the list reads like a who's who of the local pub scene.

Representing Oxfordshire in the 200 strong list are The Trout in Faringdon, The Kingham Plough in Kingham, The Kings Head in Bledington, Mr Hanbury's Mason Arms in South Leigh and Killingworth Castle in Wootton.

Oxford Mail:

The Nut Tree in Murcott

Making up the rest of the list are The Nut Tree Inn in Murcott, Sir Charles Napier in Chinnor, The Feathered Nest in Nether Westcote, The Old Swan in Minster Lovell and The Lion in Wendlebury.

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Simon Ridgwell, founder and editor of the Best of England, said that now more than ever we need to support and promote England's local pubs.

He said: "English country pubs are an important part of our history and are often the heart of the rural community.

Oxford Mail:

The Kingham Plough

"We travelled hundreds of miles throughout the countryside to find these hidden gems.

"We met passionate landlords and chefs who are doing amazing things with local produce but are struggling to stay afloat.

"We wanted to do our bit to try to support them and help keep country pubs going."

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Inclusion in the guide is the latest accolade for the Kings Head, run by husband and wife team Archie and Nicola Orr-Ewing.

It was voted 'pub of the year' by the Good Pub Guide in 2018 and one of the top 30 summer pubs by The Times last year.

It is described in the guide as 'a true country idyll'.

Oxford Mail:

The Killingworth Castle

Last year was also a good one for The Killingworth Castle which got its second AA rosette.

At the time landlord Claire Alexander, who runs the pub with husband Jim, said she was ‘over the moon’.

The formerly derelict pub reopened in 2012 and has since received a slew of awards.

The guide said it was once the haunt of Sir Winston Churchill in days gone by and it has a 'prestigious past'.

READ AGAIN: CHEERS! More Oxfordshire pubs added to Good Beer Guide 2019

Meanwhile, the 'chunky wooden furniture' and 'eye-catching wallpaper' was praised at Mr Hanbury's Mason Arms and the judges liked the Michelin-starred menu and hanging baskets at the Nut Tree Inn.

The Sunday roasts at the Sir Charles Napier are described as 'legendary' while the Feathered Nest's 240-strong wine bin also caught attention.

Elsewhere, The Trout is described as a 'treasure chest of an Oxfordshire inn'.

Oxford Mail:

The King's Head in Bledington

Mr Ridgwell added: “Pubs are an historic and national institution that should be protected for future generations to enjoy and it genuinely saddens me to hear how rapidly they are closing.

“We’ve done a huge amount of research to compile this book and made the effort to visit and photograph each one ourselves.

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"We turned up unannounced and didn't charge anything for each pub to be featured in our guide. That way we could be 100 per cent honest with our recommendations and make the most authentic pub guide we could."

The guide is now available from the Best of England website and Amazon for £19.99.