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Beer of the Week (w/e 5th May 2024) with aleandhearty
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Anchor, Leatherhead
Bookham
Postal town: Leatherhead
KT23 4AH
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Graham Coombs left this review about The Anchor
An old fashioned sort of pub with a dark woody interior round the central bar. I don't know what on earth they had been cooking, but the smell was quite overwhelming and seriously detracted from the charm of the place, so we left fairly quickly. Ales on were Surrey Hills Ranmore and London Pride.
On 29th November 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3352 recommendations about 3289 pubs]
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Anchor
Located a little way out of the village centre, this was the nicer of the two pubs we visited in Great Bookham. It deserves its place in the Good Beer Guide.
Inside, seating wraps around the central bar, which was presided over by the friendly landlady. However, we had our child in tow and with children not allowed inside, we sat on the pleasant front patio area. This also appears popular with smokers and those with dogs.
Just the 2 real ales were on - London Pride & Ranmore.
On 19th September 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2501 recommendations about 2500 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Anchor
This is a pleasant pub with a real country feel having a low beamed ceiling, lots of exposed brickwork, a boarded floor and a real log fire burning in an inglenook on an end wall. This was most welcome after an enjoyable but chilly walk around Bookham Common. Toby jugs hang from hooks along the fireplace mantle, there are a few brasses, a case of clay pipes, frames containing wartime medals, brass plates and I noticed a fine picture of the pub on a back wall. A CAMRA mirror reinforces the pub's commitment to real ale of which four were on, shared across five pumps (2+2+1), Doom Bar, Jenning's Cumberland Ale x2, Courage Best and Brakspears Bitter. I went for the Cumberland which was in good nick. Signs of the old Courage era remain along the bar back.
They do food but it was probably past serving time when I was in at around 4pm on Sunday as there were no menus out. A TV on a back wall was switched off, no music was playing just the sound of conversation.
There is a bit of a garden at the front which also has a pond containing carp, it wasn't really the weather to sit out though, the fireside was much more inviting.
I liked this pub very much and a bit more of an adventurous ale range would ensure a high rating indeed. Certainly the pick of the pubs around Bookham.
On 9th February 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Anchor
An olde worlde feel to this pub, with an equal emphasis on food and drink,four beers were on but all were rather unexciting in my view,Doombar,Courage Best,Brakespear Bitter and Jennings Cumberland, the latter was OK if not a touch on the flat side,It did however cost 2 quid for a half,a bit steep for an average beer.It was a nice enough place but wouldn't rush back.
On 2nd October 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1879 recommendations about 1852 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Anchor
I saw just the three ales on during my visit – Courage Best, London Pride and Harvey’s Bitter. I only had time for a half of the Harvey’s, and although it was as good as usual it did cost £1.75 (£3.50 a pint?) and thus was near the very top end of London/Surrey prices. I didn’t eat here, but the menu didn’t look too pricey – sandwiches were £3.95, and a pub staple of cod, chips and peas was £6.95.
I can’t add much to the previous reviewer’s description, except to say that the fireplace on the right had a real log fire on the go which was very welcome on a bitterly cold December day. A nice touch, giving the place a homely feel was the small sprigs of poinsettia on all the tables. During my late lunchtime visit there were only three or four other gentlemen in the pub enjoying a quiet drink and a chat. It’s about a 20 – 25 minute walk from Bookham Station, but there is a bus service along the road that does go to Bookham Station. This pub had very much a country pub atmosphere to it, and I would be delighted to pay a return visit at some time.
On 10th December 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Anchor
Situated within easy walking distance of the High Street on a busyish country road, The Anchor is a Grade 2 listed cottage style building that apparently dates back to the 15th century.
The interior features low black oak beams, a wooden floor, much exposed brickwork ,some horse brasses and copper plates, and a splendid inglenook fireplace. It’s a cosy and comfortable interior with a welcoming and traditional feel.
The walls are decorated with some old photographs of the pub and what is evidently the pub’s very own golfing society. It’s a single bar pub, but with a small dedicated corner at the back has a public bar feel to it with a dartboard and TV.
There’s a rather unstructured and untidy looking garden at the front with a few wooden benches that have seen better days and what looks like the former village green stocks. A prominent sandwich board on the pavement outside was still advertising “Live music on 16 October”, even though it was now 23 October – a full week later.
A basic food / snacks menu is offered at lunchtimes which, notably, includes a traditional roast lunch every Wednesday. I didn’t get round to asking what was so special about Wednesdays.
A former Courage pub, it now proudly sells itself as a Free House and was offering 5 real ales – Harveys Best, London Pride, Adnams Broadside, Surrey Hills Shere Drop and Courage Best. Both the Harveys and the Shere Drop were in superb form, but at predictably high Surrey prices of £ 3.45p and £ 3.40p respectively.
The pub is listed in the 2011 CAMRA Good Beer Guide and has had previous listings as well, but, notably, I didn’t see any GBG stickers anywhere nor any blackboard listing the real ales with gravities and tasting notes, as one often ones. I did see however the ubiquitous CAMRA mirror on the wall next to where I was sat.
There’s 2 pubs in the village in the 2011 CAMRA Good Beer Guide and, conveniently, they’re within a few hundred yards of each other. On the basis of my visit to each of them last Saturday, this is the better all round experience of the two by some considerable margin.
On 29th October 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]