Woodies, New Malden

Randomness Guide to London - Woodies entry

Randomness Guide to London - Woodies entry

Once a Hogshead with a good range, including a number served on gravity from a stillage behind the bar. Popped in recently and noted that the once decent range had diminished to just two, something by GK, IPA I think and Titanic Lifeboat which to be fair was ok. Busy and (very) noisy but not the pub it once was I'm afraid to say.

This is a rather quirky pub in a former sports pavilion. The first thing you notice on entering is that the walls and ceiling are literally festooned with all sorts of sports programmes, postcards, pictures, flags and pennants and so forth, it must be a fire officer's worst nightmare! The bar is ahead on entering and there is a food servery to the left. Both counters have cricket badges mounted on the front, from the counties and national side. There are eight handpumps with a few changing guests. The recent selection was Adnam's Broadside, Pride, ESB, Young's Bitter, Cottage Concorde, Downton Elderquad, Stonehenge Spire Ale plus a Thatcher's Cider. The food is simple stuff like pies etc, and they do an excellent Sunday roast, good value too. Traditional seating inside, really one main area, slightly raised to the right and with a quieter section to the left and round a bit. A large screen shows sports. There is further seating outside facing the sports pitches. Well worth a look in, not least for the beer selection, but it is a little off the beaten track.

Dropped into this excellent pub for the first day of their beer festival yesterday afternoon. The festival continues until Sunday. Rather an agreeable afternoon actually. I had a half-dozen of the 50 or so ales they had on, and all were in good nick, and were made all the more enjoyable by being able to watch England demolish the Aussies at The Oval. The festival itself was well organised, with a beer marquee set up on the playing fields adjoining the pub, serving most of the festival ales on offer, with a handful more being available in the pub itself. Almost all of the ales were priced at £3 per pint. I also had a very good plate of chilli con carne and rice for £3.50, although I have to say that the portions sizes were more like a snack than a meal, and could have been a bit bigger. Good day nonetheless, all the better for meeting up with Maldenman and Trainman again.The pub itself has remained pretty well unchanged for at least the last 20 or so years, apart from the outside area which seems to be better laid out than it was before. You used to be able to walk onto the field, but this is now fenced off. Every available inch of wall and celing is covered with all manner of sports programmes and the like. Some people have said to me that it ought to be cleaned up a bit, but I like it the way it is. Its main drawback in my opinion is that it is nowhere near any form of public transport.

How to turn an old sports pavilion into a superb pub. Quite amazing - tucked away but only 2 mins off the A3 if you know where you are going. Excellent range of beers and home-made food, but most notable for the vast assortment of, well, stuff nailed to the ceiling.

best pub in new malden...... iff you can find it! if your having an affair, or seeing someone you shouldn't, then this is the ideal location for a drink. highly unlikely you'll find anyone in here that knows you.