IF YOU go down to the woods today deep, deep down right to the end of a two-mile dead end road in the heart of Old Bricket Wood, you'll finally find the lair of the Old Fox.

It's real Hansel and Gretel territory this, as the trees form a tunnel over narrow, winding School Lane, and ancient twisted trunks create an enchanted woodland where you half expect to glimpse a hobbit.

Finally, in a clearing, is the gingerbread house or in this case a pretty pub, part timber, part brick, part cream paint decked in flowers. Blooms from the hanging baskets either side the front door almost touch across it.

So often an attractive pub exterior hides a gloomy inside, but the Old Fox is immaculate. In the snug to the right as you enter there are lace as well as gingham curtains; gleaming horse brass and copper kettles I seriously covet.

There's a tartan carpet and cheerfully clashing check cushions, big wooden table, high leather lined old settle and an open fire.

Just beyond is the main, though still smallish, bar with three handpumps only Fuller's London Pride on when I visited and beyond, a third room with pool table and TV.

A run of the mill pub menu offers starters such as whitebait, main meals from combos and ribs to steak and ale pie, salmon Thai-style and a Sunday roast of lamb, beef or pork with all the trimmings for £5.95. The menu ends with the words: "Some meals may contain genetically modified products. Please ask if this concerns you". It most certainly does.

I would guess that the Old Fox has a fairly captive clientele from the rather plush cottages in this neck of the woods certainly, at 6.30pm, an entrenched group were hogging the bar, and my husband and son, who arrived after me, were totally ignored. So, like the wily old fox we left.