The Monkland Arms, Leominster

Roadside pub in a quiet village. This is another with limited opening hours in the winter. With the pub only opening Friday-Sunday evenings and Sunday lunchtime, my original plan to tour Herefordshire midweek was thwarted. However, I suspect the pub is open more frequently during the summer to grab passing trade. Listed in the latest Good Beer Guide, this was my favourite pub of the day in Herefordshire. You enter from the car park into a corridor and past the toilets into the main part of the pub, which is sub-divided into 3 smaller areas, all nicely decorated. Do an about turn as you leave the corridor and you will find the bar to your right. The landlady was behind the bar, accompanied by an elderly local on a stool. A couple of groups were eating lunch elsewhere, with the friendly and welcoming landlord occasionally appearing from the kitchen. Wye Valley Butty Bach is the regular beer here. Guests were Ludlow Best & Wood's Shropshire Lad, whilst there were also a couple of real ciders - Gwatkin Stoke Red & Innocent Pilgrim Kingston Black. The latter was a new producer for me and despite the landlady warning me that it was dry, it was very drinkable, in spite of its 8.3% ABV.

Official site of The Monkland Arms - www.themonklandarms.co.uk

Official site of The Monkland Arms - www.themonklandarms.co.uk