The Watts Arms, Milton Keynes

A large roadside Charles Wells pub with quite a well-maintained modern interior, comprising two high-ceilinged rooms with a more laddish sports bar element to the rear (pool table, big screen sports, fruit machines) compared to the more sedate carpeted front room and a dining area off to the right (basic pub grub offered). There’s a big field of a garden to the rear which looked rather under-utilized and could be a real draw with a bit of effort. Four ales available (Oakham JHB, Eagle IPA, Young's Ordinary and Great Oakley Blonde). My Oakham was a good drop and the Great Oakley was fine. Wi-fi available. An unusual feature of the pub was ice creams straight out of the freezer for £1.50 a go. Winner of the local CAMRA pub of the year award for 2012, which I found a little surprising to be honest. Pretty quiet on our Saturday afternoon visit, exaggerating the wide open space of the interior, though the flowers in the front room were a nice touch. The steampunk light fittings above the bar were eye-catching, if not to everyone’s taste. I didn’t particularly like the pub that much as it seemed rather spartan and devoid of cosiness but the range and quality of beer was enough to keep me going.