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The Penny Farthing, Dartford
Crayford
Postal town: Dartford
DA1 4JJ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Penny Farthing
Tidy micro-pub with the modern frontage and furniture contrasting with the pump-clip adorned walls. No real counter - just a perch for a single member of staff, with the cask ales, boxed ciders and range of other drinks coming from a small cool room (with a glass door and viewing window). I found four real ales being served by gravity: Bursted from Bexley, Iron Pier's American Brown Ale (£4.00), Easy Street Pale from Tonbridge and Saltaire Triple Choc.
On 21st January 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Penny Farthing
I've been meaning to come here a while and finally managed to get here a couple of minutes after midday on a Sunday. About a dozen were already in, despite it only opening at midday.
About 2 or 3 staff were on. They will serve you from a counter, or will also offer table service. Beers and ciders are listed on blackboards. For my visit, ales were Kent Nutcracker, Blue Monkey Chocolate Amaretto, Shivering Sands Maunsell Bitter & Pig & Porter Skylarking. Ciders were Abrahall's Thundering Molly, Weston's Old Rosie, Broadoak Sloe Gin Cider & Pheasant Plucker, Dudda's Tun Spiced Cider, Blackcurrant Cider & Salted Caramel Cider, Biddenden's Red Love & Snail's Bank Pineapple & Pink Grapefruit Cider, Strawberry & Lime Cider & Spiced Rum Cider.
A steady flow of customers continued to roll through the door, in addition to a seafood vendor, a site I haven't seen for quite a while. I guess he's a regular visitor on a Sunday, as locals were already prepared with their money.
Cards are now accepted to buy drinks. That may either be due to new owners or due to the effect of the pandemic.
Friendly place that has to be the best pub in Crayford by some distance.
On 13th December 2021
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Penny Farthing
This is a classic shop-converted micropub with a pleasant enough location opposite a small stream in the centre of Crayford. The pub has a spacious single room layout which has been carpeted throughout, with plain painted walls which have been liberally covered by old pump clips. Mid-height hard-backed benches with seat pads run down either side of the room supplemented by some decent looking high stools. There are also a couple of upturned barrels for people to stand around under the large front windows which have frosted glass with the pub’s name and a penny farthing bicycle image picked out. A very small serving counter stands in the rear right corner of the room with a couple of handpulls, although the majority of pints are poured direct from the cask in the left-hand taproom, which can be viewed through a small window to the rear left. Hops line the tops of the walls and elsewhere, the room has been decorated with an old Coca-Cola mirror, various photographs of people riding penny farthings, a modern penny farthing hung next to the entrance and plenty of other similarly themed items. A number of mobile phones have been nailed to walls on both sides of the room as a deterrent to those wanting to make calls in the pub, although I did notice that these were all old Nokia phones – they hadn’t sacrificed any modern smart-phones to make this point! A short while after I arrived, the landlady brought out a giant Jenga game which two locals then set about playing. It turned out to be an absolutely epic contest that literally had the whole pub sat in silence, transfixed with the tension – the rate we’re going, this looks likely to be my sporting highlight of 2020!
There was plenty of good beer to hand during this contest, with Tonbridge Velvet Raven and Chestnut, Northern Monk Eternal, Mighty Oak Kings and eight real ciders all available on draught. The Eternal clocked in at £3.50 a pint, although the bar only accepts cash and I had neglected to bring any, so I had to rush down the road to the nearest cashpoint before I could get my hands on any beer. My pint was very well kept and there was a steady stream of customers coming in throughout my visit, creating quite a lively atmosphere by the time the tower toppled and I departed.
This is an excellent little pub that really makes the most of its modest environs to create a well thought out, enterprising venue that I found very welcoming and clearly popular with the locals. I’m not sure what the rest of Crayford’s pub scene is like, but I doubt there’s much that can rival this place and it will be my first port of call the next time I’m back in the area.
On 17th April 2020
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Penny Farthing
This is one of the many (nine I think at the latest count) micropubs in this part of the world. It follows the usual model, being a shop conversion, having tall tables with tall stools down both sides of the room, and beer dispensed on gravity from a cold room at the back. Decor seemed mainly to be dried hops and beermats, or pump clips perhaps, presumably of beers that they have served in the past. The charity donation of £1 is still in place for owners who allow their 'phones to ring.
So, on to the beers. A blackboard on the wall advertised the beers - Mad Cat Platinum Blonde, Mighty Oak Viva La Resolution, and Goffs Brewery Jouster. All were £3.40 a pint, and we all had the Jouster which definitely got the thumbs up from us all. There were also some ciders available. Food amounted to simple stuff like pies - e.g. the pork variety - with pickle and mustard at £3 a pop.
Very simply, if you like the minimalist and no nonsense micropub model then I'm sure you'll like this one.
On 18th January 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Penny Farthing
It was good to meet the friendly and chatty owner on our visit, who used to bring his kids here a good few years ago when this was a bike shop. He also told us about the guy who cycled ten miles on a penny farthing to get here and showed us a photo of his Mrs on the so called bike out the front of the pub.
It was also interesting to look at the old school mobiles nailed to the walls either side of the pub. The pub opened on the 11 Sept 2014 and a tally on the wall reads 1178 different beers sold since then.
There was a choice of three ales on our visit, Bexley Brewery Howbury 14 and Bexley Mosaic IPA and Dark Star American Pale Ale. We went for the two from Bexley, which were excellent and full of flavour.
On 14th January 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Penny Farthing
Another enjoyable micropub in this part of SE London/Kent where they are increasing in number at a welcoming rate. The name is from the previous use as a bike shop and there are various penny farthing figures and pictures around the single square room. Crayford Green and the River Cray are opposite but there is no outside seating. Instead there are seven high tables with benches along the pair of side walls plus a pair of barrels in the front window for the standing drinkers. As with most of the genre I've been in, conversation is king and there are no external distractions like TVs or machines, mobile phones are positively discouraged with a charity fine of £1 if yours rings but silent texting and searching is tolerated. Old Nokias are nailed to a plank on the wall. I sort of get it but in a small quiet space I think it is only manners to take a call outside anyway, like you would at work.
Hops run around the upper walls, scores of beermats and a map of local micropubs and microbreweries plus various CAMRA awards on the walls.
A small cold room houses most of the beers but there are a pair of handpumps, my visit had Teignworthy Reel Ale, Springhead The Leveller, Red Willow Feckless, Mighty Oak India Pale Ale, Quantock Wills Neck plus ciders from Greenham and Rosie's Pig. I had two ales, both at a pleasing £3.20, I think the ciders are £3.50. Good value in any case. Lined glasses used.
I like the concept and find it encourages a friendly atmosphere with visitors being freely able to converse with others even across the room, the couple in charge were friendly and I was most pleased to receive a small bowl of cheesy footballs as I drank my beer. They also do pork pies with pickles, pickled eggs and scratchings.
A nice and convivial spot with a very good range of beer, well worth taking the trouble to get to, a splendid conclusion to my enjoyable walk from Erith along the Thames, Darent and Cray.
NB. I noticed a sign advising a temporary closure from today for a couple of weeks so check the website. Sure it isn't anything more than a holiday or family business.
On 26th February 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about Penny Farthing
This micropub has been voted the Borough of Bexley's Pub Of the Year 2015 by the local CAMRA branch. It's a converted shop on a small paved area overlooking the River Cray. It seems a shame that more can't be made of the outside area here but presumably that would fall foul of planning laws, their licence and risk upsetting the neighbours.
Inside it's a fairly typical square carpeted room with tall tables, chairs and benches built into the walls.
Five beers were available on my Saturday visit, Castle Rock Harvest Pale, RCH PG Steam, Mighty Oak Awesomeasaurus Rex, Bexley Howbury 3 Hopped Ale and Canterbury Brewers Kobold. I went for the Bexley beer and the Kobold (both £3.20). These were in excellent condition. This is another fine micropub that is well worth a visit.
Current opening times are :-
Monday Closed
Tuesday - Thursday 12:00-15:00, 17:00-21:30
Friday & Saturday 12:00-22:30
Sunday 12:00-15:00
On 13th July 2015
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about Penny Farthing
New Micropub opened 11 September 2014
On 1st October 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]