East End, near Lyndhurst, New Forest, Hampshire:
Positively lovely pub. It’s not even a village pub- East End is a very small hamlet- but it’s a great pub, owned by John Illsley, one of the founders of Dire Straits.
We happened upon this entirely by accident while driving around back roads, and what a happy accident that was!
Really friendly staff and locals, good food, good choice of ale and AF options. You can stay here, as well.
Old Town, Eastbourne, Sussex
Very old, very traditional, and lovely pub with rooms/hotel, but it feels like a pub for sure.
The room we were in was food focused, and that’s what we were there for: we got Sunday dinner as an early evening meal, and excellent it was too. The food business is obviously busy, but with other rooms it isn’t just a restaurant. Friendly, helpful staff, real ale on offer.
Chester:
We’d passed this pub many times, and always meant to drop in, because well, cat, plus it’s an imposing site as you prepare to turn off the A41 and head for the A55, and a good lunch stop for us coming back this time.
It’s part of the M&B Vintage Inns chain, so traditionalish inside, food-biased, but feels like an old pub (which it is, to be fair). Good service and food- not the cheapest, but not too bad either. Can’t comment on the beer as I was driving. Right next to the Shropshire Union Canal. Sensible Covid precautions, overall a nice place. There’s accommodation here if you fancy it.
Liverpool;
Whatpub Link
Website
Heritage Pubs Link
Another Crown!
This one was so close to Liverpool Lime St station that we went here to locate our hotel, not realising the hotel was almost next door…
It’s a big, imposing old Edwardian pub, a typical city centre boozer, and great for it, with a magnificent interior. When we arrived, it was rammed with people watching the football, but we managed to get a seat. Great beer, great staff (serving people in order despite the crowds).
Felpham, West Sussex:
Pleasant village pub. looked to be recently refurbed inside, but not devoid of character. Nice decking area out back- looking out to a car prk, but pleasant enough. Great beer and friendly staff. Another pub with rooms, and they seemed to be preparing a holiday let attached to the pub too.
Pagham, West Sussex:
At a guess, 1920s, this was definitely pub with rooms, not pubby hotel. Pleasant barman and staff, and a decent beer garden. There was ale, but it was all a bit traditional bitter for me, so keg Ghost Ship (which was fine).
Bury St Edmunds:
This was the first pub we found walking into town from our hotel, and we needed lunch, having been up early that morning. Outside looks traditional, inside is a modern Greene King (who else, that close to the brewery?) pubco makeover, so stripped boards and green paint.
I was ready to not be keen, because there was a bit of a hipster air about the place too, so that coupled with decor and GK beer wasn’t encouraging, but in the event it was fine: the sandwiches were nice, there was guest beer, the music wasn’t too loud and the staff were really pleasant. We visited again that evening, and the food wasn’t bad then, and the music wasn’t deafening, so overall, pretty good. There’s romms here too, and they seemed to be in a seperate building to the pub.
Ecclefechan:
I *should* have blogged this in May 2014, when we stopped here en route from Mallaig back home, trying for a cheaper option than Moffat but didn’t: maybe it felt the wrong side of the hotel/pub thing.
I’ll briefly mention the hotel- it’s ace. Great value and comfortable.
Besides that, it’s the village pub. Evidently once on the main Carlisle-Glasgow road, now the A74M passes by a short distance away, making the village quiet, but the proximity of a junction makes this a convenient pause.
In the bar itself, it’s pleasant and welcoming. Pub food, cask ale, a real fire, and friendly staff and locals.
Portpatrick:
Our base for a couple of days. We arrived in bright sunshine, having driven through snow, and grabbed a drink to sit outside with. Very friendly staff, good beer and wine, and great food, the atmosphere of an old-fashioned village pub in the bar, with a real fire. Popular for, but not dominated by food, and (as an aside) nice rooms.
Beverley:
Really pleasant town centre pub with rooms (but the focus is the pub, thankfully). Good, reasonably priced food menu (with pensioner’s apecials, making it hard for us to get a seat), and very friendly staff and landlord. Good ale choice, including Timothy Taylor Golden Best, which you never get near home.