The Cricketers, Maidenhead

I'm not quite sure what to make of this pub. It's situated in the village of Littlewick Green overlooking the village green and presumably a cricket pitch. Although on a January evening, shortly after 5pm opening, we couldn't get a good view of either. This is still a Hall & Woodhouse pub, which seemed very small by their standards. There are 3 small rooms, with the bar serving the two right-hand rooms. Badger Fursty Ferret & Tanglefoot were the real ales. Both were quite enjoyable. On our early evening visit, there seemed to be more staff than customers. The two other customers in were both drinkers. One had a dog. But I couldn't help but thinking that the pub probably relies more on its food trade to survive than anything. Its 5pm opening would certainly indicate that and blackboards were clearly displaying their wares. Although, I could certainly imagine that this pub can be quite popular with outdoor drinkers in the summer months, especially when there is a cricket match on. Parking is a little difficult though. There is no car park. I managed to grab a space next to the green, but the presence of no parking signs along the verge seems to suggest that the locals get a little upset when there are too many cars parked around here.

A beautifully appointed pub in a charming village, overlooking the cricket pitch with a game in full swing during our visit. Looks good from the outside too, what with it having its own aged walnut(?) tree out front. Comfortably aged interior, traditionally done and well-described below. A Hall and Woodhouse pub, disappointed to only see First Call on as the singular ale, though it drank very well. Quiz night advertised for alt Tuesdays. Neatly trimmed and planted outside front garden which allowed for a very pleasant 20 minutes watching the chasing the team get skittled out for very few runs. Ticks a lot of boxes and the presence of an extra ale would really have helped push this up higher. Either way, it’s well-worth seeking out on a summer’s day for a quintessentially English experience.

Official site of The Cricketers - cricketers-berkshire.co.uk