The New Inn, Salisbury

Official site of The New Inn - www.hall-woodhouse.co.uk

Official site of The New Inn - www.hall-woodhouse.co.uk

Comprising three adjoining buildings in different styles, with the oldest (left hand) white-and-black part looking a picture. The interior is as traditional as you would expect, with the main bar at the front, the dining areas further back and a beer garden to the rear. As a Hall & Woodhouse pub, a duplicated choice of Fursty Ferret, Hopping Hare (£4.95) and Tanglefoot were available from three handpumps on the front and side counters.

A Hall & Woodhouse pub with a very attractive timber framed exterior,low beams and old windows once inside.However there has been a corporate makeover to the front bar ,the huge flatscreen wedged into a space above a high table was at least on mute but cheapened the attracive features.Traditional furniture,a inglenook,quarry files and some nooks and crannies helped offset the worst of the makeover.It is worth walking behind the bar where you come across another bar with non operational handpumps and then a large seating area,some high bench seating then a dining room before the door to a beer garden.The best part however is the side Oak Room ,tucked away with great wood panelling,some sofas and a very calm area,strangely unused at 6pm on a Friday. Three handpumps drawing Badger Fursty Ferret,Tanglefoot and Hopping Hare,decent NBSS 3.5.This was the first H&W ale I have actually enjoyed ,maybe the conditioning was correct. I would say this pub is worth a squint to see the interior,I may have got lucky on the ale !

A short walk from the cathedral, this is a nice historic pub with a striking timber frame facade and multiple room layout. The front part of the pub is a wide but shallow bar area with seating areas either side of the front door and the servery along the back wall. The left-hand side has a slightly odd layout, with mixed seating available between a series of pillars and screening walls that strongly suggest a former sub-divided layout. There’s a nice brick fireplace on the end wall which helps make the space feel quite homely. A similar, but smaller, seating area can be found over to the right, where there’s a mix of flagstone and bare board flooring, timber framed walls, a long banquette under the front windows and another brick fireplace with an unused stove in the hearth. A few corporate-style blackboards line the walls, offset by some interesting old photos, paintings and adverts. The bar has a brick and wood panel counter and a more modern looking mirrored bar back. A passage to the side of the bar leads through to the rear dining room - a sizable area with lots of tables and chairs, a couple of benches and some leather sofas, under nicely panelled walls with more of the same decor as the front bar. A door leads out to a pleasant walled beer garden with plenty of greenery, a few picnic benches and a glimpse of the cathedral spire. This is a Hall & Woodhouse pub, so disappointment is pretty much assured on the beer front, but even I wasn’t expecting to find just the one ale - Badger Fursty Ferret - whilst clips for Badger Best Bitter and Tanglefoot were reversed. The Ferret was in passable shape and served to me by a friendly enough barman. This is definitely one to visit for the attractive building rather than the beer or ambiance. It has a bit of a food-led feel thanks to the large restaurant area, although I visited at a quiet time and wasn’t so distracted by this. The front room is a nice place to relax over pint or two, but whether they have the beer to merit more than a quick visit is a matter of debate.