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Detail Pages
The Village, Salisbury
Salisbury
SP2 7EF
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Quinno _ left this review about The Village
Feels like it’s lost the mojo it once had back in the day, has been modernised in a pretty unimaginative way and the comedy rail tat has gone. The smell of superheated damp on entering was pretty off-putting, as were the bar blockers. Rolls available; three sheets for cheese and pickle which felt a bit ambitious. Just the three cask available and my RCH East Street Cream wasn’t up to par (NBSS 2.5) despite the perennial GBG listing. A selection of papers and Viz mags was an upside but I didn’t feel inclined to linger.
August 2012
A well-established ale house and home for train geeks, usually five ales from micros and regionals plus a proper cider or two. Quality on my two visits has been good (Liverpool Craft IPA and TT Landlord last time). The interior has a number of railway-themed items and there are some decent tunes on the jukebox along with a scattering of odd paraphernalia (including an ancient life-sized Rupert Bear collection box). Fixtures and fittings are fairly functional. TV switched on showing an Olympic event of some sort. Wide selection of daily papers available as well as, unusually, ‘fresh’ popcorn for £1.50 a go. The chap behind the bar was chatty and was interested in our pub crawl hit list. Pub has had a clean-up in recent times and is less shabby than previous (the smell of damp has gone), though the ceiling is still a hideous nicotine/poo colour. A quirky place that should get your custom. Rated 8
On 30th January 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Village
This is a small, two-room pub just a short walk North from the train station, with a bit of a micropub feel to it. The pub has a very simple layout, with a large main bar on entry and a much smaller side room at the far right-hand end. The main bar area has exposed floorboards, neutral shaded walls and some pleasant modern etched glass windows along the front wall, with a series of comfy padded banquette booths running beneath, each with a small set of curtains between them that can be pulled back to obtain a degree of privacy or block out annoying fellow customers. There’s another banquette and some low stools to the rear left, with a large TV screen above showing a 70’s football match between Chelsea and Luton for no apparent reason. Some stairs here lead down to the Underground Function Room, although a rope across the staircase meant I couldn’t have a snoop around. The bar runs down the right-hand side of the rear wall and has a basic wood panel counter front and a pleasant bar back enhanced by some nice muted lighting and shelves made from old crates, hung at odd angles. A small gas fire was plugged into the wall next to the bar, warming the bar blockers, with an old Rupert the Bear charity collection box stood next to it. The room has been decorated with a variety of interesting bits and bobs, including some trophies and an honours board for the Village Cricket Club, a collection of earthenware, plenty of books, various flags hung across the ceiling, a jukebox and a rack for the day’s papers, which included copies of Private Eye and Viz among others. A door and window to the right look through to the small side room, which has minimal decor and a few more padded banquettes, plus a nice old pub sign on display. There are doors for the toilets in each room, but neither is labelled, so I went in what I’m pretty sure was the Ladies, which must’ve given the local’s something to chuckle about.
There were three handpulls in operation when I visited, giving me a choice between Downton Quadhop, St Austell Tribute and Butts Blackguard. I tried a pint of the former, which was in excellent condition and slipped down so quickly that I had time for a half of the Blackguard before I left to catch my train home (also in good nick but not really my cup of tea).
This is a nice little bar with a welcoming feel and some well-kept beer, making it an obvious place to kill some time waiting for a train, or as a double header with the excellent Duke of York. On a quiet Monday evening, the place may have felt a little cliquey to some, as I was the only customer not sitting at the bar, but this didn’t really bother me and I imagine there’s a good atmosphere in here at busier times. Worth the short detour from the city centre to check out.
On 22nd February 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Village
Four locals plus myself in at just after the 4'O'clock opening time on a friday, three cask beers on ,all from Downton Brewery, a couple of pales plus a wheat stout, had a pint of each and all were competently kept. There seems to have been an atempt to modernise inside but to me it left the impression of being a bit tacked together on the cheap side, it didn't detract however from the good beer and welcoming landlord.
On 23rd May 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Village
A decent sized corner pub which was mostly full of locals on our Friday eve, who were chatty and a little nosy. The interior is traditional and basic, but does have a certain charm. The trendy barmaid, covered in tattoos and piercings was very welcoming and chatty. I also had the added bonus of a free pint off her as the beer was near the end of the barrel. This was Downton Quadhop, which was in good condition and one of the liveliest beers of the day, no problems there. Lots of train memorabilia on the end wall and a good choice of rock music was on the jukebox.
On 23rd May 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Village
Unchanged if my memory hasn't let me down for about 30 years, maybe there's less furniture than before and the gents is cleaner. Five pulls of local micro's beers on the counter, notably from Piddle, Downton, and Three Daggers. In a new twist on bar blockers on my early evening visit the length of the bar was blocked by five middle aged women. Quality of the beer seems as good as it's always been.
On 15th January 2016
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3269 recommendations about 2978 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
j lomas left this review about The Village Freehouse
Not a patch on past visits, quality not what it was! Nowadays better ale pubs out there duke of york & halfway house both superior quality ale & environment
On 13th November 2012
- rating: 1
[User has posted 3 recommendations about 3 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Village Freehouse
The main problem with the Village is that it is well placed for the train station and always seems to be the last port of call on what have been some quite lengthy pub crawls. As a result any recollections from my visits have been a bit hazy.
The pub has a good reputation for Ales although no-one would ever claim it to be the most impressive place from an aesthetic point of view. The interior is quite small with a quite ordinary main bar and a smaller separate bar area to one side. The décor and furnishings are plain and simple with banquette seating and the place does seem have have had a bit of a spring clean from my previous visit with the walls that were once a mess of posters and bits of junk now a lot more tidy and organized.
The beers were a good mix including Batemans Salem Porter, Downton Dials Pumpkin Ale, Goffs Summer Knight, Timothy Taylor Landlord and Downton Quadhop with a cider on gravity to one side of the bar.
One day I’ll make a point of making this an earlier stop in our proceedings and hopefully be able to get more of a feel for it but if it’s ales you’re after, this should be one of the pubs near the top of your list.
On 7th November 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Nigel Rowe left this review about The Village Freehouse
The Village is now managed by the former manager of the Boathouse. A keen and friendly chap who is always smiling! The beer is always in 100% top condition, and there is always a dark mild on offer. The range changes regularly, so there is always something to delight. Yes, the interior is tatty, but that could well change. One of Salisbury's last remaining drinker's pubs - now with a Thursday night pub quiz!
On 7th July 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 65 recommendations about 57 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
I L left this review about The Village Freehouse
One of the best pubs in Salisbury for a decent range of good ales. It is the pub we always visit when in Salisbury.
Yes, its getting a bit tired inside but when its busy you cant really see the flaking walls! On our recent visit the two ales we had werent at the usual top notch condition but it had been very hot weather for a prolonged period which might have affected the cellar temperature.
On 16th August 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 287 recommendations about 284 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Soup Dragon left this review about The Village Freehouse
A strange corner pub in white render, with black paintwork that is in the GBG 2010 - why strange? well it looked top heavy.
The interior is open plan, with a few nooks and crannies. The decor is in white and tired, peeling wallpaper, but never the less, the walls are covered in railway ephemera and pictures - which is great for someone like me, as well the odd bit of beer memorabilia, like beer mats and bottles. There was Sky TV and darts. The service was fine and the clientele seemingly mature locals.
Beer; tap stuff, with Timothy Taylor Landlord, Downton Brewery's Quodhop and Mad Hare (both good), Hop Back and a very good Box Brewery's Dark & Handsome.
A class pub, worthy of its GBG status and one i would very much like to return to.
On 7th May 2010
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3067 recommendations about 3062 pubs]