King William IV, Dorking

This pub enjoys a lovely location in the Surrey Hills and just off the A24 along a narrow and steep lane. We arrived after dark. So, we were unable to appreciate the views. Climbing the steps from the lane up to the garden area, we soon found quite a few other customers who were mainly finishing off meals. The garden is a pleasant place to relax, even after dark, with fairy lights giving it a cosy feel. We were the only customers trying out the inside, which also feels quite cosy and traditional. The gents toilet is outdoors along an alleyway to the side of the pub. Hogs Back TEA & Surrey Hills Shere Drop are the regular real ales. They also stock a guest ale. On this occasion, it was By The Horns Hopadelic. This was easily one of the highlights of this visit to Surrey.

An old pub originally built to serve the occupants and visitors of Lord Beaverbrook's estate nearby the number of which once included Winston Churchill who's portrait is in the smaller room overlooking Norbury Park and the Mole valley. The pub is reached up a steep slope with no room for turning, if driving you are best parking near Frascati restaurant off the main A24. Steps lead up to the entrance and further again to the gents toilets. The main room has a small bar down one end, a carpeted space with tables along each side. There is a proper fireplace down the far end with a portrait of the king over as well as agricultural implements. A grandfather clock occupies an adjacent alcove. The pub is rather food centric, our Sunday visit had all tables occupied with people mostly eating roasts. Portions are large and the food is high quality home made stuff. It is probably best to book. There is a terraced garden with good views from its elevated position which is a useful overflow area when weather permits. The landlord is a bit of a character, a livewire who's batteries are clearly fully charged, but he is certainly on the ball and runs a good ship. Four pumps in the main room plus one in the smaller area, Hogs Back TEA and Fresh Spring, Surrey Hills Shere Drop, one unclipped and Pride reversed in the other room. A decent pub, welcoming to walkers too, I may return in the summer to enjoy the garden.

This pub has not changed since previous reviewers' visits. As you enter you have the distinctive feel of going into a traditional country pub - which it is of course. Food seems to be the main player here, as when I was in on Saturday evening just about everybody in there had come for a meal. And I thought the food was good, most of it being homemade. Main meals were around the standard £10 - £12, and portions were generous. Of the four handpumps only two were in use, one being unclipped and the other with an Adnam's Bitter clip reversed, and the two ales available were Surrey Hills Shere Drop and Fuller's Red Fox. One thing worth stressing about this Grade II listed pub is that it is disability unfriendly. You get to the pub up a fairly steep, rough track, and then up some steep steps to the pub itself. To get to the gents outside toilet you have to exit the pub and then go up even more steep steps almost to the top of the hill. That's no problem if you're reasonably fit, but a lot of people would have problems. This is a pub that I would like to visit again, hopefully in the Spring or Summer to enjoy the views that others say are worth visiting for. I thought it was a real winner.

A long and narrow brick and flint pub up some steep steps in an attractive village just off the A24.A warm summer’s evening, we sat in the celebrated romantic garden, enjoying the view across the River Mole to the Surrey Hills.I’ve known this pub for around a dozen years, as we have family locally: anecdotally, it “isn’t the pub it was”. I can’t really comment- the beer (Surrey Hills ‘Shere Drop’) was good, but the lone barmaid was being kept busy taking food orders, serving drinkers and dealing with demanding customers (not us!) Popular with walkers and diners, I get the impression that the William is resting on its laurels and could be so much better.