Wellington Arms, Freemantle, Southampton

A quirky pub, both in exterior and interior décor - a burgundy coloured main bar with nice seating booths, a green and purple colour scheme in the other plus a ‘hidden’ room, (perhaps a converted corridor?) on the way to the garden. The garden area is a patio with faux Victoriana metal chairs and tables. Seven ales on with Dark Star APA, Otter Amber, Fullers, Ringwoodx2, Youngsx2 Bowmans and Flowerpots – a decent selection spread over the two bars. My Dark Star APA was pretty cheap at three quid and in good nick though the Otter was somewhat pump tired. There is plenty of scribe elsewhere saying how friendly the place is and indeed the landlord was chatty to the locals...but not me despite my best efforts. Plenty of things to see here, including the pub’s name in picked coloured glass in the front windows, bar counter covered in old pennies, jugs hanging from ceiling, papers, free Wi-Fi. Mixed clientèle and clearly a popular watering hole. I’d be happy to pop back again though it did feel a bit ‘local’. The Guide Dog and South Western were more welcoming of visitors I thought. NB – pub’s claim to (brief) fame in 2007 when it was made UK consulate for the Caribbean island of Redonda in an ultimately futile attempt to circumvent the smoking ban.

This excellent pub hit the headlines in 2007 when it was anointed as the UK consulate for the tiny Carribbean island of Redonda in an attempt to circumvent the smoking ban ('foreign territories' being exempt). While this effort appears to have failed, it highlights the sort of place it is - a proper drinkers pub, with as mentioned a friendly, chatty landlord and a friendly local feel. It stocks an impressive array of Ales - Fullers ESB & Pride, Ringwood Best & Old Thumper, Adnams Bitter & Wychwood Hobgoblin as well as, on my visit, guests in the form of Brakspear Oxford Gold, Youngs Bitter and Triple fff Moondance. An excellent pub that I will definitely visit regularly.