Pubs Galore - the UK pub guide

Now a bar and club called the Lighthouse

I ventured in here a while ago and was pleasantly surprised. Now normally, I'm one who begrudges paying over the odds for a pint,but on this occasion, I had no objections to paying £4.76 for a pint of really nice Dutch beer,the name I can't remember.Yes,this place is a bit pricey but the sheer range and quality of ales and lagers on offer make paying that bit extra more than worth it in my opinion.I shall definitely be calling in here again in the not too distant future.

Camerons Brewery is taking over The Abbey and will be converting it into the Head of Steam

A long, elongated room with a bar halfway up against the left-hand wall which (shock, horror) serves no real ale. But with them calling themselves a cocktail bar, why should they? Asahi on keg, with bottles from local brewery Redchurch: Bethnal Pale Ale and Great Eastern IPA (7.4%!) also available in the fridge (to their credit, they poured the beer into a dimpled half glass, which was a nice touch). Despite the anathema, very friendly staff and I managed to wangle a complementary glass of peanuts. For a website called 'Pubs Galore' there are thousands of 'non-pub' entries, but it's always worth checking them out, and I actually quite enjoyed making the effort with this one. Scored less than than a '5' as it's not a pub, but an ale might have lifted it above the parapet.

Originally an annex of the local priory, this fine hamstone house has been an inn of sorts since the 15th Century. It sits on what used to be the main road before the A303 was built and is now a very pleasant roadside inn. Currently run by Marston, it offers their standard food menu, which looked well prepared for what it was. There is a small, gravelled garden with a few tables and benches. The first room you come to at the front is the restaurant, then you weave your way through to a much larger bar which has retained many historic architectural features including fireplaces, beans and stone fireplaces. The décor isn't particularly special, especially the carpet which doesn't merit any style awards. The atmosphere is slightly spoilt by the smell of smoke wafting in from the garden, over-loud noise from the HiFi and gaming machines. The staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming,while the beer was a very pleasant surprise – I had a pint of Jennings's Hop Commotion which was outstanding – the best pint of beer I've had in quite a while. Other ales on were Hobgoblin, EPA and Pedigree, but as I was driving I didn't sample them. I shall definitely be back to try the others.