King Alfred's Head (Halls)
Church Street, Wantage

This is at the far western end of the marketplace with the Victorian 
statue of King Alfred in it. Sitting out the back you have a good view of 
the church. However, the location is by far the best thing about it. It 
has NO REAL ALE.

Inside there's a pool table and very loud piped music. They were playing 
the Corrs when I was in. Outside on the benches facing King Alfred, early 
on a warm summer evening, there was plenty of young people who looked as 
if they were on the way to a club later. Actually Wantage doesn't seem to 
have any clubs, so they might have been going to the Vaults, a cellar bar 
which later on had loud music and the pungent smell of deodorant wafting 
out of it.

It was more middle-aged on the benches on the car park out the back. 
(30.vii.1999)