The Smiths Tavern, Ashbourne

With its pair of bay windows on either side of the entrance, this place initially appears to be more like a tearoom or gift shop than a pub. However, once inside, it looks more like a traditional alehouse, with a relatively compact bar area supplemented by two additional rooms with more seating further back. I found four of the eight handpumps being used, with Pedigree, Banks's Sunbeam, Ringwood Forty Niner and Brakspear's Gravity (£3.90) being served.

The Smiths Arms is a narrow three storey pub that is on the busy main road through Ashbourne. When we first went in this pub it was a Marstons tied house and we had a drink of Pedigree which was a very nice well kept pint. On our second visit here the pub still seemed the same inside and it was still a Marstons house,we had a drink in a room near the front of the pub and this room was very crowded with boisterous locals,there were five real ales on the bar and we had a drink of Pedigree which was a decent drink i car'nt remember the other beers because we were stood up so unable to write them down. We would have enjoyed our visit here a bit more if the pub was a bit quieter. Pub first visited 9/4/1985 Photo taken and second visit 7/4/2007

This is a narrow fronted pub but it goes back a long way, with a small room that is little more than a widening of the corridor, though there is a fireplace, leading to a larger and quite pleasant room at the back. The bar itself features a vast array of hand pumps, of which five were available on my recent visit. Beers were from the Marstons range, including the rare sighting of Brakspear Gold and Jennings Dark Mild. I had the latter, which hit the spot for me. This is a good old fashioned drinkers pub, just on the right side of rough. Pity about the radio, though...