The Spark House, E10

Very small for a Wetherspoons. Ok though and half a dozen ales available. The Twickenham Gothik Dark Mild at £2.09 was very good. Usual menu available. OK but nothing special.

A very shabby Wetherspoon's that can feel very cramped. I have visited here a few times but have never been very lucky with the ale range.

Very busy but old fashioned looking Wetherspoon pub.Usual suspects on the bar plus 2 Ringwood beers.Okay beer but not not a pub I will re-visit.

This pub was one of the first to be opened up as part of the now ubiquitous JD Wetherspoons chain. Its small and fairly cosy interior contrasts dramatically with the large drinking barn type pubs normally associated with Wetherspoons, perhaps reflecting the chains evolution over the years. It has a single room layout, but thanks to the irregular shape of the room, the split level bar area at one end and the position of various pillars, it all feels a bit more compact and intimate than you might expect. The decor and furniture was unmistakably 'Spoons standard issue, but normal protocol was broken by the large plasma screen TV showing that night's Champions League fixture with full commentary playing. Apparently there is a conservatory and garden area to the rear, but I didn't get to see this for myself. Ten hand pumps offered 8 beers and ciders from the current festival line-up plus a couple of 'Spoons regulars. I tried a pint of the Tring Pudding Porter which was on pretty good form. A blackboard behind the bar listed what was available on each pump, which was helpful in avoiding having to walk around the large pillar that is positioned a short distance from the bar counter, in order to view the second bank of hand pumps. I thought this was a decent pub and a nice variation on what can sometimes seem like an overly formulaic pub chain.

This smallish 'spoons was largely lost from view behind some extensive scaffolding so it was difficult to gain an impression of what the exterior looked like. However, once inside, the building retains a reasonable pub-like atmosphere with a variety of different seating areas. Two banks of five handpumps, offering a pretty good selection from the real ale and cider festival at good prices (e.g. Tring Pudding Porter at £1.95). Overall, worth popping in if in the area.

A Wetherspoons that actually feels like a genuine pub! Fairly compact inside with a TV screen, including sound. 8 or so handpumps offering a good selection from the current festival; the beer was good quality. Reviews below paint a poor picture; the problems seem to have been addressed if my, admittedly brief, visit is anything to go by.