The Watts Arms, Milton Keynes

A large roadside Charles Wells pub with quite a well-maintained modern interior, comprising two high-ceilinged rooms with a more laddish sports bar element to the rear (pool table, big screen sports, fruit machines) compared to the more sedate carpeted front room and a dining area off to the right (basic pub grub offered). There’s a big field of a garden to the rear which looked rather under-utilized and could be a real draw with a bit of effort. Four ales available (Oakham JHB, Eagle IPA, Young's Ordinary and Great Oakley Blonde). My Oakham was a good drop and the Great Oakley was fine. Wi-fi available. An unusual feature of the pub was ice creams straight out of the freezer for £1.50 a go. Winner of the local CAMRA pub of the year award for 2012, which I found a little surprising to be honest. Pretty quiet on our Saturday afternoon visit, exaggerating the wide open space of the interior, though the flowers in the front room were a nice touch. The steampunk light fittings above the bar were eye-catching, if not to everyone’s taste. I didn’t particularly like the pub that much as it seemed rather spartan and devoid of cosiness but the range and quality of beer was enough to keep me going.

Official site of the Watts Arms, contains menu and real ale list - www.thewattsarms.co.uk