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Cambridge PuG Crawl, Friday 5th April 2024 with Gann on the Pub Forum

The Flying Horse (JD Wetherspoon), Crawley

Pub added by Graham Coombs
Airside, South Terminal
Gatwick Airport
Postal town: Crawley
RH6 0NN

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Pub Type

J D Wetherspoon

Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Quinno _ left this review about The Flying Horse (JD Wetherspoon)

Pretty good airport Spoons in the South Terminal, past security. Named after the racecourse that was here prior to the airport. Looks to have been recently done-up, and to a high standard as well. It’s long and narrow but there is plenty of space plus there’s a skylight which helps bounce some light off the attractive copper leaf ceiling. Also liked the little copper tanks above the ‘craft beer’ bit at the bar. Three non-standard ales in Exmoor Hold, Dark Star Hophead and Oakham Citra (NBSS 3). Much more expensive than your regular high street Spoons but cheap in comparison to offerings elsewhere in the airport and they also take the CAMRA 50p vouchers so effectively you are drinking your pint for a normal ‘pub’ price, can’t knock that really. Good service too, a cut above the norm; we had three separate enquiries by different staff as to whether everything was good. An enjoyable start to my holiday and it’s worth making time to get a pint in before your flight based on this visit. Score based on context – a worthy 7.

On 1st June 2019 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5043 recommendations about 5026 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


john mcgraw left this review about The Flying Horse (JD Wetherspoon)

This pub is for airline passengers only.

On 1st August 2015 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve C left this review about The Flying Horse (JD Wetherspoon)

The Flying Horse is an airside Wetherspoons pub that is much bigger than the Beehive which is the landside offering from Spoons. The bar along the left hand wall faces plenty of seating that also stretches much further back to the rear. Standard draught is available and I counted six hand pumps, one of which was off. I did have a chuckle whilst I watched the barman try and explain pub etiquette to the line of Europeans that had started queuing by the entrance waiting to be seated.

I’ve been in much worse high street pubs so well done Wetherspoons for making this pub half decent even the crowd is captive.

On 28th April 2015 - rating: 6
[User has posted 5179 recommendations about 5148 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about The Flying Horse (JD Wetherspoon)

Located airside on the first floor of Gatwick's South Terminal, this Wetherspoons bar seems to have been relatively undisturbed by the terminal's recent revamp. I've always thought that this place has much more of a 'pubby' feel to it than most other airport bars, from the traditional pub name (partly inspired by the former racetrack that the airport was built on) to the hop lined walls which add a nice touch. The pub is set up in a functional way, with the servery down the left hand wall and vast amounts of seating opposite and to the rear. The place is usually packed and if you arrive as part of a group you will almost certainly need to get busy re-arranging the furniture in order to get everyone a seat around your table. Perhaps unsurprisingly, quite a few people had taken their pints out to the airport chairs outside the front of the pub, which no-one seemed too bothered about. Interesting features are minimal, although the servery has a fairly nice 'Flying Horse' mirror on the bar back. Otherwise, there are TV screens showing muted news coverage and handy airport departure boards.
There are six hand pumps which were dispensing three 'Spoons regulars and three guest ales on my visit. I tried the Adnams Fat Sprat, which was really good, although when a friend went to get another round in, he returned with a sludgy pint of what he claimed was the same beer, so not sure what had happened to it in the intervening 30 minutes. Plenty of customers were getting stuck into the usual 'Spoons fayre from the comparatively cheap menu and the waiting staff were doing a manful job of despatching the dishes without tripping over various bags and cases.
There are no surprises or innovations here - it's a Wetherspoons in an airport and expectations have to be adjusted accordingly, but I found the place to be one of their better airport bars and don't mind spending a bit of time here before jetting off.

On 23rd July 2014 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Flying Horse (JD Wetherspoon)

You would have to be a hopeless optimist to expect a great deal from an airport 'spoons, but this one really isn't too bad. Yes, it's hidden away upstairs in the shopping 'experience' (which is in the process of being revamped), but there is a small amount of natural illumination from a skylight and the arrangement of bookcases avoids too cavernous a feel. It is also efficiently manned, and there are six handpumps offering things like Hooky Gold, Orkney Dark Island and Milk Street Funky Monkey (£3.20) in addition to Pride, Doom Bar and Abbot.

On 16th June 2013 - rating: 6
[User has posted 8061 recommendations about 8061 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Roger Button left this review about The Flying Horse (JD Wetherspoon)

The Flying Horse is an airside Wetherspoons situated at Gatwick’s South Terminal. As one would expect it is geared for the transient masses and even at 8am in the morning when I was flying out, was pretty full with baggage laden holidaymakers and businessmen.

As airport bars go, it is one of the more acceptable places to knock off a pint at an ungodly hour and the beers and choices are far better than some other aiport ‘Spoons I have encountered in the past. 6 ales were available – Spitfire, Hobgoblin, Adnams Old Ale, Pride Abbott and Saltaire Blonde. Prices are above your normal ‘Spoons but not exactly a rip off in the scheme of things. Service was prompt and polite.

The décor was as one would expect, the usual plastic, contrived stuff with a rear section divided by a low screen and a few bookcases lining one wall. If this were the High Street it would all seem pretty formulaic but with time to kill time at an airport, it is more than worthy of a visit.

On 2nd February 2012 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rex Rattus left this review about The Flying Horse (JD Wetherspoon)

As you exit the security area there is an escalator straight ahead; at the top of the escalator the Flying Horse right in front of you. An airside pub where you can get a decent pint before flying off is a definite plus. As a Wetherspoons it does get busy, with most visitors having masses of hand luggage with them sometimes making moving around a bit tricky. But that’s the nature of the beast with an airport bar of course. This one always seems very cramped, and it’s at the end of the building where there is no natural light. They usually seem to have Exmoor Gold on, along with some of the usual suspects. On a previous visit in January 2010 they also had Phoenix Christmas Kiss on, which at £2.78 a pint is still probably the most expensive ale I have bought in a Wetherspoons. But I’m very glad this bar’s there, as it gives me somewhere to sit and have a decent pint while my wife hits the shops.

On 27th September 2011 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


E TA left this review about The Flying Horse (JD Wetherspoon)

As airport bars go, this is a reasonable one. It's reasonably decorated/furnished to give a cosy feel, and the staff are quite knowledgable. Five ales on this time, I had both the Exmoor Gold and GK IPA. Both beers were OK, but as ever with JDW, a little on the cool side. Of the two airside bars in South Terminal, this is the better choice.

On 20th May 2011 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3272 recommendations about 3237 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Graham Coombs left this review about The Flying Horse (JD Wetherspoon)

Useful source of good beer after you have passed though security.

On 21st August 2009 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3322 recommendations about 3259 pubs]