The Carpenters Arms

No reception when I arrived. No answer on telephone either.Hustled 15 minutes to find keys on doors to get room myself. Reception opened only when restaurant opened.

This is a cost-efficient/effective place but transportation is the problem. You need a car, otherwise you have to walk for long hours. Maybe, the road is forbidden for pedestrians, I don't know.

What a great place to eat. Myself, my wife and both sets of parents had lunch at the Carpenters with our dog. Very dog friendly. Between us we had the Liver and onions, Steal and ale pie, one cod and chips and one Wiltshire ham egg and chips. All cooked freshly and what a joy. Everything was piping hot and cooked to perfection. Great service from the staff who made us very welcome. Friendly, caring and smiling from the beginning, what more can you ask for. The pub /restaurant is well presented and clean. Great parking as well. If you want a great meal at a sensible price this is the place to go. We will be back on numerous occasions I think. Thanks to everyone at the Carpenters for making all of us feel special.

I booked this properly having returned from a holiday in Greece to stay for a 4 day course I was completing in Swindon. I arrived from Gatwick airport at 01.00 in the morning to find the property was closed and no means to check in, there was an out of office number to call on the side of the building but no one answered. This resulted in me having to find another property to stay in for the first night. Although this was an inconvenience and an extra expense, when I did check in the next day I was offered a refund. Going forwards better communication regarding check would be good or actually being able to check in during later hours. The staff in the pub were very friendly and provided excellent service and the food in the pub was outstanding, I was very impressed with the food and service and would most definitely return again for the food alone! The Room was cosy, the bed comfortable and a good shower and bath, the propellor style lampshade was quite dusty and the TV didn't work. The TV was not a bog deal to me but it was clearly a known problem that hadn't been resolved.

my boyfriend and i decided to go to the carpenters on the 28th november as they had advertised a black friday deal, we had two drinks each and a meal each and this cost £55 and we only had the ham egg and chips which is £11.95! the starters took 45 minutes to come out and our main food took an hour after that to arrive, by this point we were already disappointed in the place and decided we just wanted to eat and then go! this is an awful place since the owners have changed, it was amazing when it was in other hands now it has gone to the lady it has definitely gone very downhill. some of the staff are rude and not friendly. we also found multiple hairs in our food which we ignored and pulled out as we had complained in the past for this reason and we were told we had lied. i wouldn’t recommend at all.

I visited with my friend, but she'd been here before & I hadn't. It's a nice pub with character in South Marston, a lovely village & just off the A420 Oxford Rd, and had good parking. Nice inside, but maybe could do with a bit of a refurb - the carpet looked a bit old & tired, but of course, that's up to the owners. We both had steak & ale pie, very nice! Then both had a sponge pudding - also very nice, very hot & fresh. Would definitely recommend a visit.

We decided to book here for my daughters 16th,as in the pass experience it’s faultless. Food was piping hot and freshly made.There were 9 different food dishes served and all came out at the same time all nice and hot.Staff have always got smiles on there faces even at busy periods.well done to all who work here ,you all work as a team that also goes for the back of house that cooks your food to perfection and the presentation of your food is to a high standard.If you have not been here I fully recommend.

This is a back to basics accommodation, don't forget a towel and toiletries. Overall the stay wasn't bad, things require a refresh and the staff (and food) in the pub are very good.

Only thing i think they need to do is update the bathroom. The shower was very poor and the toilet seat did not fit. It was clean and quiet and very good value for money. Food and service in the bar was excellent.