The Bat & Ball, High Wycombe

Located just off a green in the centre of the village, this small, square, flint-facaded building is in essence a two-roomer even though there's no internal division. With no pub sign hanging from the external bracket and blinds in the windows semi-closed, I was unsure as to whether this place was actually open or not. Entering from the front of the building, there's an option of rooms to the left or right, the former through a half-glass door the latter through a wooden door. I entered right into a pool room with the bar around to the left, which serves both rooms in a rough horseshoe shape. The main bar area is cosy and carpeted, with a variety of bric-a-brac including horse brasses, brass pots and pans, framed horseracing photos and some old school pump clips from the likes of Boddingtons, Flowers, Greene King, Marston's and Worthingtons. A central fireplace stack divides the room further, with bar stool seating up against the bar, standard round tables and chairs on one side and bench seating against the periphery on the other side. The solitary ale was Fuller's London Pride over two pump clips (one of which was reversed) and a slight pouring issue was eventually overcome and a decent pint was proferred at a price of £3.80. The only bugbear was a bar end high-mounted TV showing a music channel (MTV Trax) which seemed unnecessary.