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The Napier Arms, Gillingham
Gillingham
ME7 5ES
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ 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 Napier Arms
Backstreet community local with a good pre-Christmas atmosphere when I stopped by. Only the L-shaped front bar was open, but that was almost full (with the rear room in darkness). Traditional furniture and decoration of the sort you would expect in a place like this, although enlivened for the festive period. I didn't initially spot the solitary handpump (badged for Old Speckled Hen), so had already ordered a John Smith's (£3.70) before realising my mistake...
On 30th December 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Napier Arms
An historic pub dating from around 1850, the Napier consists of a single small bar and an attached meeting hall/function room. There is some debate as to which Napier it's named after - the Admiral or the Field Marshall. I think with the area's association with the Royal Engineers it was most likely the latter. The other interesting historic fact is that meeting room was where the original Gillingham FC committee met and formed the club, which was originally known as New Brompton FC, in 1894.
It's now a good, honest back-street boozer and is a freehouse, a bit rough around the edges and needs a new carpet and furniture (they just keep repairing the old stuff every week). There's an open fireplace, fake beams and residual damage from the days of smoking in pubs. The customers, tv screen and background music are all a bit irritating, but it's by no means the worst pub around here. There was one ale on - Ruddles - which was by no means the best. The staff were friendly in a no-nonsense kind of way, and the overall ambiance put me in mind of The Broken Drum in Terry Pratchett's Discworld. But all that said, it's an important piece of social history and should be preserved. Come and have a drink if you think you're hard enough.
On 14th December 2012
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3286 recommendations about 3251 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Napier Arms
The Napier Arms is a small L shaped local’s pub with a bar that supports standard draught products and one hand pump that was drawing Ruddles during my recent midweek evening visit. There is a dartboard in the corner and the plasma screen was showing a Premier League football match via Sky Sports. There is also a jukebox but this was off for the match.
This is a pleasant enough pub for a swift pint if passing.
On 11th November 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5254 recommendations about 5222 pubs]