The Compasses Inn, Canterbury

Reopened early 2022, and trading free of tie, although exterior signage refers to Shepherd Neame. Largely a traditional farmhouse style building, with inglenook, exposed brick work and beams.To the rear, a large garden. Isolated in downland between Canterbury and Ashford,this is a magnet for walkers and lovers of the countryside:however ,on our Saturday lunchtime visit to a not particularily busy pub, we were politely informed that they could not cater for "walk-ins". The new owners feature a keen interest in beer on their website, and I was delighted to see a couple of cask beers from The Kernel, together with one from Farmyard Ales from somewhere in the Shires. My Kernel Brown Ale was a revelation, and we would have happily remained here, but lack of sustainence meant we had to move on. I feel that this iteration of the Compasses is very much a work in progress, and hope to return in the near future to se how they get on.

Out-of-the-way, food-led Shepherd Neame pub that looks inviting as you approach, and the sympathetically refurbished twin-bar interior retains a traditional look and feel. Whitstable Bay Pale was the only real ale available from the various handpumps on the two counters; good enough, but the £5.80 cost came as a real shock (being £1.30 more than most other Sheps houses of a similar nature).

Official site of The Compasses Inn - www.thecompassescrundale.co.uk

Official site of The Compasses Inn - www.thecompassescrundale.co.uk