The Clay Pipe Inn, Poole

A modern single story pub surrounded by caravan sites and holiday flats, with a large car park, part of the Sizzling Pub chain. There is a big garden which contains a children’s adventure playground, a barbecue area and various seating arrangements. (Inside, there are two main bar areas, each with a stone-faced counter, although only the main one was operating. Both have well-worn red carpets, and there is another annex room off to one side. The décor is battered, and some of the fake wall timbers are falling off. There are gaming machines, Sky Sports and WiFi in operation. The pub is dog friendly, the dogs better behaved than some of the many children running around inside. Food is of the standard mass-produced reheated variety. The staff were very welcoming and friendly. Two ales on, Ringwood Best and Doombar, both over-gassed but quite potable. It has the feel of a down-market holiday venue, but it’s actually better than that, and I wouldn’t mind popping in for a swift pint when passing.

I'd never really bothered with this pub in the past, having assumed it would always be packed full of tourists from the various caravan parks that surround it, but having heard good things about the food, we decided to give their Sunday roast a try. The food appears to be the star of the show. There was a typical pub menu, with specials on the blackboards and a fantastic carvery for the Sunday roast. The food we tried was fantastic and pretty good value for money as well. Given that it was a lovely day, we ate outside, where there are plenty of benches scattered amongst the trees and rhododendron bushes. There were two ales available - Ringwood Best and Fortyniner, the former in good shape and the latter on offer at just £2.60 a pint. The barman was very welcoming and all of the staff seemed very friendly and personable. The building only dates back to the late 80's or so, but it's been built in something of a traditional, rural pub style which helps give the place a bit of character that might not be expected from viewing the exterior. In keeping with the pub's name, there are a large number of clay pipes attached to the beams, but aside from that, there isn't a great deal of interest on display. An enjoyable afternoon and should you find yourselves staying in one of the nearby caravan parks, this place is well worth a visit and certainly preferable over a trip to nearby Sandford.