The Elephant, Faversham

The characterful Elephant was voted local CAMRA PotY for the fourth year in succession which prompted our coach tour to stop-off there. The exterior is striking and one of the more unusual pub façades you’re likely to come across. The interior consists of different interconnected rooms with a lovely, quirky rear garden that contains a herd of Guinea Pigs and rabbits. Walls are adorned with interesting ephemera, much of which has a naval slant. Proper fires add to the cosy ambience, as does a friendly pub cat. The five handpumps usually feature a mild and there are usually two beer festivals a year. On my visit I tried Adnams Spiced, Red Squirrel London Porter and Dark Star Espresso. Lovely. Goachers and Whitstable were also available. "I see no Sheps" is part of the publicity, so don’t expect a pint of Spitfire here! CAMRA members get a discount on the ales too. Not sure about the Victorian porn in the gents though. All-in-all, really enjoyed this one and would love to revisit.

A truly wonderful and eclectic Victorian pub, a non-Shepherd and Neame house, near Faversham Station but most definitely not a high street boozer. The interior is rambling, there is a small terrace at the back with a nice patio garden, some tasteful Victorian pornography in the gents', and the bric-a-brac adorning the walls has some genuine historic interest. There is also a function room. The staff are very pleasant and welcoming, the atmosphere is enhanced by the wooden floors and a small open fire, and the locals are an interesting and friendly bunch. There is even a friendly trainee pub cat. The pub is popular with CAMRA as well as normal people and it has a regular GBG entry. Bizarrely, it is also home to the Timothy Taylor Appreciation Society. There were five ales on including a proper beer from Czech Republic – I had a pint of Hopdaemon something-or-other that has been rebranded for the pub and found it to be a truly excellent pint. A must for a town crawl and most definitely worth breaking a rail journey for.