The Walnut Tree, Ashford

Characterful Shepherd Neame pub retaining a very traditional, multi-room interior with a variety of dark-wood furniture and panelling. Live music advertised (but it must be a squeeze to fit a band in). The central servery has three different counters, with Master Brew (£4.00) and Spitfire available from a total of eight handpumps.

Official site of The Walnut Tree - www.walnuttreealdington.co.uk

Official site of The Walnut Tree - www.walnuttreealdington.co.uk

This must be a Shepherd Neame pub as they had on Spitfire, Masterbrew, and Whitstable Pale Ale. This pub also has a restaurant – on the right, and separate from the bar area. This is (I’m told by one of my Kent informants) a very popular “lava rock” restaurant, which seems to provide you with a very hot rock on which you cook your steak, or whatever, yourself. I suppose then you’ve no-one to blame but yourself if you get it wrong, assuming you know what you’re doing in the first place. The non-restaurant area seems to be comprised of nooks and crannies. One small room has a dartboard and pool table; a (very) small area in the front of the bar seems to be standing room only, but the nicest and most comfortable room is around to the back of the servery, which contains one or two solid and rustic tables and chairs, plus a large fireplace at the end. This room is a bit like a hidden den. It seems they have live music here – I saw a sign advertising Mick’s Hot Licks. This is decent enough pub, like most surviving pubs in Romney Marsh villages. It’s Worth dropping in for swift one or two – or longer if you fancy the challenge of a lava rock dinner.