Halfway House, Langport

An outstanding GBG pub. On a main road, it looks rather uninviting and scruffy from outside. There is a large car park, which due to the battered pub sign and general area is easy to miss if coming from the East. That is not a bad thing as it helps keep the grockles out. On entering there is no real sign of the pub's true nature – no handpumps on the bar, as the ales are gravity dispensed from casks in the cellar at the back. The floor is flagstone, there is an open fire at one end, and there is a smaller, cosier bar at the rear. Dogs are welcome, treats are sold for them in packets, bratty children are not encouraged, no treats for them. Food is locally sourced, freshly cooked and very good value for money. The bar staff were enthusiastic, helpful and engaging. There is an annual beer festival in June. Eight ales on: Teignworthy Reel Ale and Neaptide, Goff's Black Night and Spring IPA, Otter Bright, Butcombe's Gold, Dark Star American IPA and Summer Lightning from Hopback. Six real ciders and 13 bottled foreign beers completed the line-up. This is everything a pub should be, and I'll be back. Often.

A traditional stone-built pub that was presumably a cottage or two at one time, it is one of those “must visit” places for the pub aficionado and has won countless awards and accolades over the years including Camra’s National Pub of the Year, albeit almost twenty years ago now. There are a few tables and benches in the garden at the front which seem designed to encourage sharing and conversation, and there is also a long beer garden off to the side, although this seemed somewhat less popular. Although not a food led pub by any means, a few traditional meals are offered, and a quick glance at the blackboard showed that these included scampi & chips, burger and a Ploughman’s. Inside it consists of two rooms, both similar in terms of decor. The larger of the two runs along the front of the pub and includes the bar servery. Old flagstones are on the floor and there are a couple of old stone fire-places at each end along with piles of logs ready for the colder weather. Seating is a mixture of church pews and benches along with a Chesterfield sofa or two. The size of the tables again seems designed to encourage communal drinking. A few hops were trailed around the top of the bar and there were some black and white cartoon drawing on the walls. Numerous maps and travel guides were also in evidence. Besides the busy garden at the front, the side garden was split in to two and had a slightly ramshackle appearance. The half nearest the pub had some trellis work covering a seating area, an old mangle and a sand area that was perhaps used for boules or something similar at one time. There was also a smoke house (for food, not cigarettes!). Beyond this were a few more picnic benches and a slider and swing for the kids. The beer choice was all chalked up on a board next to the bar and on this occasion included Adam Henson’s Rare Breed, Teignworthy Red, North Yorkshire’s Hunny Bunny, Otter Bright, Quantock Stout, Dark Star American Pale Ale and Hopback Summer Lightning. Ciders were Ashton Press, Thatcher’s Gold and Mallets, which is a new one on me. All in all, well worth a visit.

If you were to define a typical English country pub this would be it. Yes it attracts weekenders parking their 4x4s over the car park and road, but it also serves as a local as well. As you enter the front door is plastered with all its awards, including CAMRA National pub of the Year in the 1996, it hasn't changed much since then but why would it need to? As you enter the servery is straight in front, a rectangular protrusion into the room. A blackboard above the rear opening into the servery lists the real ales on - 8 in total. 2 from Teignworthy, 2 from Otter, Hop Back Summer Lightening, Glastonbury Spring Loaded, Cheddar Totty Pot Porter and Titanic Iceberg. Never have had a bad one yet. You have to ask for lager as there isn't any on show. On an evening the only source of light are the log fires, some low level wall lamps and candles which add to the atmosphere. Food is excellent as well.

Visited for the first time this weekend as the Halfway House has just been voted Somerset CAMRA pub of the year for 2011. Was not disappointed. Proper old fashioned pub with wooden benches, stone floors, log fires, beer and thats about it. My other half commented that it was noisy, but the noise was conversation, people talking rather than tvs, music and fruit machines, the sign of a good pub I told her. 8 real ales on offer staright from the barrels which are stored in a cellar, back room rather than sitting in the warm bar. The Exmoor Fox and Cheddar Tooty Pot Porter were excellent and reasonably priced. The only negative is the Hooray Henrys, all green wellies, flat caps and range rovers I'm afraid. They clutter up the bar and doorways and won't let you by; it's very rude.