Ye Olde White Hart, Camberley

Set in the crook of a junction at the top end of Frimley High Street, this is a large former coaching inn dating back to 1907 and now under the stewardship of Greene King. The pub has a huge interior which has been knocked through from what was presumably once a multiple room layout, forming a single, long L-shaped space. There is a mix of smart floorboards and modern decorative tiled flooring throughout and the bar runs in a similar L-shape with a grey tongue and groove counter and smart dark wood bar back. Lots of comfy lounge seating is available at the front of the pub which soon gives way to an incredible number of high tables and stools, especially down the left side of the room as it extends to the rear. To the right of the main front entrance, there is a clearly defined space that obviously used to be a separate room, in which plenty more comfy seating can be found, although this area was reserved for a private party during our visit so I was unable to properly explore but it seemed like it could be a cosy spot for anyone wanting a quiet drink. The pub's best feature comes once you've passed the far end of the servery, as you emerge into a huge baronial hall with impressive high, dark wood rafters which were unfortunately draped with Union flag bunting. Three rows of standard tables and chairs fill the room along with some button backed banquettes down the right hand wall. The decor throughout shows the kind of taste-bypass companies like Greene King seem to specialise in, with migraine-inducing patterned wallpaper on various feature walls and lots of picture frames full of those glib slogans that seem to pop up everywhere these days, liberally scattered around the place. A few nice old black and white photos of local scenes act as a counterpoint of sorts, but the overall impression the decor leaves you with is less than favourable. A couple of TV screens were showing muted football coverage with some music playing in the background and the pub was doing a healthy trade on a Sunday afternoon, with a fairly high proportion of kids and dogs in attendance. Four ales were on handpull on this visit, but the choice was less than inspiring. Options were Greene King IPA and London Glory, Sharps Doom Bar and a house beer imaginatively called Old White Hart Ale which I'm fairly sure is a rebadged Greene King brew. The London Glory was £4.10 a pint and in decent enough shape and the food which we stopped in for was from a standard Greene King menu but hearty enough. It's a shame that this place has been knocked about so much and given a terrible makeover, as it has the makings of a pleasant and interesting pub. The baronial hall in particular is worth stopping in for a quick look and the place worked out well as somewhere to grab a decent bite to eat with a well kept pint, but I left thinking that this was a missed opportunity.