Blue Anchor

I love this place, when real ale was a few Courage handpumps this place was a beer sanctuary & now craft has taken hold in the county it continues to shine as a brewer & hostelry probably the oldest brewpub in the UK with the benefit of it’s location meaning some top quality pasties

A cracking little pub this. The oldest brewpub in England, you enter via a side alley into a small front room bar, with low lighting levels and a warm atmosphere. I had a pint of the IPA, which was fair but not fantastic, and six or so pints of the Middle, which just hit the right spot. A nicely balanced malty ale, with not too much bitterness yet plenty of hops.

The pub is actually quite large, even though the initial impression is that it is tiny. First, you will notice as you buy your beer that there is a back room visible through the hatch in the wall behind the bar. This is well worth a visit as it has a wonderful old inglenook fireplace and the original stone floor.

As you exit the main bar and go in search of the back bar, you might notice a further two rooms on the other side of teh alley which are also part of the pub. And should you venture to the back you will come across a large heated marquee with an outdoor bar which doubles the overall available space.

On Wednesdays some of the locals get together to play a few tunes, sing some songs, or sometimes perform a few Morris dances.

Food is served and looked very nice, butg alas I was not hungry so I can't tell you what it tasted like.