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Chat about:
Disappointment of the week with Mobyduck
on the Pub Forum
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Clarence
This is still a fairly large pub that still retains its original and classic two-room format. The main entrance now takes you into what was once a snug, but which has now been incorporated into what used to be the Public Bar. The Public Bar’s original doors on the corner are now unused. This room is carpeted, has a pool table in the middle of the room and is furnished with normal tables and chairs. There’s a fair bit of interesting decor in here, the most unusual being numerous stuffed fish mounted in glass cases on a shelf at the top of the walls.
The other room used to be the Saloon Bar and can only be accessed by doors in the side street - or via the doorway leading to the gents. Apparently this room only gets used when the pub gets busy (typically in the evenings), but as I was the only customer in on Wednesday afternoon the friendly landlady gave me the guided tour. This room is bare-boarded and seemed to me a bit more Spartan than the old Public Bar, which is a role reversal of sorts. All the windows have some rather nice leaded lights glazing.
As much as I like this pub, having no real ale is a great shame (just keg John Smith's being available). There is presumably no call for it, as there is presumably no call for food on weekday lunchtimes. This looks like a pub that has seen much better days and I guess is kept going by loyal regulars, although none were in when I visited. It struck me as the sort of friendly pub that would have loyal regulars. If it had a real ale on I would up its rating a couple of notches.
On 12th June 2013
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Clarence
Traditional, single-bar pub housed in quite a substantial building on a corner plot. The large room is plainly furnished and sparsely decorated, but gives the impression of being pretty much in its original form. However, an internal partition must have been taken out at some stage as there are separate doors - each with a pair of Watney Combe Reid lanterns above - on each facade. Apart from the solid 'U'-shaped counter, the main feature is the pool table in the middle of the main seating area. Friendly landlord. No real ale, and the keg Courage Best was off, so it had to be John Smiths (£3.20). Most unusual feature - Classic FM being played quietly over the sound system...
On 19th March 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Clarence
This is very much a local's boozer with a nice enough governor. There's only a generic selection of draught and no real ale, but the Guinness was good and did its job. There are a couple of plasma screens and a pool table takes centre stage in the middle of the pub not far from the shelf full of pool trophies.
There's nothing spectacular about this place, but I liked it and would go back again if in the area.
On 7th April 2009
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5233 recommendations about 5201 pubs]