The Lynd Cross (JD Wetherspoon), Horsham

Routine Wetherspoon outlet, set at the base of an undistinguished four-storey block, but benefiting from a good amount of external pavement seating. The usual trio of Greene King IPA, Doom Bar and Abbot were being served from one bank of six handpumps, along with Old Rosie cider, Roosters Yankee, DB One Best from Dorking Brewery and a couple of Three Acre ales - Spring Golden (£2.20) and Ruby Porter - on the other.

This is a very basic feeling branch of the Wetherspoons chain in the pedestrianised centre of Horsham. The pub occupies a decent sized building which, despite being set out in an open-plan layout, has a few notional separate areas thanks to the positioning of pillars, bits of partitioning wall and the servery. The right-hand side of the pub is carpeted and has mostly high tables and stools laid out across the room, many now sat between some pretty shaky looking screens added post-Covid to ensure distancing of a sort. The bar runs along the rear of the room with the usual ‘Spoons dark wood counter and mirrored bar back and has plenty more high table and stool seating opposite, as well as a screened off area to the front which seemed very characterless but offered some marginally comfier seating options. The room meanders round to the left, where a second large seating area emerges, mainly filled with basic tables and chairs and decorated with ‘Spoons information boards and old photos of the sort you find in most branches. Unlike a number of Wetherspoons I’ve been to, they seemed pretty hot on the whole track and trace thing here, with the barmaid sending me back to the entrance to pick up a contact tracing form which I’d failed to spot on my way in. I don’t think the pub has a beer garden from what I could see, but the pedestrianised street out the front lends itself to a spacious outdoor drinking area where a good amount of decent looking garden furniture has been laid out. Two banks of hand pumps promised a wide range of cask ales, but I found a lot of double-clipping which restricted the choice to Three ‘Spoons regulars and four guest ales. One barman saw me eyeing the handpulls and said I need not consult the range, as the Mauldon’s Black Adder was head and shoulders above everything else they had on, so I took his advice and enjoyed a very nice pint of this moreish stout. This pub will hold no surprises to even the most infrequent Wetherspoons customer – it is a by-the-numbers ‘Spoons with very little in the way of distinguishing features or character. That doesn’t entirely make it a bad pub and the vigilant and helpful staff, comfortable furnishing and well kept beer certainly count for something, but it nevertheless was the weakest of the seven pubs visited on my recent trip to Horsham and the one I’d be most likely to drop from the list the next time I’m in town.