The Railway Arms, Alton

After being suitably impressed by Moondance a while back, I decided to google Triple fff brewery and head for the source, and the Railway Arms is certainly the place to enjoy their marvellous product. fff Alton's Pride, Moondance, Hallelujah, Pressed Rat & Warthog, Stairway, also Dark Star Old Ale & Addlestones ‘Cloudy' on handpump. An early visit and beers were drawn thru & inspected before serving, the best indication of proper care. The hop adorned horsehoe bar is surrounded by barstools & will no doubt be a focal gathering point for returning train travellers, post work. Some breweriana (watneys barrel hangs from ceiling), various old bottles & advertising plaques, ‘Spratts Ovals' the best small-dog biscuit! I love the picture to the right of the main bank of pumps – 3 old boys enjoying a drink at the bar in a former, rather simpler & preferable era. Larger room to the rear with plenty of seating plus a dartboard &, beyond this, an outdoor area with picnic sets; a virtually illegible note from my later rtn (hic!) suggests a covered pergola or summer-house construction(?). Small outdoor seating area at the front below a flowered post carrying barrel-bearers on a plinth. Notices advertise local breweries ‘fest at Medstead Green (5m) 12July, & Vic's Buskers open mic nt, 29Jul. Staff were still ensuring beer quality when I returned late afternoon, great stuff!

A basic locals boozer, a horse shoe shaped single room with the central bar taking up up a fair amount of the interior space.All seven pumps on the front counter were on and all were Triple fff beers,being the tap they were reasonably priced between £2.80 and £3.00.My pint of Citra Sonic although a little hazy was perfectly fine, in fact I had a second.A solid pub.

I've known about this place for years so left time on my Alton visit to stay here for a few beers. The first thing that struck me was how it didn't look at all like an original pub but a pair of terraced houses converted into one. I asked the friendly guv'nor and he said it was a purpose built pub for Watney's. My 1986 beer guide adds weight to that. It's very much a basic ale house which suits me down to the ground. It's well described below but the Pool Table seems to have gone. I found myself sitting near an advert for Swamp Donkey Cider, one of many pieces of bric-a-brac scattered around. The seven hand pumps at the front had one unused with five Triple fff beers and Red Cat Feral Vienna IPA. I went for the Citra Sonic (£3.00), Moondance (£3.00), I Can't Remember (£3.40) and the Red Cat guest (£3.50). All were in very good to superb nick. I would definitely return here and it was easily my favourite pub in Alton.