Nags Head & Plough, Nottingham

This is a simple two bar local's boozer that seems to be getting a much needed tidy up. You enter into the public bar at the front of the pub, which is carpeted and has some standard tables and chairs running around the edge of the room and a few stools along the bar counter. There is a red and white colour scheme in this room, which I assume is a reflection of the landlord's football allegiances, with Nottingham Forest related items dotted around the place. The servery has a nice mirrored bar back and an attractive archway allowing bar staff access to the rear bar, but the counter was quite badly damaged, which was a shame as it looked quite old. There is a dartboard at the far end of the room and a couple of TV screens were showing the afternoon's early Premier League fixture. To the right of the front door, there is a designated pool area, but the table was covered with sheets on my visit, as some sort of major redecoration programme seemed to be underway in this part of the pub, which had the unfortunate effect of filling the rest of the place with paint fumes. I didn't get a good look at the rear bar, but it seemed to be a fairly traditional lounge set-up with some comfortable looking seating. A corridor leads to the rather shabby toilets and a virtually derelict garden which has some covered seating and what appears to have once been an al-fresco bar, now sadly left to rot. I popped in here after hearing that the pub is a loyal stockist of beers from the local Full Mash brewery. I counted five hand pumps, but it seems that there are usually just the two in use at any one time. My visit saw Full Mash ESP available with a turned Full Mash clip on the second operational pump. The ESP was a very enjoyable pint and was served to me by a cheerful barmaid. The clientele were a bit rough and ready but I felt comfortable propping up the bar with them. I don't think I saw this place in the best light, as it did have a bit of a building site feel to it, but there was enough to suggest that this is a pretty decent, down to earth boozer with a couple of well kept local brews making it a tempting prospect. A good option should you find yourself in the area, especially if you fancy watching a bit of televised sport.