Market Inn, Huntingdon

Tucked down an alley just off the Market Square is the 17th Century Market Inn that is now operated by Craft Union. The entrance opens into a seating area that runs towards the rear, and a step to the right drops into the bar area where a wood panelled serving counter across the rear faces some high tables along the front wall. To the right of the bar area are a few tables next to an old dirty red brick fireplace on the right-hand wall. In the right rear is a pool table and a dartboard, as well as the shortest most pointless little corridor that has been created due to poor planning when this aged pub was mutilated with a sledgehammer. Televisions are found throughout and Sky Sports is heavily advertised; the sport of choice was muted snooker via TNT Sports on a recent midweek early evening visit when some crap modern pop music was playing in the background. Standard and premium keg products were available and the three hand pumps were badged with TT Landlord and 2x London Pride. I thought the service was miserable and there was little atmosphere, which may have improved later when the football had started, but I didn’t hang around to find out.

There is a very good looking exterior to this half timber framed pub,tucked away up an alley behind the town hall.The window tiling pick out the names of the original layout,namely Saloon Bar,Parlour,Tap Room and Smoke Room.However the interior is a sad let down,and must be due to a refurb undertaken since Ale Monster's extensive review. The only entrance used is the corner door,and the interior winds around an island bar.To the left there is fine parquet flooring in what used to be the Saloon,but there is sparse furniture in here,it feels empty.Close to the bar is a large black sofa below a flatscreen airing daytime TV,while a side corridor leading to the rear pool table has a series of dining tables opposite an undecorated wall.At least a darts board survives,but fireplaces are unused.It just feels as if the current lessee can only afford a minimal amount of well used pub furniture. There are three handpumps ,only two working on my Thursday lunchtime trip with Old Rosie cider and Robinsons Trooper (not on great form,£1.45 half).No food available,it's a town centre boozer. Such a shame the interior is so bland,with more TLC (and some investment) this pub could be a real winner.Nothing much to draw the visitor in as things stand.

Busy pub near the centre. The Grand National was one during my visit. Two not so strong real ales. Pool room to the rear.

Tucked away on a side street. I cant add to the excellent description of the pub below. 3 Real ales.

This is a lovely traditional pub which is around 400 years old, the building is half timber and its three rooms retain some original internal features. If you consider the front of the pub to be the side that faces the back of the old town hall, then there is a front door which leads into the main public bar (or parlour according to the stained glass windows), this has a bar counter against the centre of the back wall, a large brick fire place with a log burning stove in the right hand wall, some wood panel, various beer jugs and tankards hanging from the beamed ceiling and a dart board in a nook in the back right hand corner of the room. On the left of the building is a smaller snug area (saloon on windows) with red fabric bench seating, this has its own entrance from outside which is in the front left corner of the building and is the one shown in most of the pub photos, there is a second large brick fire place with a cast grate in the right hand wall which divides the snug from the public bar. In the back left corner of the public bar is a small corridor which gives access to a small sports room at the back of the building, this has a large stained glass window (which says tap room) a serving hatch from the front public bar, a central pool table and a nice old cast iron cooking stove in the right hand wall. The short corridor also leads to a small enclosed court yard behind the building. Regular ales are currently Young’s Bitter and Greene King London Glory with one changing guest ale which was Potbelly Bellowhead Hedonism on this occasion. I tried all three and the first two were good but the Hedonism was just on the turn in my opinion (GBG 2011). This is a great traditional building with lots of unspoilt character which is almost hidden from sight by the old town hall. It’s predominantly a drinker’s pub, so I was a little disappointed with the quality of the guest beer, bearing in mind there are only three beers on and it’s in the GBG. I like this traditional type of pub and two of the beers were fine, therefore I would give the place another go in the hope that the beer was better and I had just caught them on a bad day this time.