Caulkheads, Sandown

Situated a little out of the town centre, Caulkheads is another Sandown pub that I last visited in 2010. It's a pub that seems to be aimed at multiple sections of society. A group of lads on what looked like a crawl walked in just before us, there is a dining section and there is also a family section complete with an indoor kids' play area, with sweet and ice cream machines adjacent. On the beer front, 2 real ales were on offer. Both were from Goddard's - Ale of Wight & Wight Squirrel. Seemingly part of a chain of 6 pubs, it does have a bit of a commercial theme to it. There is a large garden with an outdoor children's play area too. I'm not sure the one-size fits all approach works here. Maybe it does commercially, but to me this pub struggles with an identity and I didn't quite feel at home here.

Caulkheads page on the Character Inns website - www.characterinns.co.uk

Caulkheads page on the Character Inns website - www.characterinns.co.uk

A large pub refurbished in whatever the contrived style is called that features lots of bare woodwork, random shelves of books and spurious olde worlde signs. Vaguely splits into areas, with a pubby side housing pool and darts, a tabled eating area and a child-friendly morass with family dining and a ball park. The ales were surprisingly well kept: Goddard's Ale of Wight and Doom Bar. Not too bad if you avoid the family end.