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Chat about:
Disappointment of the week with Real Ale Ray
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Jonathan Wilde
Submitted on Saturday, 17th March 2018
With picture contributions to 4511 other pubs
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Detail Pages
Masons Arms, Yeovil
Lower Odcombe
Postal town: Yeovil
BA22 8TX
Served areas
Reviews of Masons Arms (Average Rating: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about Masons Arms
No change since John Bonser's very comprehensive description, below. This excellent village pub is welcoming and lively, while retaining a pleasant atmosphere through the absence of any electronic noise. It was packed when we visited, the clients a mixture of local drinkers, dining families, humans, dogs and children. The latter two were equally well behaved. There were three of the pub's own beers on draft, plus a local cider. I had a pint something called Roly Poly, a dark beer with juniper overtones, a decent pint in good condition but not necessarily what I would choose next time. I thought the beer was overpriced as well, given that it's a brew pub. Prices aside, it's well worth seeking out for the beers' novelty value and as somewhere to lodge for an afternoon or spend evening getting squared away.
On 1st May 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3281 recommendations about 3246 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about Masons Arms
In the small attractive village of Lower Odcombe, situated in splendid countryside a few miles outside Yeovil, is The Masons Arms, a thatched pub that, we later learn, dates back to the 1500’s and is the oldest building in the village. It was originally 3 cottages, incorporating a cider house in one of the front parlours. Like most of the rest of the village, it’s built out of the native hamstone, which is still quarried nearby.
SWFC’s recent visit to Yeovil Town F C saw me bed and breakfasting here for a couple of nights in one of the well appointed rooms in an annexe which runs down the back of one side of the pub.
As we approach the pub, we are greeted with the welcome “Real Beer, Real Food, Real Pub”, which, I often find, is an encouraging start.
The interior is carpeted and features some dark beams, exposed stonework and several fireplaces. There’s nothing really that immediately catches the eye and a recent framed newspaper review on one of the light cream walls which describes the interior as “radically, but not brutally modernised” hits the mark pretty well. Furniture is new and comfortable, but tastefully in keeping with the building. Reflecting the origin of 3 cottages, there’s a number of long, but narrowish adjoining areas with several former inglenooks providing additional seating. There’s little to tell me that I’m specifically in Somerset, although there’s a fine old photo showing a charabanc outing setting off from the pub in the 1940’s and several other old photos of the pub displayed.
There’s an inevitable food emphasis with small candles and menus on each table, but drinkers are not actively discouraged with, on my visit, supporters from both sides exchanging good humoured post match banter. Food is not gastro pub food, but is a clear step up from normal pub grub with the inevitable de rigeur emphasis on using locally grown produce.
There’s no TV’s or electronic distractions and, perhaps surprisingly, the pub closes for the afternoon each day, even at weekends and in the height of summer.
As well as the B & B accommodation, there’s a small camping and caravanning site in a field behind the pub under the same ownership
The landlord, Drew, a rather scruffy looking individual – even when “front of house” – operates an on site microbrewery, housed in a small room less than 20 feet away at the side of the bar, by the corridor to the guest rooms. Three real ales were on – Number 1, Roly Poly and Winters Tail. Beers, £ 3 per pint, were pretty reasonable, but not particularly memorable or distinctive. Interestingly, there’s no other external real ales served ( I might have suspected one of the usual suspects – eg Doom Bar – to be on as well, particularly given the West Country location ). I didn’t recall seeing any blackboard with tasting notes etc and I didn’t get the feeling that there was any real emphasis or attempts to promote the real ale trade, of which there didn’t appear to be much. The pub has, however, been in the CAMRA Good Beer for the last few years. It also features in Alistair Sawday’s Special Places to Stay, yet there’s a pleasing unpretentiousness and informality to the place.
I enjoyed my visit here, principally because of the good value, comfortable accommodation, meals and location and I’d be more than happy to return given the package as a whole, but I’m not convinced that it’s worth a specific visit just for a pint or two.
On 16th April 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
BobOs . left this review about Masons Arms
Called in Wednesday evening and pleased to report that the microbrewery is back in action - there are three pumps on with Drew's own brews, but the Odcombe No 1 was so perfect that I stayed on it all night. The welcome and service are, as always, very friendly and efficient and the food is the normal high standard for the pub - my steak was the best I've had in ages.
On 9th July 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 370 recommendations about 355 pubs]
Pubs Galore is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
- Official site of the Masons Arms at Lower Odcombe, contains menus, real ale details and events list - www.masonsarmsodcombe.co.uk
- Facebook - The Masons Arms
- CAMRA WhatPub :: Masons Arms - whatpub.com
Yeovil Junction, 4.95 miles, 1 hr 35 min walk (show)
Thornford, 7.27 miles, 2 hr 20 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : Yes last updated 11 March 2018 by E TA
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 11 March 2018 by E TA
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 11 March 2018 by E TA
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 11 March 2018 by E TA
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 11 March 2018 by E TA
- Car Park : Yes last updated 11 March 2018 by E TA
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 11 March 2018 by E TA
- Darts : No last updated 11 March 2018 by E TA
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 11 March 2018 by E TA
- Function Room : Yes last updated 11 March 2018 by E TA
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 29 July 2013 by Dave McNally
- Jukebox : No last updated 11 March 2018 by E TA
- Karaoke : No last updated 11 March 2018 by E TA
- Live Music : No last updated 11 March 2018 by E TA
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 11 March 2018 by E TA
- Micropub : No last updated 11 March 2018 by E TA
- Pinball : No last updated 11 March 2018 by E TA
- Pool Table : No last updated 11 March 2018 by E TA
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 29 July 2013 by Dave McNally
- Real Cider : Yes last updated 11 March 2018 by E TA
- WiFi : Yes last updated 11 March 2018 by E TA
