Pubs Galore - the UK pub guide

A nice enough roadside pub sort of in the middle of nowhere. A two roomed pub with a bar in each room. The bar to the right is the lounge and is L-shaped with an outside covered area and a nice beer garden to the side. 3 handpulls on the bar but sadly only Doom Bore on. A dart board is in the room to the left. 3 handpulls also on this bar but unused. A nice, if dull, pub.

Saturday night saw my first visit to Cask for quite a few years, and the one thing that struck me was how quiet it was compared to how it used to be. On previous visits it was standing room only but on Saturday we had no issue at all getting a table. The four hand pulls for cask ale are on the end of the bar as you walk through the door; on previous visits the bar has been crowded making these difficult to see, but not so on Saturday. The style of the place reminds me a bit of Bar Fringe. At Cask there is a larger back room and doors off there to an outdoor area. At the time of my visit the hand pulls were offering Crackendale by Thornbridge, Bramling Cascade by Mallinsons, Moonshine by Abbeydale and Ruby Jane by Ilkley. I enjoyed the Crackendale, but on this occasion was only staying for one so didn't get to try any of the others. Would be happy to pay a return visit.

Now refurbished and a pub. The exterior of the rounded Victorian corner pub is a tidy grey and black now, with coloured window glass. The inside follows the same shape with a dart board area to the side. Old photos of Stafford on the walls were of interest. Plenty of sports TVs and music was a bit loud. Service was functional. Two real ales: Doom Bar and Tim Taylor Landlord - which was fine. Run of the mill place.
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Feb 2011: This is a comment rather than review. This is a music venue, it doesn't open until 7, 8, or 9pm depending on the night and goes on until 1 - 2.30am depending on the day. It is closed Mondays. Has all kinds of band, karaoke and DJ nights, some of which are free, others charged for. Not sure if it should be on Pubs Galore, but thought i would leave the info anyhow, as i am unlikely to review it.

Yes, this is a hotel bar located in a hotel that has certainly got the feel of Faulty Towers about it, and the two roomed hotel bar either side of a central serving area definitely has a very dated décor.
The Key selling point for this one however is its location by the Thames and the fact that there is a large outside green section going down to the river with bench tables where you can enjoy a pint by the waterside.
There were also two real ales on for my visit but I was initially fooled when entering the front section of the bar by the fact that they were both reverse clipped. Fortunately I asked, and they were both on but reverse clipped so that people in the other bar (apparently the one people enter from the hotel) could see what they were. In this case they were two local West Berkshire beers in the form of Good Old Boy Best Bitter and Mr Chubbs. My pint of Good Old Boy was distinctly average, but as I don’t drink a lot of the West Berkshire brews I don’t know if this was down to the bar or the beer itself.
If you have a fine weather day and fancy a pint by the Thames then this place is OK. But I wouldn’t bother with it for any other reason.

According to the website, the Frogmill Inn will reopen in July after a major refurbishment. We drove by a few months, ago and they were advertising for staff.