The Black Lion, Ashford

Solid-looking pub beside the village church, with a pleasingly traditional interior featuring a connected bar and dining room. A good number of wooden benches can also be found at the front. Greene King IPA and a pair from Tonbridge - Traditional (£4.00) and Rustic - were available from three of the five handpumps in use, with reversed clips for Romney Marsh Best Bitter and Doom Bar on the others.

This pub sits in a large and impressive village that looks as if it should be able to accommodate a few more drinking establishments. The 3 female staff were very welcoming, despite seeming a little bored due to the lack of customers. Just two other couples were in for the food, which if the specials board was anything to go by, was a little pricey. £25 for a Mixed Grill seemed more like London pricing. The interior is L-shaped and has plenty to admire including a vast array of pumpclips around the ledges near the ceiling and also attached to multiple handpulls on either side of the bar. Elsewhere, there was a collection of water jugs and some frogs (not live ones). For a 2022 Good Beer Guide, the beer range was a little disappointing. Greene King IPA is a regular beer. The not so local guests were Greene King Fireside & Sharp's Doom Bar. Gents' toilets are outside in a courtyard to the side of the pub. It's a little bit of a shock to the system stepping out of the warmth of the pub in the winter. Friendly and welcoming village pub that would benefit from a better range of ales.

From the outside this looks very much like a village pub, but when we visited at around 6.00 PM on a Sunday evening it was essentially a restaurant. It's reasonably large, with quite a lot of normal tables and chairs, but when we walked in all were either occupied by diners, or reserved. But we enquired of a waitress if any were reserved for later in the evening and she identified one such. Personally I think it would be helpful if the reservation times were shown on the reserved signs so that anyone wanting a drink can know until when they can have the table - I don't know why some don't (most do) - can't be bothered I suppose. Anyway, the pub itself is quite comfortable (assuming you can bag a table of course), with a display of pump clips on the gantry at one end of the bar, and a delightful display of prints of old Coca Cola adverts at the back (e.g. Beach Girls from 1918, and Summer Girl from 1921). As we weren't eating we didn't get to see a menu, but some scran a couple were tucking into looked pretty good. I was luckier with the beer than the previous reviewer, with Doom Bar, GK IPA, Whitstable Good as Goldings, and Goachers Pale Ale all being on. I don't suppose I'll get to Appledore again any time soon, but if I lived here I would use the pub - which I guess would be inevitable as it's now the only one in the village. But if you just want a drink it's best to avoid the busier times.

A quick visit on a wet Monday evening in July. A substantial red brick pub next to the church in a picturesque village street. An L-shaped open plan bar, with the serving area opposite the front door. An interesting looking menu, though we didn’t eat there. I had a pint of Wells and Young’s Young’s Bitter, once nectar:now merely a reliable session beer. I had been looking forward to Goacher’s Fine Light Ale, but unfortunately it ran out before my very eyes. Despite the rain, the pub was pleasingly busy for a Monday night, attracting a solid local trade.

Official site of the Black Lion, contains menus - www.blacklion-pub.com

Official site of the Black Lion, contains menus - www.blacklion-pub.com