Three Elms Inn, Sherborne

A rural roadside pub in a grand Victorian stone house, this pub was very popular with the local CAMRA branch a few years ago, but I think it’s gone downhill recently. It has diversified a fair bit, and now includes the village post office and a small shop operating within the bar, including at times outside the pub’s licensing hours. There is a large and messy car park at the side, while the front is decorated with an impressive horse sculpted from scrap metal. Inside, the single large L-shaped bar, a knock-through, has a mix of tiles and parquet flooring, and there is an efficient woodburner at one end and décor based around non-structural timbers. Some redundant mill machinery adds to the rustic effect. There is a table football table and a dartboard, and although the WiFi router was active, there was no Internet connection. The staff were mixed – one was quite unhelpful and brusque, while the other was friendly and welcoming. The locals also seemed quite welcoming, happy to chat and engage with us but there was an undercurrent which made things a bit uncomfortable. There was a real cider on draft plus what was supposed to be real ale, but we were unable to determine exactly which brewery had supplied it – based on the pump clip it might have been Cotleigh, but it was badly kept and tasted of roasted polythene, so it was hard to tell. I didn’t really like it here – beer quality and Barman No 1’s attitude aside, it didn’t feel like a place to stay and enjoy a few drinks, and we weren’t able to relax.