The Waggon & Horses, Newmarket

The Waggon and Horses is another good looking former coaching Inn on Newmarket High Street and according to the local Suffolk CAMRA site, the core of the building dates from the 16th century and it was much extended in the 18th & 19th centuries. Also, according to my relatives who live nearby, this is a busy town centre ale house which is very much a horse racing pub and good for a visit on race days, and can get quite lively on a Friday and Saturday evenings off meet when the local stable lads and jockeys let their hair down. Internally it is one long space at different floor levels, presumably due to the historical extensions, with a central bar when you enter with the LHS having more of a Saloon feel and then the RHS has the big screens for the sport and the horse racing. And then there are some wooden tables on the pavement outside, which is a good spot for an alfresco pint although you do have to stare at the TK Max opposite as this is the less attractive end of the High Street. The service was efficient and very friendly, and I really liked this one. The only thing that let is down was the fact that it is yet another GK owned establishment (as if they don’t have enough in town) and although there is an impressive array of six or seven handpumps along the bar half of these were unclipped and the remaining ones had GK IPA, Abbot, and Ruddles Best. If only this was a free house and those pumps had an array of other local brewery ales instead of the insipid Bury St Edmunds stuff, then this would be a top pub. We didn’t eat here but according to the rellies, the breakfast is inexpensive and good and the available food menus are reasonably priced and decent sized portions, presumably to compete with the ‘spoons a few doors further up the High Street.