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The Alexandra Arms, Kettering
Kettering
NN16 0BU
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Quinno _ left this review about The Alexandra Arms
Backstreet alehouse with a Pot Belly tie-up and a large array of cask ales (10, I think?) and ciders. Two rooms at the front; worn wooden floor, beer clips on every inch of wall and ceiling. No noise apart from the punters which did feel mildly stifling on a Wednesday afternoon. To the rear is a darts and Northants skittles room and a further bar space. Note that at the front bar that not all the ales are clipped, so look at the blackboard. ‘When in Rome’ and all that so tried the Potbelly Best which didn't clear and was flat - exchanged with apology for the same brewery's Crazy Daze which was better though retained a slight haze and tasted a bit muted (NBSS 2.5). I decided to give it one more go and slipstreamed a codger on to the Hop Back Entire Stout which was much better (3.5) so there’s a lesson for you. As the session wore on the locals started to appear and were a fairly affable bunch. Cobs available but are limited in quantity, so don't hang around like I did to find they are gone. On the one hand, I liked this one as a boozer but there very much feels like they're are simply too many on - which might explain the lack of GBG entry whilst the Spoons gets in?
On 15th March 2026
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5992 recommendations about 5971 pubs]
Old Boots left this review about The Alexandra Arms
An Edwardian brick built double fronted pub on the edge of the town centre, inside is more unexpected. As said before the old photo on the pub sign shows the left hand side is a later addition and extension to the old pub. It’s now a two room pub with central servery offset to the right. The front room walls and ceilings are liberally covered in pump clips with occasional Camra pub of the year awards, brewery ads and ephemera, a disused two pull set sits against one wall and there’s a couple of handles on a shelf of stuff. Ten working pulls grace the counter in here with a further five in the rear bar. Beers on sale are a mix from across the country including local brewery Potbelly who lease the gaff, so I was glad to see a couple from Mallinsons to get a change from the East Midlands predilection with malty brown liquids. They ran of out clips for the back bar which is much plainer but has darts, table skittles of a local variety and a couple of keg T-Bars. Finished in alehouse style as well as the clips etc it has bare boards, fairly chunky wooden chairs and tables on cast iron bases. Popular with older gentlemen on my visit I was surprised it’s not a current GBG pub although it probably has been.
On 12th March 2026
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3929 recommendations about 3593 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Strongers . left this review about Alexandra Arms
The major draw of the Alexandra is the ever changing selection of cask ale and cider that is available from the fifteen hand pumps that are spread across the front and rear bars. The pub is wooden floored throughout with simple décor. The walls and ceilings are completely covered in old pump clips, I wasn’t surprised to read that this pub has been a real ale pub for many years. The central front entrance leads to the front bar where tables, chairs, bucket seats and armchairs are found to the left and the bar counter is located on the rear wall to the right. In the rear is a second bar where a limited selection of standard keg is also hidden. In here is a dartboard and a television that was showing World Cup football via BBC. The staff and customers were friendly and I left knowing that I will return when next in the area.
On 8th January 2023
- rating: 9
[User has posted 6560 recommendations about 6522 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about Alexandra Arms
This pub looks relatively modern from the outside but the sign has an old picture of a pub building here where the left side of the current building is a ladies hairdressers. Maybe it got bombed in the war. The Mannings Brewery sign in the picture refers to a Northampton Brewery near the Railway Station that was taken over by Phipps in 1933 so this was probably once a Watney's pub. On the left above the bar inside is an old Watney's Special (there was nothing "special" about it!) tray that supports that theory.
You enter into a wooden floored front room with the small bar on the right and just tables and seating to the left. In front there is a narrow corridor that leads to the back bar which is a long narrow room with a wooden floor and the other side of the bar area at the top end and darts & Northants skittles at the other. This is a "beer festival" pub that has been around some time so the walls and ceiling of the front bar are literally covered in pump clips.
I didn't count the hand pumps on the front bar but it was at least ten and the back bar had around four. One of the front ones had a cider.
There was a huge beer selection including Nobby's (who no longer brew here), Potbelly, Jenning's, Marston's Revisionist, Bude, Church End, Burton Bridge, Abbeydale, Skinners and Lincoln Green. I went for the local Potbelly Crazy Daze (£3.40) and Nobby's Swift Nick (£3.15). Sadly the Potbelly beer was in poor condition but the Swift Nick was good.
This isn't a large pub so their claim of selling 14 beers seems too much. I might have just been unlucky with the Crazy Daze but I'm prepared to mark it down only one point for the dodgy pint.
On 10th April 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
michael furn left this review about Alexandra Arms
Nip keeps one of northamptonshires award winning freehouses, regular real ale changes and choice, CAMRA pub of the year 2006/7 for Northamptonshire.
On 27th May 2008
- rating: 10
[User has posted 38 recommendations about 37 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Peter Ford left this review about Alexandra Arms
What a Pub !!
Camra pub of the year Runner up in 2004 it has just been named Camra pub of the year for 2005. Good quality ales with a choice of 10 hand pumps including its own home brewered nobby's ales. In a little under 3 years the current landlord has served over 2500 different ales. Well priced, friendly staff & locals it is always busy, especially with the introduction of the popular no smoking bar at the front. Lots of beer memorabilia including the walls been decorated with the pub clips of all the beers served to date. Well worth a visit, i'll certainly be going back
On 11th August 2006
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1 recommendations about 1 pubs]