Branksome Railway Hotel, Branksome, Poole

A Victorian station hotel on a busy main road, this freehouse was completed in 1894 and now has a GBG entry. There is very limited parking, and the pub is mainly used by locals. The hotel business is definitely on the less expensive end of the spectrum. Half the ground floor has been knocked through to form a single bar area, half of which is carpeted and half floor-boarded, with a central pier which is garnished with gaming machines, while there are a few railway-based prints on the walls as a nod to the hotel’s origins. There is an open fireplace with a gas hearth and another gas fire in a second fireplace. The host live music acts and open mic nights, and there is free WiFi available. The pub is child friendly, and there are tv screens showing sports matches. There is a mix of seating options ranging from comfy chairs to barstools. The staff were fairly offhand, while the locals weren’t particularly welcoming. Three ales on tap, I had Everards Tiger which was in very good condition. It’s a decent enough local, and I would include on a crawl for its beer quality, but I can’t help feeling that a magnificent building like this has so much more to offer.

Large station hotel bar over three rooms. High-ceilinged bar area was pretty dark inside on our evening visit (too dark!), with a very ‘local’ feel to the punters. Hard to comment on the décor as I couldn’t really make much of it out. Four pumps with three on; not too bad a selection in Doom Bar, Hop Back Summer Lightning and TT Landlord (which was cold but in decent nick). Noted the ‘beer election’ in the gents, voting for the next guest ale which was a nice touch. Perhaps it’s a bit different during the day but I didn’t feel comfortable in here.