Milbank Arms, Richmond

Official site of Milbank Arms - www.themilbankarms.com

Official site of Milbank Arms - www.themilbankarms.com

Facebook page of Milbank Arms - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of Milbank Arms - www.facebook.com

I'd been meaning to do this one for some time and finally got the chance last week. It's in an isolated village between Richmond and Barnard Castle, and has very limited opening hours. Nevertheless, it's on CAMRA's National Inventory, so worth the effort in my book.And a pleasantly old-fashioned place it is too. A large, stone-built affair, the door was ajar as we arrived. Upon entering, a corridor leads to a door on the right through which the pub lies. It's one of the few pubs left in the UK without a bar, and the beer in my case was dispensed from a wall tap, in this case keg Bass. Opposite this servery lies a simply-furnished room with wall-mounted bench seating and a real fire, laden with trophies, pictures and other bric-a-brac. The landlord was in here upon our arrival, and hurried to the green corridor to serve us. Other doors seem to lead to rooms used for private housing. From this corridor descend stairs, which are festooned with an impressive array of miniature bottles of all colours and sizes; quite a spectacle. Mid-century music adds to the overall atmosphere. The landlord Neil, who has lived here since before the war, chatted away to us during our visit, he has quite a few entertaining and fascinating stories to tell. The pub attracts cocktail parties from far and wide, as he is a dab hand at that particular art. Unfortunately, real ale is not served and the only beer option is keg Bass, but considering the idiosyncratic nature of the pub it seems churlish to gripe about this. It's one of the few remaining utterly unspoilt country pubs, and has resisted any gastrifiction absolutely. It would have been nice to see more people in, but it was early doors and we were assured that it has its busy periods, often attracting coach parties from nearby towns. On the whole, it's a must-visit for the fan of traditional pubs, but watch the opening times!