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Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum

Image posted by Bucking Fastard
Submitted on Saturday, 29th September 2018
With picture contributions to 1516 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (2 more images)
Detail Pages
The Ship Inn, Downham Market
Postal town: Downham Market
PE38 0PP
Served areas
Reviews of The Ship Inn (Average Rating: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Ship Inn
Situated right on the border with Norfolk, this riverside pub will undoubtedly be more popular in the summer months.
The car park was reasonably full and I was expecting the pub to be busy. But there were just a few others dining inside. Whether all of the other punters were in the riverside garden, I'm not sure.
I decided to stay inside, where there are no river views. The interior feels more like a fairly modern country lodge than a pub, but staff were friendly. They didn't appear to be enjoying the music selection being played and got Alexa to play Heart instead!
The ale range would suggest that this is now a Greene King pub. Greene King IPA & Abbot & Morland Old Speckled Hen was the unappealing selection.
On 8th October 2021
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3040 recommendations about 3038 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Ship Inn
Set in a beautiful location at the junction of the Great Ouse and Little Ouse,the riverside garden will always be popular in good weather.The pub has quite a small interior,with a large lower level seating snug to the left with bench seating and brittania tables arranged around a large brick fireplace.Sadly the wood burner here is a coal affect gas fire.Around the bar there is some more bench seating,while to the right there is a lot of cheap looking pine furniture in what looks like a dining section.The fireplace here has a lot of food options described on chalk boards,with the food looking distictly pub grub at cheapish prices.
Overloud muzak was playing just because the landlady liked the tune,I thought they were poor. Worse was to come on the ale front.There were 3 choices on my Saturday lunchtime trip namely Adnams Lighthouse,Southwold Bitter (two very low ABV choices) while the Adnams Two Bays sounded better as an oaked pale ale ,4.5%.It was flat,and had a vinegar tang.
This could be a wonderful pub in a wonderful location with much more care and attention,but as things stand I can see no reason to return.
On 16th September 2018
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2936 recommendations about 2936 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Wells left this review about The Ship Inn
Great pub, good real ales and food, right on the junction of the Great Ouse and the Little Ouse rivers. Regular entertainment, definitely worth a visit.
On 13th August 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 6 recommendations about 6 pubs]
View more reviews of The Ship Inn (4)
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- Official site of The Ship Inn - www.theshipbrandoncreek.co.uk
- Facebook - The Ship
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Ship Inn - whatpub.com
Downham Market, 8.77 miles, 2 hr 49 min walk (show)
Shippea Hill, 8.83 miles, 2 hr 50 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 16 September 2018 by Bucking Fastard
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 16 September 2018 by Bucking Fastard
- Car Park : Yes last updated 16 September 2018 by Bucking Fastard
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 16 September 2018 by Bucking Fastard
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 16 September 2018 by Bucking Fastard
- Micropub : No last updated 08 October 2021 by Blue Scrumpy
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 09 May 2014 by Dave McNally
- Real Cider : No last updated 08 October 2021 by Blue Scrumpy