The Golden Grove, Chertsey

On the outskirts of Chertsey, half way up St Anns Hill, is The Golden Grove, a former coaching inn on the old route to Windsor. Set back somewhat from the road, the pub features low ceilings and heavy beams, but it's a rather characterless and unremarkable interior. There's 2 adjoining rooms. A rather worn and dirty carpet has clearly seen better days and, to be honest, the whole pub seemed a bit scruffy and run down. It markets itself as a "family pub" and the enormous garden at the back and side of the pub features a large children's play area ( with climbing equipment etc ) that would put many a local authority recreation ground to shame. The pub was advertising a Bouncy Castle, Hog Roast, Face Painting etc for the forthcoming August Bank Holiday Monday. "Fine Dining" - 5 courses for £ 25 - was advertised for Saturday evening, 28 August. On my recent Saturday afternoon visit, there was a distinct absence of families, just a few locals propping up the bar. Beers on were London Pride, Bombardier and UBU Purity. I didn't detect any real commitment to real ale, nor did there appear to be much real ale trade, if my visit was anything to go by. The London Pride - £ 3.10p - was moderate, at best. I found this a rather uninspiring pub and it's not down for a return visit