The Lord Nelson Inn, Ipswich

A large old Adnams pub which looks attractive with a half-timbered and dormer-windowed exterior but has the misfortune to sit opposite a horrific junction with traffic rumbling past feet away from the place. Previous openings-out have robbed it of the character the building exterior merits, however wood beams and fittings and some chunky wood furniture manage to salvage it a bit. An odd layout as you enter to a duck egg coloured room with no sign of the bar; this is tucked away round a corner. Five wooden looking casks inset behind the bar (were they simply fascias? I fancy I got tannic notes on my Broadside) with three Adnams on via gravity; Ghost Ship, Southwold Bitter (NBSS 3.5) and Broadside (3). Sausage rolls available and we tried the veggie option which was really rather good. Maybe a bit mimsy as a pub but it was good beer and I warmed to the place as time went past. Visited early August.

First pub of the day & slight panic as no handpumps were evident, but 5 barrels on stillage behind the bar came to the rescue. Four were on offer from the wood (& they were wooden, but possibly fascias) – Adnams Bitter, Broadside, Old, & Explorer. Low beamed pub with three open sections winding around the bar, open fire in central bar area. Solid rustic tables most of which carried cruet sets, so presumably popular for food. Commercial radio blaring from the kitchen – ok tunes but didn't need an excited on-air winner of £120 and 5mins of ads.

This was the only pub visited in Ipswich that I had been to before. In the early 90s there was no Dove, Fat Cat or the like and no JDWs so Adnam's tied houses were by far the best option in the area. I can't say I really recognised it as it looked much cleaner and brighter than I remembered and was almost empty on a Thursday early afternoon. There is what looks like a new carpet with bare wood tables and old chairs. The gravity dispense works here simply because the beer is stored at cellar temperature. I didn't note the five beers but from memory they were Old, Mosaic, Bitter, Ghost Ship and Broadside. I went for the Ghost Ship which was in excellent condition but the price is where this place starts to fall apart. It was £3.70 which made it the most expensive pint of the day. If Adnam's can sell their beers to JDW at a price that allows them to sell it at the standard guest ale price (£2.15 in my case after two recent price increases) why do they need to charge London prices in a pub on the edge of Ipswich town centre? At that price for Ghost Ship I'm not surprised it was empty. I still have a lot of faith in Adnam's brewery but wouldn't return here given the better and cheaper options nearby.

This impressive half timber fronted, 17th Century builing in the Ipswich Docks area was previously a Tolly Cobbold house before Adnams took over in 1989. You enter into the left hand side of the pub where there is a row of standard seating along the front wall and a couple of sofas opposite the entrance. The servery emerges as you move to the right, before turning 90 degrees and running towards the rear of the pub, with a section of low wall breaking up the access points to the counter. The whole of the front part of the pub is carpeted and split in two by a massive chimney beast and raised fireplace, which helps to create the sense of different seating areas. To the far right there is a slightly partitoned dining area, bordered by a low wall and some partitioning screens with ancient looking wood beams and bulls eye glass panes. A long single bench occupies another area at this end of the pub, with some interesting contemporary art on display. A doorway with an ancient beam and similarly aged wooden support pillars, leads into the bare boarded bar area. Here there was a TV screen which was turned off throughout my visit and a lovely brick fireplace with an amazing high backed wooden bench to one side. Beyond the bar, there is a rear room with basic furnishing and decor, where a small crowd had gathered to play darts and from here you can gain access to the beer garden. Music played quietly throuhout my time here and although I arrived a little after lunchtime, a few punters were still polishing off their lunches. Five Adnams brews - Lighthouse, Southwold Bitter, Ghost Ship, IPA and Broadside - were available, all dispensed from a row of old wooden casks racked on the bar back. I'm occassionaly sceptical when it comes to gravity dispense, as it's not often that it is done well, but my pint of Ghost Ship was absolutely spot-on and probably the best kept pint I've had so far this year. The staff seemed keen and were very friendly and helpful. This is a lovely traditional pub that works just as well for the drinker as it does for the diner. It put me in mind of a rural pub, but it is easily reached from both the town centre and train station. This is a must for fans of Adnams beers and well worth including on any crawl around town.