The Village, Salisbury

This is a small, two-room pub just a short walk North from the train station, with a bit of a micropub feel to it. The pub has a very simple layout, with a large main bar on entry and a much smaller side room at the far right-hand end. The main bar area has exposed floorboards, neutral shaded walls and some pleasant modern etched glass windows along the front wall, with a series of comfy padded banquette booths running beneath, each with a small set of curtains between them that can be pulled back to obtain a degree of privacy or block out annoying fellow customers. There’s another banquette and some low stools to the rear left, with a large TV screen above showing a 70’s football match between Chelsea and Luton for no apparent reason. Some stairs here lead down to the Underground Function Room, although a rope across the staircase meant I couldn’t have a snoop around. The bar runs down the right-hand side of the rear wall and has a basic wood panel counter front and a pleasant bar back enhanced by some nice muted lighting and shelves made from old crates, hung at odd angles. A small gas fire was plugged into the wall next to the bar, warming the bar blockers, with an old Rupert the Bear charity collection box stood next to it. The room has been decorated with a variety of interesting bits and bobs, including some trophies and an honours board for the Village Cricket Club, a collection of earthenware, plenty of books, various flags hung across the ceiling, a jukebox and a rack for the day’s papers, which included copies of Private Eye and Viz among others. A door and window to the right look through to the small side room, which has minimal decor and a few more padded banquettes, plus a nice old pub sign on display. There are doors for the toilets in each room, but neither is labelled, so I went in what I’m pretty sure was the Ladies, which must’ve given the local’s something to chuckle about. There were three handpulls in operation when I visited, giving me a choice between Downton Quadhop, St Austell Tribute and Butts Blackguard. I tried a pint of the former, which was in excellent condition and slipped down so quickly that I had time for a half of the Blackguard before I left to catch my train home (also in good nick but not really my cup of tea). This is a nice little bar with a welcoming feel and some well-kept beer, making it an obvious place to kill some time waiting for a train, or as a double header with the excellent Duke of York. On a quiet Monday evening, the place may have felt a little cliquey to some, as I was the only customer not sitting at the bar, but this didn’t really bother me and I imagine there’s a good atmosphere in here at busier times. Worth the short detour from the city centre to check out.

Four locals plus myself in at just after the 4'O'clock opening time on a friday, three cask beers on ,all from Downton Brewery, a couple of pales plus a wheat stout, had a pint of each and all were competently kept. There seems to have been an atempt to modernise inside but to me it left the impression of being a bit tacked together on the cheap side, it didn't detract however from the good beer and welcoming landlord.

A decent sized corner pub which was mostly full of locals on our Friday eve, who were chatty and a little nosy. The interior is traditional and basic, but does have a certain charm. The trendy barmaid, covered in tattoos and piercings was very welcoming and chatty. I also had the added bonus of a free pint off her as the beer was near the end of the barrel. This was Downton Quadhop, which was in good condition and one of the liveliest beers of the day, no problems there. Lots of train memorabilia on the end wall and a good choice of rock music was on the jukebox.

Five handpumps, four serving Sat eve, Middlewood Mild, Bowman Eldorado, Downton Quadhop, TT Landlord. A real local vibe around the bar and front tv area (where the England rugby team were further cementing Anglo-French relations, haha) and possibly because it was relatively busy it gave the layout a strange look, with the tv placed to the right of an intrusive descending stairwell. No matter, we were quickly served and all managed to get views to the rugby around the bar pillar or to the side. Smaller quieter bar to the rear en route to some pretty awful loos that are crying out for a refurb or at least a good scrub. One other tiny windowless room to the right which may be ok for a quiet read but not if you're claustrophobic. Beers were good & we stayed for more, although there was a short moment of concern when one pint turned up murky (end of barrel) and something of a communal bar inspectorate passed judgement on it, before it was changed without problem.

Unchanged if my memory hasn't let me down for about 30 years, maybe there's less furniture than before and the gents is cleaner. Five pulls of local micro's beers on the counter, notably from Piddle, Downton, and Three Daggers. In a new twist on bar blockers on my early evening visit the length of the bar was blocked by five middle aged women. Quality of the beer seems as good as it's always been.