Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Disappearing and 'in peril' breweries with hondo
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Crown & Anchor Inn, Berwick-Upon-Tweed
Lindisfarne
Postal town: Berwick-Upon-Tweed
TD15 2RX
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Crown & Anchor Inn
Of the 3 pubs on Holy Island, this one appears to be the one most popular with locals. Entering from the corner, you first find the bar. A haunting wooden monk greets you as you enter, along with a rather nasty smell on our visit. This room has a coal fire and a large Crown & Anchor sign above one table. There are old pictures of what I assume is the pub on the walls. Seating is on old church pews and there are food condiments on each table.
The second room is larger and is more of a dining room with a slightly more modern look. We arrived shortly after 11am. So, nobody was in to eat at this point. There were a few more drinkers in the garden however, which offers some nice views.
Children and dogs are allowed in. Music was playing, but there is no wifi. In fact, I got the impression that mobile phones are frowned upon, with a sign encouraging conversation at the expense of the wifi. Rather unusually, 4 stools at the bar were reserved for some local drinkers from 11am. One did arrive not too long after us at 11:30, but there was no sign of the other 3 when we departed.
At the bar, the 3 cask ales on were the most adventurous for Holy Island - Rigg & Furrow Run Hop Run, Hadrian Border Grainger Ale & First & Last Equinox. The cider was Aspall's.
Having a local feel, the pub still has to accommodate the hoards of tourists who visit the island. I got the distinct impression that staff and locals only do this grudgingly. However, without them, the pub and the island's economy would not survive.
On 31st March 2025
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3111 recommendations about 3109 pubs]
Graham Coombs left this review about Crown & Anchor Inn
A nice looking pub from the outside but just has that feeling of aiming more at diners. Two rooms, one has lots of stripped wood and church pews, while the other has some unpleasant modern furniture and there is a garden outside. It does have 3 handpumps though, offering Muckle Muckle Tickle, and Hadrian Farne island and Tyneside Blonde. My least favourite of the 3 pubs on the island.
On 3rd August 2024
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3680 recommendations about 3615 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about Crown & Anchor Inn
White painted pub near the harbour, two bars, a triangular public bar and a more rectangular one used more for eating. Both have a counter but the beer pumps and taps are in the public, three pulls and two low T-bars. Beers from the local usual of Hadrian Border plus Great North Eastern and Cheviot. There are three pubs or pub-like places on the island, this one is GBG listed but honestly I didn’t find much difference in the beer quality between the three maybe the Manor House was the weakest beer wise. Old pew seating with light grey tongue and groove below, cream painted above. Lots of old photos mainly of hardy fisherfolk and a few jokey signs. They take bookings for tables and put little blackboards on them.
On 12th October 2023
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3648 recommendations about 3327 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Crown & Anchor Inn
There are only a couple of pubs on Holy Island, so drinking options are pretty limited, but the Crown and Anchor provides a decent spot to break a visit with a pint or two. The pub has a two bar layout, with a traditional public bar to the front and a similarly sized lounge at the rear. The public bar sees a small, angular servery in the rear left corner, bare floorboards and a limited amount of pew and standard seating options. A small fireplace to the rear probably makes this a cosy spot in the winter months and the walls are covered with a range of interesting items relating to island life, including plenty of old local photos and a list of all Lindisfarne shipwrecks. The rear room has a similar servery which also doubles as the reception desk for the accommodation provided upstairs. Sofas and comfy chairs are arranged around another small fireplace and the walls have plenty more items of local interest on show. I found this room lacking a bit of the character of the front bar, but the sunny weather meant we didn't stay in there for long, as we were instead tempted out to the rear beer garden - a pleasant grassy space offering superb views of the priory and a distant glimpse of Bamburgh Castle and the Farne Islands across the water.
Two ales from the local Hadrian Border Brewery - Tyneside Blonde and Secret Kingdom - were available on this visit. Sadly the Blonde went off before I could try any, but the Secret Kingdom was well kept and the landlord explained that the Blonde would likely be back on later in the day as he tries to keep both handpulls in action over the busier weekend periods.
This is a decent enough pub to spend a bit of time after exploring the island. I especially enjoyed the top notch views from the beer garden on a warm spring afternoon, but can also imagine taking shelter in the cosy bar in wilder weather.
On 26th July 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3361 recommendations about 3361 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Crown & Anchor Inn
The Crown & Anchor is a nice white washed two roomed pub tucked away behind the Market square in the Holy Island village.
The smallish main bar area is fairly plain with a wooden floor and wooden tables and seating. But has a brick fire place and brick bar front and assorted Holy Island pictures and photos dotted about which give a bit of character. Then the second room behind the bar functions as a dining room and is laid with tables for food. The pub is dog friendly in that they are allowed into the bar area , but not into the dining room.
The bar has two hand pumps that were dispensing Secret Kingdom and Tyneside Blonde from the Hadrian and Border Brewery and both were well kept.
Although the pub was rammed, due to a bit of inclement weather descending across the Holy Island, managed to get a seat in the dining room for some very decent sandwiches and the jovial Geordie landlord still had time for a chat. Apparently he’s only been in-situ for about 18 months , but seems to be making a decent fist of running this traditional pub.
On 31st July 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2245 recommendations about 2105 pubs]