The Crayford Arms, Dartford

Shepherd Neame pub which is a short walk up the High Street from the Penny Farthing. I entered into the public bar on the right-hand side and had to do a full lap of the pub to find the real ale pumpclip on the games room side of the pub. That ale was Whitstable Bay Pale Ale. Just a couple of other customers were in on the ground floor, with the landlord's family outnumbering us. Although apparently there was some kind of function going on upstairs.

This is a mid-Victorian pub if the pub's website is accurate. It's certainly feasible that it's as old as that. The original layout can be readily discerned. The hitherto main doors on the corner are no longer used, instead the entrance is on the main road. This entrance was originally to the jug and bottle bar, and the J & B counter and hatch is still there, although of course no longer in use. Doorways to the left and right lead to what would have been the public and saloon bars. The left hand room is bare-boarded, whereas the right hand room is carpeted, so possibly they were the public and saloon bars respectively. There's also another room at the back behind the servery, which I suspect has been brought into pub use at some stage in its history. The left hand room has some fielded panelling on the walls, but I suspect that it's a relatively recent addition. As this is a Shepherd Neame pub, there were two of their ales on - Spitfire and some Christmas ale hanging on from the festive season. Tasted OK though. I didn't see any sign of food, but there again we visited at mid-afternoon on a Wednesday. I found this a comfortable and friendly pub. It's certainly not a destination pub for the beer alone, but it really is worth visiting this one if you happen to be in Crayford.

An attractive looking pub on a corner location, you enter to a small lobby where there are display handpumps and barrels. The old two room format is retained but this does link through at the rear of the island bar. Unusually what I took to be the public bar where there is a dartboard and TV is carpeted, whereas the other side is boarded. There is some decent quality wood panelling and the doors to the bars look original. Fireplaces in each room look to get some use but not yesterday as it was unseasonally mild. Stairs lead up, apparently to a function room but I didn't look. Seating under the stairs has a bit of a headroom issue, covered by a sign. There is an outdoor area to the rear. Framed bits and bobs including beermats and a print of The Charge of the Light Brigade, a few books and some rather battered board games on a shelf towards the rear. Friendly service and it was fun listening to some of the rather blokey banter going on between a few punters. Shepherd Neame beers in here, three on, Spitfire Gold, Masterbrew and Hog Island (£3.70). There was a choice of a jug or straight glass. London Drinkers available. A perfectly decent traditional pub which I would have no issues revisiting.