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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Crown & Sceptre, Torquay
St. Marychurch
Postal town: Torquay
TQ1 4QA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about Crown & Sceptre
Former GBG entry - not in the 2022 edition.
Two rooms, separated by a central bar. Monday lunchtime, so not much going on. A group of 4 who all smoked in synchronized exits. A pensioner having lunch.
Two Casks on - Butcombe and Dartmoor Jail Ale - which was in fine condition.
A little out of town - so probably doesnt get as much footfall.
On 13th October 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1563 recommendations about 1543 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Crown & Sceptre
Splendid traditional, two bar, Good Beer Guide listed pub - the exterior might benefit from a lick of paint but the interior is something to behold. The 'lounge' is crammed full of miscellanea, including an extensive chamber-pot collection, whereas the public bar (housing a pool table) is more plainly decorated. Up to eight real ales available from the eight handpumps divided between the two counters, including Best and Directors from 'Courage', Butcombe Gold, Gales HSB, Hanlon's Yellow Hammer, Dartmoor Jail Ale (£3.90) and Cotleigh Osprey.
On 3rd June 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8679 recommendations about 8678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ale Monster left this review about The Crown & Sceptre
This is a brilliant traditional Georgian coaching house; the two small rooms are a little rustic which for me just adds to the appeal of this place. The building has a small open porch with two doors, the left hand door leads to the lounge and the right hand door leads to the public bar. There is a small central island bar counter that serves both rooms and a rear central corridor that leads to the small beer garden behind the pub; I think the garden only had two tables. The lounge has a rough stone wall on the left with two large fire places and grates which I believe are actually used in the colder months, there are timber beams decorated with Royal Navy ships pennants and a collection of chamber pots hanging from the ceiling, in a glass cabinet on the back wall was a lovely small scale model of the lounge which had been made by one of the regulars. The public bar has a couple of booths along the right wall with a dart board in the back right corner, more chamber pots and various tankards and beer jugs hanging above the bar counter, there were old paintings and photos throughout the pub. The pub has a resident Jack Russell called Scrappy who was very friendly, as were the staff and other customers.
Regular ales are St Austell Tribute, Young’s Special, Otter Ale and Badger Tanglefoot with two changing guest beers which were Skinners Betty Stogs and Bays Breaker (Cask Marque and GBG 2010). I tried the Tanglefoot and Betty Stogs which were both very well kept, I really can’t believe they have not included this place in the GBG 2011! Its criminal.
An excellent traditional real ale pub with masses of character and many interesting decorations. The beer was very good; my drinking partner had two different beers which he said were well kept. We also had a ploughman’s lunch each which was large and good quality. This place is just my kind of pub, I loved it. I’m really surprised that it has been left out of the GBG 2011 after “30 years of unbroken entry”! I would definitely recommend it for a drink.
On 5th December 2010
- rating: 10
[User has posted 199 recommendations about 199 pubs]