The Triple Crown Inn, Richmond

Quite a small dark interior 3 real ales.

Enthusiatic welcome Sat, and guv offered tasters while I dithered - TT Landlord, Downton Apple Blossom, Twickenham Original, a.n.other (Pride?), and the right side of £3 may be rare round here. Long bar to right, tables & banquette seating along opp wall, dartboard in use at far end, a handful of chatty regulars, '66 world cup final showing on plasma nr entrance. I can understand what my pal Maldenman was saying if visiting solo at quiet time, and getting across the A316 on foot is a challenge, but I liked the pub, and how nice to get a cheery hello these days.

This is the sort of pub I like. There is absolutely nothing pretentious about it whatsoever. It’s a single room pub, with banquette seating, normal chairs and iron framed tables. The banquettes have clearly seen better days with some having had patches applied to give them a longer lease of life. There’s a carpet on the floor that has obviously seen a fair amount of use. I didn’t notice any food advertised, except the Sunday lunch at £6.50, and the large jar of pickled eggs behind the bar at 70p a throw. There was a one armed bandit, plus a couple of TV monitors, but on the plus side there was an open hearth with a real wood fire on the go, which was very welcome on a cold early March day. As you might expect with its location, it is very rugby orientated – there were rugby magazines on display, plus framed rugby prints on one of the walls. There were four real ales on – Butcombe Bitter; London Pride; Brain’s Bread of Heaven; and Twickenham Sundancer. The Butcombe was superb, as usual. There were dozens of pump clips pinned to the gantry, presumably of ales that they have had on in the past, testifying to an apparent policy of rotating the guest ales. Mrs R and I were the only customers in at 14.15 on Wednesday afternoon (it doesn’t open until 14.00 during the week) and the friendly and helpful guv’nor seemed pleased to have a couple of customers to chat to for a short while, and Mrs R was especially grateful for the cup of tea that he made for her. This is the sort of comfortable, and well-used and lived in pub that I appreciate. Decent ale is a must for me, and this pub passes that test with ease. It’s definitely worth the effort of wandering down the back streets of Richmond to find this little gem.

My visit mid afternoon possibly doesn't do this place justice as being the only customer takes the edge off the experience somewhat. A single rectangular room, bar against one wall and traditional tables with bench/chair arrangement opposite. The decor is made up of rugby photographs, plates, jugs and various brass artifacts but does not succeed in masking a slightly shabby tired feel. The TV on the front wall was showing some unnecessary crappy US sitcom, why? Brains Rev James, Pride and Twickenham Naked Ladies on, Twickenham Original being pulled through to go on later. Pump clips of previous guests all along the bar . Pies and Cornish pasties available at £2.20. Decent beer but down a mark for the TV.