The Blacksmiths Arms, Sevenoaks

I'd planned to take the R8 bus some of the way from Downe to Cudham to visit this pub, but it didn't turn up. Despite being part of London, the bus frequencies here are once every two or three hours. So, if you miss one, in my case if it doesn't turn up, you're snookered. I ended up walking in the heat, a walk which started off flat, before going rapidly downhill and then steeply uphill. I arrived at the Blacksmiths Arms looking very hot and bothered! Dining appears to be a focus here at lunchtime. There was an unoccupied dining area to the left of the front entrance, with most of the tables on the right-hand side of the bar taken by people eating. Beyond this is a doorway leading to the toilets and outdoor drinking/dining areas. As you exit the pub, there is a covered smoking area in front of you. Off to the left is a patio that was also popular with diners and beyond that was what was supposed to be an award-winning garden. In reality, the grass could certainly do with a mow and the flower beds with various signs asking customers not to "frolic" in them, looked overgrown. Perhaps they are meant to look like a meadow. But I'm not a horticulturist and it was probably lost on me. There is a shed that sells ice creams, presumably during the school holidays. It was shut on this visit. I enjoyed almost an hour cooling off in the garden, before heading to the bar to enquire about where the R10 bus service stopped. The answer was right outside. You just need to flag it down. Whilst waiting to ask my question, I did witness a rather amusing exchange between a customer and a barmaid. He was asked for £6 for a couple of drinks and he queried if the prices had gone up again. At this point, the barmaid had to admit that she had rounded the total up from £5.90 to £6.00. However, on this occasion she decided to let him have it for the correct price of £5.90! It left me wondering how many other pubs round up prices to unsuspecting customers. Why she tried this trick with a local seemed beyond me. Sharp's Doom Bar is the regular beer here. Guests were Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter & Adnams Ghost Ship. A 4th handpull was clipped, but the clip was turned. It looked like a much more interesting beer and was possibly from the local Westerham brewery. This is very much a pub that most customers drive to. Whilst waiting for the R10 outside the pub for almost 30 minutes, I saw everybody else leaving in their cars. There may be a few occasional ramblers. But it's a real effort to attempt to get here by public transport and on this visit, I can't really recommend making such an effort.

Very traditional ex-Courage village pub somewhat hidden away in the North Downs near Biggin Hill. Partly opened-out to leave a L-shaped bar with a couple of compact extra seating areas to one side and a larger dining room at the other end. I found Doom Bar and (thankfully) Harvey's (£4.80) being poured from two of the four handpumps.

Official site of The Blacksmiths Arms - www.theblacksmithsarmscudham.com

Official site of The Blacksmiths Arms - www.theblacksmithsarmscudham.com

As the previous reviewer says, it's nice to find a pub like this within striking distance of London, but I have to say that it's not easy to get to unless someone in your party is driving. It's on two bus routes (R5 & R10) that run in a sort of loop in opposite directions from Orpington - you need the R10 to get to here from Orpington, and the R5 to get back. And they are infrequent - every couple of hours or so - perhaps requiring a longer sojourn in the pub than planned, which is possibly not the worst fate to befall the dedicated drinker. I don't need to say much in addition to the previous reviewer's comprehensive description. I liked the bar back, which had illuminated Courage "Blacksmith's Arms" signage, and the shelves at frieze height on the walls bearing mainly brass bric a brac. One of the ceiling beams even had the classic flock of brass geese in flight on it. It has a good quality red carpet on the floor, and the bar counter is painted red as well, which for some reason didn't appear too garish. I rather liked this pub, as it had a sort of genteel feel about it - at least it did late afternoon on a Friday. My guess is that a pub like this doesn't survive due to local regular boozers, but more likely as a destination pub for diners. There's also a lovely garden at the back, a car park, and a handfull of benches at the front which afford great views over the Kent countryside. The ale selection hasn't improved significantly since the previous reviewer's visit, with Doom Bar, GK IPA, and Harvey's Best (£4.25 a pint) on. You don't just happen to be passing a pub like this; you have to make a real effort to get here if travelling by public transport and, as nice as the pub is, I doubt if I'll make the effort again.

Situated inside the M25 and not too far from Biggin Hill airport, the Blacksmiths Arms is a classic rural pub which requires navigating down some fairly narrow country lanes in order to reach it. The building dates back to 1628 and was originally a farm dwelling, before being converted to pub use in 1730. One previous landlady gave birth to the music hall star Little Titch in the pub and there is a blue plaque on the front wall to commemorate this. The pub has a simple L shaped layout with a servery that follows the shape of the room. It’s carpeted throughout with a few nice benches but mainly standard tables and chairs, which reflects the pub’s popularity with diners. There are plenty of dark wood beams which add to the traditional feel of the place, as well as three fireplaces which look like they still get used, although one was filled with a nativity scene on our pre-Christmas visit. The servery takes up quite a lot of space and has a partly mirrored bar back, but otherwise looked like it had been altered quite a bit. I spotted a TV screen which was switched off and a dartboard which was in a closed cabinet, so no distractions from the important business of eating and drinking. The passageway that leads into the pub has a large trophy cabinet on the wall as well as some brewerania and outside the main entrance there is an incredible smoking shelter complete with a stove, smart seating and a small library of books. The pub also has fantastic gardens with lots of picnic bench seating on the patio and lawns as well as a few more benches out the front. On handpull there was Sharp’s Doom Bar, Adnams Bitter, Courage Best and Fullers London Pride, which might not be the most exciting or varied beer range, but the Adnams was in great shape and went down very well. We all had food as well and everyone in our party was very satisfied with their meals which turned out to be good value for money. It’s nice to be able to find an isolated rural pub like this within easy striking distance of London and I found the place to be very welcoming and ideal for a bite to eat. Well worth the short diversion from the A21.

This pub was a long time ago a place where the meal that we has was not that great, but a long time has now passed and I can say that the last time that we were there the meal was first class and it was a wecome return. It was a very wet dark evening bit in side was a welcoming glow. Rod.

Randomness Guide to London - Blacksmiths Arms entry

Randomness Guide to London - Blacksmiths Arms entry

It is difficult to believe that only 15 odd miles from central London you'd find a pub a rural as the Blacksmiths. Anyway everything you migtht expect from a country pub including a friendly welcome, log fires, spot-on Sussex Best, and all the tables reserved for eating early on a Saturday evening. Pity about the last bit, but you can of course go and sit in the very cosy smokers den instead.