The Kings Arms, Dorking

A Sheps pub retaining a good deal of the historic interior (on speaking to the friendly manager I found out that parts of the building are at least 300 years old and the evidently historic right hand room was formerly a militia recruitment office!). A rambling multi area’d, dark varnished wood interior with cross-hatch leaded windows and chunky furnishings. Enter to the main bar with a raised area to the right - note the impressive dark wood panelling, especially the I RM roundel (1st Royal Militia). Five pumps, four ales on from Sheps; Spitfire, Master Brew, Bishops Finger and Late Red (good though a bit cold). Beware that one of the two rear patios (by the dining room) is non-smoking. Worth dropping in to soak up some history.

In Dorking’s town centre in a street dominated by antiques shops is The Kings Arms, a characterful 15th century building with, notably, no hanging pub sign or sandwich boards outside to advertise its presence. The interior features much wood panelling, oak beams and frosted leaded windows. There’s a number of adjoining areas full of nooks and crannies, all of which helps create a cosy and warm ambience. The floor is part carpeted, part quarry tiled. Of particular note is an inscription IRM on some wood panelling at the far end of the pub which denotes the Ist Royal Militia who used the pub as a recruiting base. King Charles II is reputed to have stayed here. At the back is a separate, somewhat brighter, dedicated dining area. Against this background, somewhat surprisingly, I didn’t recall seeing a single framed photo or print anywhere inside relating to either the pub or the town of Dorking itself. Commenting to a fellow customer on this and that I could therefore be anywhere, I received the Trigger – like response, without any hint of irony or sarcasm at all, that “you’re in the Kings Arms in Dorking, mate”. It’s a Shepherd Neame pub with 6 pumps serving on my visit 3 Sheps beers plus, most notably, Dark Star Original as a guest. A blackboard told us that other Dark Star beers were coming soon, as was a beer from Tillingbourne Brewery. The Dark Star beer was pretty good and, perhaps partly because it was only £ 2.95p a pint, seemed to be outselling all the 3 Sheps beers taken together, which were rather more expensive. If you’ve only time to visit one pub in Dorking, I reckon this is probably the one to go for.

Believed to be the oldest building in Dorking, The Kings Arms dates in part from the 1400s and was apparently visited by King Charles II. A rambling warren-like place full of nooks and crannies, there is a very low beamed ceiling, attractive leaded windows, and of interest, to the right of the bar a raised area has some wood panelling and an inscription I RM (see photo). I was told by the barman that this represents the 1st Royal Militia and that conscripts came here to join the army several hundred years ago. The bar area has a quarry tiled floor but elsewhere there is a rather dubious tartan patterned carpet that does little to enhance the character of this old building as does the fruit machine. There is a fold down screen and projector, I assume for sporting events. A rear room looks to be a formal dining area, and can be booked for private functions. There are two separate outdoor courtyards with flowering tubs. Shepherd Neame ales here, but with a rarity in Shep's houses of a guest ale, the local Surrey Hills Shere Drop. The brewery beers were Master Brew, Kent's Best, Spitfire and the unimaginatively titled Royal Wedding Ale. I received a friendly welcome here both from the chatty barmaid and the informative barman, and my pint of Shere Drop was first rate.