Pubs Galore - the UK pub guide

Not open when I was here, though it should have been. A note on the door apologised, and said it would be open soon after my train departed the station (nothing personal). The permanent hours notice has also been amended, to take Tuesday off the schedule.

You've really got to want to get there. Single track roads, grass growing up the middle and a number of blind bends greet you from the main road. But it is worth it. A number of benches outside and inside the thatched cottages, its low ceilings and a very traditional farm house feel.

Everyone is here for food - with good home made produce. Two ales on - Butcombe and a never seen before Doonicans from Nuttycombe brewery.

Opens at 6pm on midweek evenings.

Going by the name I assume that this rambling pub is located in what was once a stables, it certainly looks like an old stables. The main entrance leads to a flagstone bar area with a long serving counter up the left that faces a row of high tables and then a row of standard height tables. An impressive fireplace with iron fitting s is found on the rear wall and one of the high tables has the front of a small tractor fitted to it. A step down to the right leads to more seating that runs along the large right-hand windows that look out onto a pond, a grass covered beer garden with picnic tables and rolling hills beyond. Lots more seating is found in the right rear in an open plan area that feels more suited to dining, this is a dry led pub. The toilets are located upstairs in a loft space where a couple of high tables sit, I’m not sure why anyone would want to sit up here.
Standard and premium keg were available from the polite barmaid. There are also two banks of two hand pumps that were drawing Old Peculiar, Theakston Best and Sharp’s Atlantic. Handily located over the roundabout from Whitby park-and-ride this is a good spot for a bite to eat or to enjoy the outdoor space on clement days.

The Foresters Arms is a country pub that sits on the A167, but very close to its junction with the A1(M). It was very quiet on my late Thursday evening visit, despite quite a few cars on the car park. Inside, there were just the landlady, landlord and one other couple in the bar/lounge area, with a games room, containing a pool table and a jukebox, in darkness. The couple soon departed leaving just me, until another guy (possibly a family member or close friend of the owners) arrived.

Nation Radio was playing in the background from a DAB Radio on a table next to the bar. The decor is brown and white with carpet, apart from an area of laminate flooring around the bar. There are pictures of birds and animals scattered around. Wifi is available, with the password on the bar.

The solitary cask ale was Rudgate Battleaxe, but I was more interested in seeing if they were still stocking a local cider from Kemps. In fact, they had 2 of their ciders - a 6.4% 2022 Vintage and a 6.8% Special Reserve. I tried them both and found them very enjoyable. Both the ale and the ciders were £3.70 per pint or £1.90 for a half. Keg beers included Sharp's Atlantic, Theakston Pale & Caffrey's. The keg cider was Sharp's Cold River. In addition, bottles of real ales priced at £3.60 were also being promoted - Double Maxim, Ghost Ship, Fursty Ferret, Proper Job & Old Peculier.

This was my final pub of 27 across Cumbria and County Durham on a 2-day trip and I remarked to the landlady, landlord and the other guy on leaving that these were the first 2 new ciders I'd seen across any of those pubs.

The atmosphere was lacking here (I overheard the landlady say that Thursday evening was always quiet for some reason), but it was really good to see a couple of local ciders being promoted.

New Spoons opening 24/09/24

https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/
the-grand-assembly-opening-on-tue-2
4-sep-marlow/