Cat & Fiddle, Radlett

Date of visit - May 2013 On the main Roman road – Watling Street – out of Radlett is The Cat and Fiddle, a white washed tile hung country style pub that was established in 1814. Middlesex’s trip to Radlett for a Yorkshire Bank 40 over cricket match saw me calling into this pub, conveniently situated just across the busy road from the cricket ground. It’s a comfortable carpeted traditional interior with several adjoining areas, furnished with some old settles and shelves full of ornamental cats. There’s the obligatory fake looking wooden beams and a pleasingly unmodernised, slightly old fashioned feel to the place. What looks like an extension to the original building at the side has some interesting cricketing memorabilia including an autographed 1995 West Indies team sheet. We also learn that the Australian cricket team began their 1993 cricket tour here. On a wall by several steps leading to the extension is a framed potted history of the pub and we learn how it recently saved from closure by an enterprising local family. It was once a Truman’s pub and old style Trumans Eagle lamps still hang outside the front entrance. At the back behind the pub is an outdoor seating area and a car park. There’s a serving hatch from outside to the small bar counter inside. There’s 5 pumps which, on my visit, were offering Otter Bitter, Doom Bar and Adnams Broadside. The Otter Bitter - £ 3.30p – went down well. I didn’t see any hanging pump clips anywhere or anything to indicate that this range might change regularly. This isn’t a pub worth going out of your way to visit, but it’s an unpretentious likeable sort of place and I’d probably call in again if I’m watching cricket here next season