The Crown Inn, Hardingstone, Northampton

A substantial stone built pub, reminiscent of many that are dotted around the Cotswolds or the outskirts of Bath, it’s one of those places that looks as though it could be a quite up-market gastro-pub….or not, as in this case. The pub consists of two rooms, a public bar to the right and a lounge to the left. The public bar was quite a large open space, which I found quite lacking in any character. There is only a limited amount of furniture, and this included a couple of old leather sofa’s at the back which gave good views over the large beer garden. The flooring is wood and the décor quite colourful, with various shades such as red and green, as well as white, being used on different surfaces. Also in evidence was a pool table, darts board, Northamptonshire skittles game and even a giant Connect Four, as well as a couple of plasma screens. The lounge bar was somewhat cosier with a carpeted floor and plenty of tables and chairs. The walls were clad in wood panelling painted in white whilst there was also a small tiled fire-place and a trophy cabinet at the rear. There were a couple of old pictures on the wall including some of motorbikes, and this perhaps tied in with the vintage adverts for Castrol oil and Champion spark plugs. Food wise, the menu was a basic “pub grub” affair with options such as Ham Egg & Chips, Pork Stir Fry or a Burger, and these were mostly priced around the £6 mark. My Cheese & Ham Omelette was a decent enough dish and a generous portion and was served with a proper bottle of ketchup which is always so much better than fiddly sachets that contain next to nothing or a pot with a sauce of indeterminate origin. Unusually it came just with chips, rather than the obligatory side salad that one gets in most pubs. Beers on tap were Timothy Taylor Landlord and Greene King IPA. The solitary cider was Strongbow, unfortunately. Overall this is a solid enough local boozer, but I can’t see any reason for anyone to go out of their way to make a special visit.