The Foundry Arms, Poole

Tidy looking place from this outside, this is a fairly traditional L-shaped pub with some tasteful objects d'art on display. Muted footy on the telly with classic 50's and 60's easy listening hits on the speakers. New management in here (sounded Yarpie) who were very welcoming to us and other customers. Ongoing improvement works hopefully mean a lick of paint for the ceiling, which is currently a disconcerting poo brown colour. Small pub dog (Patch) and cat which took a shine to me so we lounged on the sofa for mutual warmth. Four pumps with two on; Hobgoblin Gold (good nick) and Ringwood Best. A nice little place and if the new owners can make a go of it, should be worth calling in.

A great town centre pub, a stark contrast to the chains and franchises in the nearby High Street area. Previously an Eldridge Pope pub, it is now owned by Marstons. There is a small, tight carpark and a covered smoking area outside. Inside, the Victorian building has been knocked through to form a single large, L-shaped bar, carpeted and furnished with a mix of comfy seats and dining tables. The carpark end of the bar smelled of smoke as this was wafting in from the smoking area through an open window. The staff were very welcoming and helpful, the customers were polite and convivial. There was a tv screen showing amusing clips from YouTube, but which normally shows sports events. Free wifi is available, they do B&B (but none of the rooms are en suite) and there are often special meal deals available. There is a good community spirit, and they collect money for Royal Marine charities. Two ales on, I had the Ringwood Best which was lively and very enjoyable. Worth a pint or two when in the Town centre and I would include on a Town crawl.

Located just a short walk from Poole’s pedestrianised High Street, yet with virtually no passing trade, the Foundry Arms is a nice old fashioned local’s pub. There are some signs of previous partitioning, but the pub is now one long open room with patterned carpet and textured wallpapered walls and ceiling. The walls are half paneled and there are three large bay windows along the front wall opposite the servery, some of which have nice etched glass in them. The seating is mainly standard tables and chairs but I noticed a couple of leather sofas as well as high stools along the bar. On the left hand side of the room, past the end of the bar there is an open area with a pool table, slot machines and trophy cabinet, all under a large skylight. A dartboard can be found at the opposite end of the room where there is also a fireplace with a large mirror above. The walls have been decorated with a number of adverts, mirrors and other such items relating to wine and whisky. A ledge holds a number of books which are available to swap and there were a couple of TV screens which were belting out a selection of Christmas songs. Unsurprisingly, Ringwood Best (£3.40) was available alongside Fortyniner and Marston’s EPA. I fancied a pint of Best and it was a decent drop served by a friendly, welcoming barmaid. The clientele were quite varied, with a good group of locals at the bar and a lot of couples enjoying food. This is a fairly unfashionable pub that tends to be shunned by the tourists, but I thought it was a friendly, well kept place and enjoyed whiling away my time here. There aren’t many pubs at this end of the High Street and this is a good alternative to the nearby Wetherspoons.