Plough Inn, Dorking

Visited in May 2010 The Plough is a fine, traditional, well-established home brew pub situated in the Surrey hills a few miles south of Dorking. I'm told that there's some excellent walks nearby, although the persistent drizzle that set in, together with the descending mist, meant that the focus of my Saturday visit to the area shifted more towards the pub and the home brewed beer and a longer visit than originally anticipated. As you approach the pub, the first thing you notice is a St George's flag flying proudly outside. Inside, a board above the smallish bar servery tells us that The Plough Inn was established in 1641and that it has been the home of the Leith Hill Brewery since 1996. The Brewery is a converted barn at the back of the pub, which I did manage to get a quick glimpse of when the rain finally relented. There's a pleasant, sloping garden at the back which gives views of the surrounding countryside. There's outside toilets, just outside the side entrance, which, by normal outside toilet standards, are positively luxurious. The inn provides accommodation and is AA 4 Diamond standard. The main bar on the left as you go in is bare boarded with some blackened oak beams helping create a traditional atmosphere. There's two adjoining areas here - the area at the back has a dartboard, but the positioning of tables and chairs suggests it's not used. There's also a smallish TV, which wasn't in use during my visit. Furniture is mainly wooden chairs and tables, with not a lot of comfort. There's a largish well appointed restaurant area on the right hand side of the entrance, but, on my visit, most people were eating in the back room of the pub. Food seems to be basic pub grub, but portions looked substantial and filling and arrived quickly, served by staff who seemed enthusiastic and eager to please. A few board games are provided for children. The pub was reasonably busy with a mixture of walkers, cyclists and motorists visiting the area and who had, in the main, dropped in for lunch and a respite from the steady drizzle that had set in. Notably, there didn't appear to be one customer present who was either a local or a regular and this gave the pub a rather transient feel, with people coming and going at regular intervals. I didn't get the feeling that this was in any way a "community" pub, but one with a definite emphasis on catering for passing visitors. On the home brew front, beers on were Crooked Furrow - described as "the flagship brew" - and Tallywacker - "dark and delicious". The Crooked Furrow ( ABV - 4% - £ 3.30p ) and Tallywacker ( ABV - 4.8% - £ 3.50p ) were both superb pints. In particular, the Crooked Furrow, a dry bittery pint, was very moreish. On a pump round the side of the bar- and not immediately noticed by me - was a third beer, The Beautiful South, which I found somewhat bland and disappointing by comparison. Shepherd Neame Spitfire was also available as was Biddenden Cider. The pub is a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular. Notably, earlier editions of the Guide refer to the pub having 8-10 handpumps. This has evidently been reduced - I saw only 5 on my visit. Being a rural pub, getting here by public transport presents a challenge. My route was by train to Holmwood and then a 40-45 minute walk down country lanes and footpaths. Thankfully, I managed to avoid the worst of the weather. Unlike the nearby Surrey Oaks and the Royal Oak in Rusper, The Plough Inn is not a "must visit" pub, but I enjoyed the visit and I'd happily call in again.

A great location in the Surrey Hills near Leith Hill. Visited as a stop off during a walk, didn't eat but had a decent enough pint of Crooked Furrow. Enter to a small traditional room with the bar ahead. Plentiful seating to the rear outside in the garden. Found the barman personable and friendly. In my view a worthy venture simply for brewing their own beers which from my one off experience tasted fine and was well looked after. In reality a brave and laudable venture in such an off the beaten track location. I possibly need to return on a busier day to test out the service more.

Handy for Leith Hill, the North Downs and Surrey Hills, The Plough caters for walkers & cyclists (and is, very usefully, open all day). A couple of basic rooms for drinkers and a larger one for diners. 2 ales from regional brewers, plus two from their very own Leith Hill Brewery in the yard.

Official site of the Plough Inn - www.ploughinn.com