Ship Inn, Romney Marsh

On the main road and at the edge of town, The Ship is best known for featuring in Russell Thorndyke's Dr Syn stories. Much of the outside appears Victorian, but parts of the building are much older, and there are tales of tunnels connecting the pub to the nearby church, smugglers' hides and other such stuff, some of which was born out by recent rennovations. There is a large car park to the rear. It is now a small, friendly pub and hotel with a single large U-shaped bar and a restaurant. It's dotted around with various nautical paraphernalia, has parquet floors and modern fittings, and a particular curio was the handpumps made out of old pistols. There were 3 ales on - Doombar, Adnams Broadside and Harvey's Sussex Best, all reasonably kept and quite drinkable. It's well worth dropping in for a quick pint or lunch, and it would make a decent place to spend a quiet evening.

Official site of the Ship Inn - www.shipinn.biz