The Punch Bowl, Stamford

From the outside this looks to be a traditional old boozer, but inside it has a much more contemporary feel, presumably the result of a recent makeover. The walls are all smooth, painted plaster with a couple of pictures dotted around and the flooring reclaimed boards. The front two-thirds of the pub has a limited amount of seating, with several sofa’s and square cubes around, plus some high chairs at the bar. At the back there’s a few chunky wooden tables and a small sideboard, giving it a sort of farmhouse kitchen feel. Several logs of twigs in vases complete the décor. The walls of the gents loos were plastered in old comic strips such as Dennis the Menace which was an unusual touch. Landlord seemed friendly enough. Beers on tap were Exmoor Hound Dog, Hopback Summer Lightning and Woodforde’s Wherry. There was also a fourth pump but this was not in use on a recent visit. The solitary cider was Aspall’s Suffolk.