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The Bull Inn, Sonning

A 15th-century timber-framed inn in the impossibly pretty village of Sonning — everyone's Sunday-lunch answer to 'where do we take the visitors?'

Where
Sonning
Time needed
2 hr visit
Tickets
£25 mains
Free entry
Free to enter; you pay for what you eat and drink
The Bull Inn Sonning, 15th-century timber-framed pub The Bull Inn Sonning, 15th-century timber-framed pub

What to expect at The Bull Inn, Sonning

The Bull is a 15th-century coaching inn on the tiny cobbled square by Sonning's Norman church, four miles east of Reading. It has been an inn since the reign of Henry VII, and its low beams, big fireplaces, and worn flagstones are the genuine article. It is owned by the Fuller's pub chain now but managed as a country inn — good real ales (London Pride, ESB), a serious wine list and a menu that leans reliable British: fish pie, lamb shank, roast beef and Yorkshire, ploughman's boards.

The setup: two low-beamed dining rooms on the ground floor, a smaller snug bar, a big flagged terrace at the back that fills up at the first sign of sun, and seven bedrooms upstairs for those who overcommit to the wine list. On Sundays the whole village slows down and everyone within ten miles seems to be here for lunch — book. On weekdays it is quieter and lovely as a stop after a Thames Path walk from Reading (four miles, easy). The neighbouring village has a genuine claim on Jerome K Jerome's Three Men in a Boat and a heron colony you can watch from Sonning Bridge.

Mains £18-28, Sunday lunch £24, decent pints £6. Cash or card. Book online for weekends at least a week ahead in summer. Bus 128 from Reading town centre runs half-hourly and drops you 100 metres from the door; it is arguably the nicest thing you can do with a Sunday afternoon in Reading. Combine with the Thames Path walk in one direction (you can walk here from Reading in two hours) and the bus back.

Plan your visit Tickets£25 mains Free entryFree to enter; you pay for what you eat and drink Time needed2 hr visit WhereSonning Opening hours Mon-Sat 11:00-23:00 Sun 12:00-22:30 Food Mon-Sat 12:00-21:00, Sun 12:00-20:00 Hotels near The Bull Inn, Sonning

Questions about The Bull Inn, Sonning

Cost of a meal?

Around £30-40 a head for two courses and a drink. Sunday lunch £24 for two courses.

Free entry?

Yes — no cover charge; pay for food and drink only.

How long to plan?

Two hours for lunch or dinner. Longer if walking in via the Thames Path.

Closed days?

Open every day. Kitchen last orders 21:00 Mon-Sat, 20:00 Sun.

Booking?

Essential for Sundays and summer Saturday evenings. Weekday lunch usually fine as walk-in.

How do I get there?

Bus 128 from Reading town centre (25 min, £3). Or 4-mile Thames Path walk from Caversham Bridge.

Where to stay

Hotels near The Bull Inn, Sonning

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