The Old Crown, Leatherhead

This is a massive edifice of a pub dominating the corner of the High Street in the centre of Bookham village, with an attractive frontage promising a rewarding visit. Unfortunately the interior does not live up to the promise of the exterior. What would I suppose have been a separate bar on the right has been given over to a beauty salon, and the left of the pub is something called “Jewels Lounge”. I’ve no idea what this lounge was like as it was screened off during my weekday mid-afternoon visit. This was a bit like a pub with its limbs cut off, leaving just a bit of torso for regular drinkers. The smallish central bar that remains was not very attractive either. There were a few of those round bucket style seats that you can’t hang your coat over, some brown plastic upholstered bench cum sofas, and a handful of fairly low standard tables. This led to another small room at the back on the right containing a pool table and a dartboard. I saw at least three TVs on the wall, and of course there was a fruit machine. At the back there was a garden with some picnic benches and, bizarrely, a couple of life sized plaster knights apparently guarding the lawn area for some reason. On my visit there was a steady stream of smokers going to and from the garden, which was doing no favours for the pub’s heating. There was just the one ale on during my visit – Deuchars IPA (£3.00 a pint) – with two further pumps unclipped. I saw no sign of any food or menus. In my view this pub is several notches down on the other two pubs within easy walking distance, and I doubt whether I’ll pay a return visit.

Occupying a prominent street corner position at the northern end of the High Street is The Old Crown, a large imposing brick building with a curved frontage. High up above our heads, we see, in two separate places, fine tiling advertising Hodgsons Ales and Stout, a long gone brewery ( even before my time !) from Kingston – upon – Thames. The pub was obviously larger in those days as one of the sets of tiling is now, somewhat incongruously positioned over part of the building which is now a nail bar. A fine porticoed entrance unfortunately leads us into a bare boarded charmless modernised interior and a bar dominated by lager and keg fonts. Probably because there were 3 TV screens showing the Spurs v Everton game, the pub had something of a sports bar feel to it. It quickly became clear that this is where the local “yoof” drink and that I was probably the oldest person in. I retreated to the large outside garden at the rear where there’s a couple of odd stone statuettes of knights presiding over you while you sup. There’s 3 pumps, but, on my visit, only a rather moderate London Pride - £ 3.00p – was on. I can’t imagine there’sc much real ale trade in here at all. You’ll probably want to give this one a miss – as indeed I will next time