Crown & Anchor Inn, Berwick-Upon-Tweed

There are only a couple of pubs on Holy Island, so drinking options are pretty limited, but the Crown and Anchor provides a decent spot to break a visit with a pint or two. The pub has a two bar layout, with a traditional public bar to the front and a similarly sized lounge at the rear. The public bar sees a small, angular servery in the rear left corner, bare floorboards and a limited amount of pew and standard seating options. A small fireplace to the rear probably makes this a cosy spot in the winter months and the walls are covered with a range of interesting items relating to island life, including plenty of old local photos and a list of all Lindisfarne shipwrecks. The rear room has a similar servery which also doubles as the reception desk for the accommodation provided upstairs. Sofas and comfy chairs are arranged around another small fireplace and the walls have plenty more items of local interest on show. I found this room lacking a bit of the character of the front bar, but the sunny weather meant we didn't stay in there for long, as we were instead tempted out to the rear beer garden - a pleasant grassy space offering superb views of the priory and a distant glimpse of Bamburgh Castle and the Farne Islands across the water. Two ales from the local Hadrian Border Brewery - Tyneside Blonde and Secret Kingdom - were available on this visit. Sadly the Blonde went off before I could try any, but the Secret Kingdom was well kept and the landlord explained that the Blonde would likely be back on later in the day as he tries to keep both handpulls in action over the busier weekend periods. This is a decent enough pub to spend a bit of time after exploring the island. I especially enjoyed the top notch views from the beer garden on a warm spring afternoon, but can also imagine taking shelter in the cosy bar in wilder weather.