Turfcutters Arms, Brockenhurst

This is a charming New Forest pub in the pleasant village of East Boldre, easily reached from Buckler's Hard and Beaulieu Motor Museum. The pub presents a lovely, picture postcard image on arrival, surrounded as it is by an evocative white picket fence. You can enter through doors to the side or rear, which bring you into the main bar - a cosy space with a small, corner servery in a part bare boarded, part flagstone floored room. There are lots of typical dark wood beams and pillars plus a mix of bench and standard seating. The walls have been covered with old pictures of the local area and many farm tools, presumably as a nod to the pub's name and the occupation of the pub's original customer base. A doorway opposite the bar leads into a compact second room with mostly standard tables and chairs which were being fully utilised by people tucking into some hearty looking pub grub. To the rear there is a large beer garden with several picnic benches and on this visit, a marquee set up for a BBQ, which we all ate from. The food was good quality and the chap running the BBQ was very helpful, serving me despite the fact that he'd packed most of his equipment away whilst I was still at the bar ordering a large round. There were five ales on the bar when we arrived - Ringwood Best, Fortyniner and a rebranded house beer (possibly Old Thumper), Flack Manor Flack Catcher and Adnams Ghost Ship. The Best was in fairly good shape and served by a friendly barman. We had a long wait at the bar due to another large group getting there before us, so I used the time to read the amusing 'spoof' RSPB letter stuck to the corner of the bar, which had us chuckling away. This is a really nice little pub that is tucked away enough to avoid the tourist masses, but attracts enough people to get a good buzz going inside, The friendly staff and reasonable beer range make this a good option for a stop off during a day in the Forest.

Official site of the Turfcutters Arms - www.the-turfcutters-new-forest.co.uk

Official site of the Turfcutters Arms - www.the-turfcutters-new-forest.co.uk

Really nice place now under new management. Friendly locals staff and dogs!