My hostelry was built around 1610 to house workers building the church next door. The Bottom Bar, the Middle Bar were store rooms, then, later, Judge Jeffrey's Magistrates Court, before becoming a pub in the 1700s; the Cobb Room was originally a cellar. The non-smoking Top Bar was added a good while later, while the Restaurant is relatively new.
We're a Greene King pub; that means our session bitter is the ever-popular IPA, backed up by Abbot Ale for the less faint-hearted, plus seasonal offerings from Greene King's range.
Lagers are Fosters, Carling, Heineken and Stella, then there's the usual bottles, spirits and so on. I chose our Wine List with a little help from my humans, Brendan and Kay; it's nicely balanced and well priced - how about complementing your grilled sea bass with a refreshingly crisp bottle of Falanghina Bianca 2006 at £12.95?
My personal preference is to slurp a champagne ice-bucket full of tap water - and, being a well-mannered girl, I always show my appreciation by sploshing at least half of it over the floor.
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| The Bottom Bar |
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Usually cool in summer, but with a huge log stove making it as warm as toast in winter - 2 good reasons why you'll often find me having a little power nap on the floor of the Bottom Bar. It's on the left as you enter the building; quite small (nowhere's big!), the bar has just 4 tables, although the big round one is an 8-seater that can be reserved if you're really nice to me. You can also reserve the whole bar for a private function; 25 is a comfortable number for a cosy Birthday Buffet - add another dozen or so if you use the adjoining Cobb Room as well. If there's some big sporting event on, we bring in a rolfing great plasma screen. Oh how I love watching the footie; David Barkham's my favourite, coz he's got the best PR team. All those chaps chasing a ball like crazy - but when one actually gets it, he doesn't pick it up and try to burst it! So what's that all about? And don't even start with me on offside... |