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The Farriers Arms, Ashford

The Forstal
Mersham
Postal town: Ashford
TN25 6NU
Phone: 01233720444

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Farriers Arms

With the Royal Oak in the main part of Mersham village closed, the Farriers Arms is now the solitary pub in the village. It is situated down a hill from the village centre, presumably near the local school as cars were everywhere with parents waiting for their kids to be kicked out.

Inside, the pub was much quieter. A couple were sat in one corner, whilst a girl and 4 blokes of varying ages were sat or stood at the bar. Another father and son also appeared and sat in an adjacent dining area. One of the two bar staff had her son sat on a high chair at the end of the bar with some kind of electrical device blasting out music and commentary.

With an interesting day in the Houses of Parliament (Boris and his wild parties along with Tory defections), it was strange that the girl at the bar was more interested in discussing the benefits of not wearing any pants and how her partner (who was due to arrive at any minute) dyes his pubic hair. Her audience of four seemed quite interested in these topics. Maybe they caught up with Hansard after?

The ale selection was rather strange. The pub has its own brewery and Farriers Arms 1606 was on handpull alongside a couple of Marston's beers - Pedigree & Brakspear Oxford Gold. Pumpclips high on a beam were all mostly from the Marston's stable. The lack of them indicated that the beer range is fairly sub-standard and whether the pub is a Marston's tied house or not, I can't say for sure.

The pub is an old coaching inn that has been saved by the community. All credit to them for that.

On 20th January 2022 - rating: 5
[User has posted 2442 recommendations about 2441 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Farriers Arms

A traditional village pub rescued by the community in 2009 and now thriving. A modern dining area and kitchen has been built at the back to leave the various rooms in the older part of the building with some character. There is also an improved beer garden at the back and their own micro-brewery is located in a side building (and doing their monthly brew when I took a quick look). I went for the Summer Good (£4.20), with the regular 1606 plus Youngs Special and Ringwood Forty Niner as guests.

On 2nd September 2021 - rating: 8
[User has posted 8066 recommendations about 8066 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rex Rattus left this review about The Farriers Arms

The Farriers Arms still has its own onsite microbrewery, with about half a dozen ales in its portfolio. When we visited on Friday evening they had a couple on – Harvest Plenty (£3.45 a pint) and 1606. They also had a couple of other ales on – St Ausell Cornish Ale and Long Man Brewery Scary Man. This is a good selection. They were doing food when we visited on Friday evening. A previous reviewer suggested that the food is expensive; that may be so - I didn't see a menu - but their house ales are reasonably priced.

This looks like a typical country pub, with its low ceilings, black painted beams, attractive fireplace, and rough plastered walls. But like many a country pub these days its main business is as a restaurant. This one has a seprate dining room on the right, with a lectern doing sentry duty at its entrance, and with all tables laid for diners. The bar area on the left is comfortable enough, with normal furnishings plus a few tall stools at the bar. One of the beams was adorned with numerous pump clips, which is usually a good sign in that the pub is effectively advertising its changing real ale policy.

As far as I could see the dozen or so drinkers in there appeared to be local regulars. I would assess that this is usually a quietish place to enjoy a drinbk. Unfortunately a family with noisy young children came and sat at the table next to ours, which we took as a sgn to move on to the next pub.

On 7th November 2016 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


. Wittenden left this review about The Farriers Arms

Visited on the 7th May 2013, a sunny spring evening.My first visit here for years, and definitely my first since the pub reopened under community ownership. A rambling old building, next to a stream, and close to Hannover Mill.Timber and exposed brick.
To one’s left is an L shaped bar, with the space to the right,past the chimney stack, laid up for more formal dining.To the back , a pretty garden sloping down to the trout stream, and I think access to a field across a bridge.
As part of the refurbishments, the community team installed and run the Old Forge micro brewery, and their Farrier’s beers are available on the bar, alongside offerings from other Kent micros. I tried the flagship 1606 (the date of the pub), a 3.7%ABV mid brown bitter that combines malt and hops in a moreish manner:I found it most drinkable. We haven’t eaten here, but the food looked pretty good to me. Music nights, car events and seasonal fairs are organised.

On 28th November 2013 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 283 recommendations about 282 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Manky Badger left this review about The Farriers Arms

Before today I was last there three years ago, and in the meantime the place has closed down and been bought up by a consortium of locals. My first impressions on today's visit were good: the place has its own brewery and I had a pint of their stout and a pint of their best bitter. Very nice.

But then I saw the menu. This place seems to cater for people who like to spend way over the going rate on their food. Don’t get me wrong – there are people who enjoy spending far too much on their food, and if that’s what people want to do, then I respect their choice.

I think I can sum the Farrier’s Arms up with one observation. In my entire life I have only ever seen two people smoke a cigarette through a cigarette holder. One of them was in the Farrier’s Arms garden this afternoon, and the other was Lady Penelope (out of Thunderbirds). And bearing in mind that Lady Penelope was a puppet, I don’t think she counts

On 4th April 2011 - rating: 6
[User has posted 155 recommendations about 154 pubs]