The Moon under Water (JD Wetherspoon), Boston

The Moon Under Water is a Spoons with an L-shaped serving counter up the right-hand wall. There are two banks of four hand pumps, but there was some line cleaning in progress so only Doom Bar, Ruddles, Coach House Brewery’s Post Horn, Hobgoblin Gold and Portobello Brewing’s Market Porter were available. The counter faces a sea of seating to the left, all of which was being used during a recent Wednesday evening visit so I had to stand at the bar. A very popular pub, which I think is due more to the this pub’s peers being below par. A run-of-the-mill Wethers.

Decent Spoons with the bar in front as you come in. It also extends down the right hand side. Usual selection of ales and food. This is the best pub I found on Thursday night.

Looks like an old pub, but given the usual 'spoons treatment inside so it's difficult to tell. The bar area - somewhat dominated by a preponderance of slot machines - isn't very appealing, although the side extension (of some age) has full-height windows and a small patio beyond. With two banks of four handpumps, the real ale choice was Ruddles, Doom Bar and Abbot plus two from Eight Sail - Blonde (£2.15) and Damson Porter - Oakham JHB, Sneck Lifter and a cider.

Just when you think you must have been to every single Moon Under Water and Moon or whatever another one crops up. This one looked like it might have been an original pub but apparently it was a government building. Inside it consists of an L shaped room with a conservatory and patio overlooking the river tacked on to one side. It's not that large for a JDW and it was pretty packed on my Saturday afternoon visit. I could only see eight hand pumps on the bar which had the JDW Trio Of Doom, one unused, a cider, Old Peculier, Ramsgate Gadd's no 5 and Wharfe Angel Delight. I went for the Old Peculier which was in good nick. I thought this one was OK and obviously Boston drinkers think the same. Maybe like me they've got the hump with Bateman's after they watered down the XXXB some years ago.