Old Punch Bowl, Crawley

Attractive 15th Century timber framed building run by Greene King, apparently converted in 1994. Initially it looks like a terrible let down, a huge opened-out nothingness with equally dull modern music. However, there are a pair or far nicer more bijou and upmarket rooms hidden either side of the entrance with a bit of character and are pretty pleasant. Just GK IPA on cask at the bar so expected the worst but was pleasantly surprised to get a very good half (NBSS 4). Presume this is a loud music and yoof hangout on a weekend evening.

The Old Punch Bowl is a 15th century timber framed pub that looks very out of place in the middle of the shithole that is Crawley Town. During a recent Friday evening visit the large L-shaped bar was supporting a standard keg range alongside Peroni, San Miguel and Amstel. I counted three handpumps, all with Greene King offerings. However, the Old Golden Hen was off leaving Abbot Ale and IPA as the cask options. Whilst waiting at the bar I had a nose through the pub co food menu, £7.79 for a burger seemed reasonable for the area. There are various seating areas located throughout including high tables and snugs. The seating areas with inglenooks to the left and right of the entrance seemed to be the most popular as the pub filled up ready for the disco which finished at 2am. I believe this is also the case on Saturdays. To the left of the pub is a patio beer garden that is probably a decent place to sit on a sunny afternoon whilst trying to forget that one is in the compost heap of Sussex.