The Monks Head, Snodland

This is now the only pub left in the centre of this small town, and is very much local boozer (although the landlady was welcoming enough). It retains two separate bars, with the lounge area a bit more traditional than the modestly refurbished room housing the pool table on the other side of the central servery. In normal times it has real ale of the Doom Bar / London Pride variety from a pair of handpumps, but the nearest thing on my visit was a badly overpriced John Smiths (£4.20).

A lively local boozer, a traditional small-town pub and a back-street bolt-hole. A small terrace at the front, which overlooks a large road junction, leads to two separate bars. The public bar on the right (as you look at it from the road) is loud, earthy and basic, the lounge bar to the left is carpeted, a bit shabby and has tables at which to enjoy the good value pub grub which is on offer. It's shabby in a lived-in way, not through under-investment. There is also a games room at the back but we didn't venture in there so cannot be sure what it contained. It's a very 'blokey' sort of atmosphere, the main topics of conversation being footie and News According To The Sun. The clientele were chatty, the staff genuinely friendly and welcoming. Three ales on, I had Masterbrew which was in very good condition, although maybe a little too chilled. The friendly ambience and decent beer make it somewhere to which I would happily return if in the area.