Royal Portland Arms, Fortuneswell, Portland

A characterful pub if somewhat a mish-mash of refurbs - yellow and sky blue seem to be the latest colours de jour. Messy and cluttered interior. There were nice views over Lyme Bay from the seats outside the front of the pub and it was from one of these that an old boy wheezed up and came into the pub to serve me. Assumed he was the landlord – he wasn’t, he was a local who had been told to ‘mind the bar’. Three pumps with two clipped though it turned out only one was on, an aged and hazy Somerset Sunset (NBSS 1.5). Overheard that the Carling was also off. Badly run at present but has potential in the right hands.

A terrraced pub and music venue, in Portland stone and blue paint work, with Jacobean styled dormer windows and bay window above the central entrance. A small patio area at the front. In the GBG 2010. The interior is a single room in grey and white wood panel, with white and wood ceiling and a stone chiney breast. There were pictures with a nautical theme and some music posters for interest and a couple of dart boards for entertainment. There was no TV, the music was general and at a decent level. The service was very friendly and the small clientele consisted of a couple of locals (equally friendly) and a tourist or two. Beer; tap stuff with Sharpe's Doombar and DBC's Best on handpull, both were fine A superb pub. A good touch of the 70s, friendly, decent beer, no wonder George III stopped here for a swifty once - decent compensation for losing America, I think.