The Kings Head, Guildford

Service is occasionally sloppy lately but forgiven for the staff being generous about it. Overall in my top 3 pubs of Guildford.

The Kings Head is a nice looking pub located close to the castle on the corner of Quarry Street and Castle Hill. Although it doesn’t look it from the outside the building is a timber framed construction dating from the late 16th century/early 17th century which was originally two houses that were knocked into one to create a pub. According to the pub web site, the foundations of a square corner of the castle's former outer wall which once ran down Castle Street and along Quarry Street still remain in the pub cellar. You get more of a sense of the age and construction when inside. Low wood beamed ceilings, exposed brick walls with embedded beams, several divided areas and a mixture of wooden and stone flagged floors throughout give some character and provide several comfortable areas for eating and drinking. But a really good feature of this pub as others have mentioned is the outside courtyard and terrace space with large umbrellas and heaters that provides a great spot for an alfresco pint. We utilised it mid-afternoon for a pint and Hogs Back T.E.A., GK IPA, Doombar, St Austels Tribute and Hobgoblin were available on the real ale handpumps. So not the most adventurous range but good enough and the couple we tried were well kept, especially the Hobgobblin, which was on fine form. It now has a late licence on Friday and Saturday nights as mentioned below and when we walked past again past midnight on the Friday of the Easter weekend, on our way to the Quarry Street car park, the outside area was heaving with young trendy things on this not particularly warm evening. So the Kings Head seems to be providing a good acceptable pub catering to the real ale types and shoppers during the day and then the younger generation who like to stay up late, but are too old to go to the Wetherspoons offering on the other side of the Town centre.

Once again I have to say this is a terrific pub. A fine Wychwood Hobgoblin here.

Next door to the castle, in the conservation area of Guildford, is The Kings Head, reputedly Guildford’s oldest pub. Although you wouldn’t readily guess it from the outside with its rather ordinary looking cream painted exterior, it’s a timber framed building constructed in the late 16th century. It’s now a Grade 2 listed building. Inside features low beams and exposed brickwork, but something of a chainy pub feel. The walls are decorated with old photographs of the area including one of the pub showing it as a Hodgsons Kingston Brewery House advertising “Good stabling” and showing a horse and cart outside. A framed newspaper article relates how a beam collapsed in February 1995, necessitating some rebuilding. Outside at the back is an attractive split level garden. The pub features live music on Sunday and Wednesday and, on my recent visit, was advertising a Halloween Party on 31 October. Monday night is quiz and curry night, where the entry fee of £ 2.50p per person includes a free curry, which seems a good deal on the face of it. There’s 5 handpumps and beers on included Hogs Back TEA, Hobgoblin, Brains SA and, from a local North Hampshire micro, Andwell Gold Muddler, which was a nice lightish citrusy pint. This is another reasonable pub, close to the town centre, but it doesn’t really stand out from the crowd in any way

The pub still delivers for the history of this pub and the quality of the Real ales on offer. Generally there is London Pride, Wychwood Hobgoblin and Hogs Back TEA. Other beers are frequent at different times. The pub itself currently holds a Monday quiz night and Thursday live music session.

Official site of the Kings Head - www.thekingsheadpub.co.uk

Official site of the Kings Head - www.thekingsheadpub.co.uk