The William Dampier (Lloyds No 1), Yeovil

The William Dampier, named after the famous explorer who was born in the nearby village of East Coker, is a Lloyd’s No 1 bar and Yeovil’s only Wetherspoons representative. The layout is a fairly simple one – just the one very large, roughly rectangular room with a slightly curving bar counter running midway down the left hand side. The bar back is probably the most striking feature in the entire pub, as it’s a huge affair, towering over those working beneath. The rest of the room holds few surprises with a mix of typical ‘Spoons style seating options running down the length of the room. There are some big windows at the front allowing plenty of natural light in, which is much needed as it get a little gloomy the further back you go. Outside, under these windows, there is a roped off drinking area on the pedestrianised street which was packed full of smokers when I arrived. A raised seating area at the back of the pub leads you to a second entrance and there were several TV screens dotted around showing rolling news. The bar staff seemed pretty efficient on my visit, but they may well have raised their game to deal with a big football crowd. Either way, they were very quick to tidy up once the supporters had left, leaving no trace of their presence behind. I lost count of the number of handpulls, but I did manage to note the disappointing ratio of three guest ales and five ‘coming soon’ pump clips. The remaining pumps were taken up by ‘Spoons regulars, but I opted for a pint of Cotleigh Barn Owl which was in good nick and value for money at £1.99. With decent drinking options seemingly limited in Yeovil, this seems like a good bet for a decent pint if nothing else. I’m sure there are certain times when this place would be best avoided altogether, but I thought it was okay for a quick lunchtime pint and would probably pop my head in next time I’m in town.