The Waterworks, Rye

Located, as it’s name suggests, in an old waterworks pumping station, it’s a prominent street corner pub, and although it’s not located on one of Rye’s more picturesque streets, it is nonetheless a pleasant looking building and there were a few hardy punters sat at the tables on the pavement on our recent Sunday evening visit. Having read the previous reviews, I thought there’s no way I’m going to give a micropub a 9/10, I normally find them rather bland and lacking anything in the way of charm or character, but I couldn’t really have been more wrong, one thing you definitely cannot do is accuse this pub of lacking character, or even characters come to that, chief among them the landlord. Although whether it technically qualifies as a micropub I’m not sure, as there was both a flat screen TV on the wall (not in use on our visit) and a notice advertising some forthcoming live music. Internally it’s one decent size, open plan room although it’s difficult to say much about the décor as every square inch of available surface was covered in….well, stuff, although I did notice some sections of exposed brickwork and an old brick fireplace as well as some more modern RSJ’s and such like. There were plenty of horse brasses of course, but other brass items as well including some sort of a ladle, strings of hops, old black and white photographs of the locale as well as colourful watercolours, bottles, a cart wheel, clocks and barometers, jugs, tankards, bottles and I’m sure all sorts of other things too numerous to mention. You could spend all day here and probably not take it all in. On top of that, everything was for sale, with small price stickers in the corner or underneath, making it something of a cross between a pub and a junk shop. It was very busy considering the time we visited, with a good crowd in. Available seating was therefore limited, but the landlady directed us to a shared table with some other punters, one of whom tuned out to be the landlady from the Anchor Tap in Bermondsey who was down visiting for the weekend. A game of Toad in the Hole was in progress, which for the uninitiated (that includes me) consists of a small box with a sloping top and a hole in it. The object of the game is to toss a coin from a few feet away, and if it goes in the hole you score two points, or if it stays on the top without rolling off, you score one point. Apparently, it is unique to this part of the world. The landlord was quite a character as mentioned, and at various times interrupted proceedings to make “public service announcements” which included admonishing whoever had managed to aim at the floor instead of the urinals in the gents and suggesting they must be therefore rather under endowed, and when he announced last orders he clocked someone checking their watch and started on at them, saying he had been there since 10:00 in the morning, before proceeding to walk round the pub with a steering wheel, saying “some people drive me mad” and steering the wheel at the same time to emphasis his point! Beers on tap were their own Golden Flush, IPA (with small letters next the name speeling out I Pee A lot), Uryenal Best and Pissoir Porter (the “i” in Pissoir being a figure of a man from the gent’s loo sign. There seems to be something of a theme here) along with Tonbridge Easy Street, Romney American Pale, Goacher’s Gold Star, Brewing Brothers NE IPA and Tonbridge Rustic Best. Ciders too were well represented with Waken, Kentish Kiss, Tenterden, Earls Reserve, Double Vision and Biddenden Dry, as well as several fruit options including rhubarb, mango, lemon, elderflower, fruits of the forest, strawberry and toffee apple. All in all, and absolutely cracking pub, and a definite “must visit” when in Rye.

A micro housed in a characterful and historic building (a former Georgian pump house). Absolutely rammed on a Saturday afternoon with a convivial atmosphere and regulars known by name by the staff. It has quite a nice traditional interior with some discrete areas, alongside quarry tile flooring and exposed brick. Good barmaid (landlady?) who was directing people to spare seats and keeping an element of control of the throng; an enjoyable chaotic vibe proliferated with barrels being moved through the bar to the cellar to much hooting and calling. 11 beers 11 ciders I think, as there’s no PoS at the servery so you have to work off the blackboard to the right as you enter. My Goachers Gold was off stillage and in good shape (NBSS 3.5). £3 rolls which were decent. I liked it here and it’s shame I didn’t leave myself much time (blame Jeff at the Wipers…). What I will say is that a double header with the Ypres with a dip into the Mermaid should see you sound in Rye. 8.5