Queens Arms, Salisbury

A tradition locals pub, a few of whom were in attendance on a Saturday lunchtime visit,as described by Malden man a couple of years previously, the beers on were two from Flack Manor, Double Drop and Flack Catcher with a further pump sporting a turned Caledonian Flying Scotsman clip.The Double Drop was well kept if not to my particular taste. A basic pub but worth a look in.

Clearly an old building as many are in Salisbury with a claim to date from 1558, perhaps parts of the building do but it is likely to have undergone some extensive rebuilding in my opinion. Once inside there is an L-shaped split level, carpeted room with the bar on the back wall opposite the entrance. A framed list of Salisbury's oldest pubs claims this to be one of the oldest, a claim I encountered in several pubs on the day, there is a low ceiling but the exposed brickwork I spotted was clearly not of great age. Seating was mostly of the regular type, these low ceilinged pubs do thwart the designers love of high tables, there were also a couple of rather tired sofas down one end. As well as the pub list décor included framed pictures of town, plates, brasses and copper pans, a hunting horn, a hologram of the pub at the end of the bar plus a few pump clips. Four handpumps, one unclipped, Piddle Cocky, Milk Street "The Usual" and Doom Bar. My Piddle was passable if not great. Food served, home made soups at £3.95 with bread, homemade Wiltshire pie, chips and veg £8.95. A recess had a case of second hand books, being sold with proceeds to Troop Aid. It wasn't a bad spot, nothing special but my visit was to kill a bit of time while I waited for The Rai d'Or opposite to open so I could get my (very late) lunch.