The Coopers Arms, Rochester

Official site of The Coopers Arms - www.thecoopersarms.co.uk

Very attractive old inn with a friendly welcome and village pub atmosphere. Retains two bars, the larger one at the front with just the sort of traditional furniture and decor that you would expect, and the one to the rear having slightly less character but seemingly more popular with the regulars. Regular live music advertised. A total of seven handpumps on the two counters, with the regular Courage Best and Youngs Special supplemented by Youngs Winter Warmer, Fuller's Chiswick, Theakston Best, Box Tunnel Vision and Belhaven Robert Burns brown ale (£3.50) as guest beers. Well worth seeking out.

Official site of The Coopers Arms - www.thecoopersarms.co.uk

The Cooper’s Arms was packed during my recent visit which surprised me as it was a Monday evening and there were no special events in progress. This is obviously great for the management, but I didn’t get to have much of a nose around this historic pub. There are two bars and I had to buy my pint in the rear bar as I couldn’t get to the front bar. I then had to move back to the front bar as there wasn’t even any standing room at the rear. I counted four hand pumps in the rear and three in the front which were all drawing different ales. I went for a pint of Betty Stogs which went down a treat, but the young barmaid was very off and had left her manners at home. As would be expected the ceiling is low with thick wooden beams and there is plenty of old tat on the walls including tankards, old photos of the pub and a lot of local history. There was some very low background music from a radio station which I thought pointless as there was more than enough atmosphere to warrant turning it off. Live music is advertised for every Sunday. If I find myself in the area again I will make a point of revisiting, if only to find out why there is a scary looking man in a glass fronted cupboard in the front bar.

This is a very attractive and charming old inn, tucked away behind Rochester Cathedral and Castle. The front entrance takes you into the King's Bar which is dominated by an abundance of dark beams and exposed masonry. There are fireplaces at either end of the room, including a huge one to the right with a large wood burner in it, whilst the smaller one to the left, next to the bar counter, was surrounded by various brass items. The room is furnished with bench seating and some regular tables and chairs and I spotted a wonderful old carved bench with a lift top seat in one corner that looked far too nice to sit on. A passageway leads through to the second bar which appears to be the 'newer' part of the pub, given the more prosaic features. There's quite a bit more seating in here and the room seems to be popular with the locals, who probably prefer to keep a distance between themselves and the tourists who fill up the front bar. There are three hand pumps on each bar, but they are not double clipped so you need to walk round to view the full selection, which comprised of Theakston Double Cross IPA, Old Mill Liquid Gold, Young's Special, Milestone Tuck’s Tipple, Sharps Own and Courage Best. The Double Cross IPA was in good shape and the barmaid who served me was very friendly. A specials board was taken down at 4pm, suggesting that food may only be available at lunchtimes. I enjoyed settling down in the front room and taking in all that this place has to offer. Its combination of good beer, friendly staff and historic building make it an essential port of call for anyone visiting Rochester.

An historic inn, on a site first mentioned in the Domesday Book, althought the present structure is considerably younger. In addition to the integral there is a very well kept garden with its own "garage bar". Recent renovations have uncovered fireplaces and various other nooks and crannies. The pub is reputably haunted, and I seem to remember from many years ago that there was a mummified monk found preserved in the walls, presumably the basis for stories about the pub's being haunted by a monk's ghost. It was a Style and Wynch house at one point but has been a free house for a while. Very good, reasonably priced food is on sale, and the beer range is, and has been for at least 30 years, of repute. Much of the reputation gained in the last 3 decades was as a result of Mick Hammel's efforts, but sadly the current owners have removed much of his presence. Six ales on this time, I had a pint of Theakstone's Hogshead which was in perfect condition. This is Rochester's best pub in many respects, and an essential one for visiting sale lovers. A GBG regular, it is a great place to spend an evening's libation, a lunch time snack or just an afternoon hiding from the wife.