The Stocks Inn, Wimborne

This large thatched country pub sits in its own grounds on the edge of a small hamlet, off the beaten track but popular and busy. There is a large car park at the back, and there are paved seating areas at the front, where you can watch the road, or the back with a good view of the carpark. Half the building operates as a restaurant, the other as a traditional pub; food is served in both areas. The restaurant part is more visually appealing, with exposed timbers and brickwork, flagged flooring and an agreeable atmosphere. The pub part is across the front of the building and comprises three rooms. There is a dartboard at each end, although only one is in use; the other is above a table used for eating. There are open fireplaces, carpets and a tv screen. Free WiFi is available, and the pub side is dog friendly. There is a rather ostentatious wine menu, and three ales on. I had a pint of Ringwood Best which was over-chilled but otherwise in excellent condition. Worth visiting for a pleasant evening or a meal, but it's a bit out of the way to include in a crawl.

I visited this large, multi-roomed, thatched country pub on Christmas day, so it's fair to say that my experience was likely to be far removed from a typical day. The pub has a two-room public bar at the front with a few low stools and tables lined along the wall in the narrow area between bar and wall, whilst the rest of the pub is more suited to diners, who find themselves in the rear section - an area divided in two by some partitioning walls. There is a lot of dark wood panelling, typical of this type of country pub, as well as a number of mirrors which help to provide some light and create the illusion of a much bigger room. My Christmas dinner was very nice and was served by very pleasant and welcoming staff who would no doubt rather have stayed at home rather than trudging through the snow to serve us, so credit to them for their professionalism in that respect. The locals in the public bar were being looked after as well, as I spotted them tucking into plates of roast potatoes on the bar counter. Three beers were available - Ringwood Best, Sharp's Doom Bar and Greene King Rocking Rudolph. I tried both the Doom Bar and Rocking Rudolph and found both were well kept. I thought this was a pretty decent country pub worthy of further investigation on a more representative date.

Official site of the Stocks Inn - www.thestocksinn.com

Official site of the Stocks Inn - www.thestocksinn.com