The Black Lion, Sittingbourne

Solid-looking village pub with a L-shaped bar and a smaller dining area beyond the welcoming real fire. However, the exposed brickwork on some walls and regimented tables look a little stark, but then again the welcome was warm. Also has a beer garden with a children's play area to one side. With two of the four handpumps in use, I found a couple of Goachers beers being poured: the Fine Light and its companion the Best Dark (£4.50, but good).

Official site of The Black Lion - blacklionlynsted.co.uk

Official site of The Black Lion - blacklionlynsted.co.uk

Village pub with its own car park. The pub has a large knocked-through bar with open fireplaces, and walls adorned with various historic artefacts. There is a bar billiard table and the pub is dog friendly. The attitude of the Jurassic barman left a bit to be desired, and the clientele would not look out of place at a medieval execution – an impression affirmed by the hangman's noose on the pole outside. Four ales on, all Goachers. I had the Mild which was on the turn but still drinkable. It's a good pub in the main, in a nice setting, but the attitude and beer quality let it down.

A long time favourite of ours, though we don’t often seem to get up here, on the top of the North Downs. A white painted, beautifully maintained seventeenth Century looking pub in the centre of the village. In the car park we were rather bemused by the gallows relaxing in the shade. Inside , one is met by a collection of political cartoons before entering the bar-L shaped, with open fire to one end, and wooden floors with a wonderfully diverse collection of artefacts on the walls. Further on, there is a smaller public bar, which I haven’t experienced. The special of the day on our visit on a Saturday in October was an excellent slice of game pie: I recall eating something equally good on a previous occasion.The main attraction for me rests in the fact that the Black Lion ,while a freehouse, is a shrine to Goacher’s wonderful Maidstone ales:not quite the whole range, but ,just after hop picking, a green hop version of Silver Star, together with Mild and both Dark and Fine Light. This is a proper village pub, with a genial and interesting landlord: dogs seemed to be welcome, though we left our rabble in the car.

Goachers beer in excellant condition can be found in this very traditional pub