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2024

Alton (26 August - TD)

With the closure of the George following end of service on Saturday 23rd and its future uncertain we are down to two pubs where the High Street meets Butts Road so I popped into both today to see what was what.
The White Horse continues to be a lively combination of sports bar and local's pub serving two cask ales. I had the London Pride 4.1%, a decent pint and competitively priced at £2.70. Hobgoblin Gold was also available.
Across the road in the Ivy House the guest beers were at an even more competitive £2.63 and I enjoyed the powerful, heavily hopped Renegade Maharajah IPA at 5.1% from the revamped West Berkshire Brewery. Other guests alongside the usual Greene King and Sharp's fare today were Loddon Ferryman's Gold and Thornbridge Jaipur.

Selborne Arms, Selborne (4 July - MP)

I had lunch here today with friends, and was delighted to see the range of beers on - see image for the three I tried as per their usual 3 for 1 thirds platter, plus Bowmans Swift One and one other which I've fogotten! The Imperium (4%) was a dark amber beer which was quite hoppy; the Demokracy (3.8) was slightly fruity; while the Hurricane (4.5%) was much better also slighty fruity.
I can recommend the "Leeds & Bradford Railway Pie filled with Indian-spiced Minced Lamb, Potatoes and Peas" - very gently spiced and very more-ish.

Market Hotel, Alton (28 April - TD)

I am very pleased to report that the Market Hotel in Market Square, Alton, after sale of the freehold by Stonegate and six months closure for refurbishment, re-opened on Wednesday 24 April as an independent free house with two handpumps in use. The intention is to have two rotating ales and currently they are two Triple fff stalwarts, Alton'sPride 3.8% and Moondance 4.2%, both priced at £4.20 a pint and in decent nick. Full food service including Sunday roasts is available and opening time currently at noon is expected to move to 10am shortly.

Alton Market Square (23 April 2024 - TD)

There are three pubs on the Market Square, two of them in rude health. The exception is the Market Hotel whose windows remain shrouded in brown paper while refurbishment continues inside. However I understand that reopening may be "imminent".
The Wheatsheaf had a welcoming rose bower over the front door for St. George's Day and inside I was treated to two cask ales on offer. As well as the long-standing Sharp's Doom Bar, 4%, £4.90, which was actually very drinkable, there is now a House Beer called Big Dog, 4%, £4.80 a pale ale from Laine Brewery of Brighton, also on decent form. Opening hours have recently been extended to include from 5pm on Monday (no food). Otherwise food is available from noon through serving hours. Landlord Leycester is keen to foster darts in the pub.
Immediately adjacent the Ten Tun Tap House had three cask ales available and I managed to try halves of all of them. Moonraker Grafter 3.8%, £4.60 is an American red ale style brewed by this new brewery on the old Plain Ales site near Warminster. Allsopp's Pale Ale 4%, £4.70 took a bit of tracking down. The name is a historical brewing one associated with Burton and a merger with Ind Coope, now apparently produced at a nanobrewery by a descendent of the family but with only a London PO Box address that I could find: the beer is typical of the style. Finally Rooster's Capability Brown 4%, £4.60 from Harrogate North Yorkshire is a deep amber best bitterwith a good malt/hop balance. All three were in good condition. Plenty of the usual craft keg beers were also on offer including three of the Ten Tun Brew House's own.

Hollywater and Whitehill (20 April - TD and others)

Three of us made a lunchtime trip out to a couple of pubs on the fringes of Bordon, first to check out the Royal Oak in Hollywater which reopened after just over three years closure in November 2023 under the supervision of Graham and Emma who lease it from Heineken Stars and Bars. They have brought about a light and airy establishment with one long bar and a number of drinking areas boasting two pool tables, two dartboards and a raised bandstand hosting rock bands every Saturday night. Light snacks are currently available with a full food service planned when the kitchen is fitted out. Three cask beers are on offer the two permanently on being Sharp's Doom Bar 4%, £4.70 and Timothy Taylor Landlord 4.3%, £4.85. We all tried the currently rotating guest, an easy drinking light but fruity session bitter from Tring, Side Pocket for a Toad 3.6%, £4.95. This pub is well worth seeking out about a mile along the Liphook Road at the south end of Bordon.
The next port of call was the Woodlark, a family dining oriented Marston's pub on the Petersfield Road heading towards Bordon centre. Here we were concerned about reports of "Fresh Ale", a brewery conditioned beer style ie keg, but served on handpumps, recently introduced by Carlsberg Marston's which is now creeping in for the Wainwright Amber and Gold brands and Hobgoblin. However we were assured by the staff that the Wainwright's Gold 4.1%, £4.90 on the bar was the real thing and it certainly tasted right, a perfectly drinkable if unexciting example of the golden ale style. The Marston's Pedigree 4.5%, £4.75 was also on decent form. Had lunch here and the steak , scampi and jacket potato were all well prepared and generous portions.
Passed by the Greatham Inn in Greatham village on the return journey but this does not open until 4.30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays (closed Mondays, 5 pm Tuesdays to Thursdays), the only lunchtime opening (1 pm) being Sundays. Reports welcomed.

The Royal Oak, Lower Farringdon (16 March - TD)

After a mercifully short hiatus the Golden Pheasant on the A32 in Lower Farringdon reopened under its original name of the Royal Oak on 15 March 2024 having been bought by local resident Barry Pethers.
Very little has changed in the real ale provision with five handpumps in use dispensing three permanent beers, Bowman Swift One, Crafty LBB and Sharp's Doom Bar. There are two changing guests, one of which is always from Triple fff, the other likely to be from local microbreweries such as Dancing Man of Southampton. Today I had LBB and Triple fff Sundown, both in good order. There is live music in the function room on Friday nights and food provision is planned from around mid-April.

Selborne (10 and 15 February - TD)

In my 23 January report on the Selborne Arms I mentioned that the sparse 38 bus service between Alton, Selborne and Petersfield would be augmented by diversion of the hourly no. 13 bus as a result of the rolling B3004 closure. This will be for a period starting on 4 February to probably around October. This service also runs on Saturdays.
On 10th February the 11.26 am no. 13 bus from Alton High Street Stand B (outside Waterstones) got me to the the Selborne Arms in just 15 minutes, handy as the pub opens at 11.am. Once again started off with one of their beer bats of three thirds at the price of a pint (£4.80). The first two were from Loddon, Hoppit, 3.5% and Hullabaloo 4.2, completing the trio with the strongest beer available, Ringwood 49er, 4.9%. All were again on good form as was the Crafty Hop Tipple (4.2%), tried later. Five ales were on but I left the Bowman Swift One, like the 49er regularly available, for another day.
Very satisfactory food offerings as ever and local CAMRA members will be pleased to know that we are taking advantage of the fleeting improved bus availability to hold the East Hants branch AGM here on Saturday 13th April: full details will shortly be on the diary page of the branch website.
I had intended to visit the Jubilee Tap Room, the Gilbert White's Brewery outlet in the old Queen's Hotel just down the road, but discovered on arrival that they had put Saturday opening back from 12 noon to 5.30 pm for the winter months, so made a visit there on Thursday 15th February getting a 13 bus at 5.30 from Alton High Street. Even with the heavy evening traffic I was down in Selborne by 5.50. The last bus back to Alton was at 7.45 (and bang on time) so made the most of my time working through the four Gilbert White cask offerings which tend to be on the strong side. Started off with Garden Kalendar 4.2%, brewed with green hops from the Museum garden it is dependent on their availability so is a seasonal brew and coming to the end of its current tenure on the bar: still on good form however, mildly fruity it is a pleasant session beer. Next up was Bostal 4.3% described as a Sussex style bitter with a traditional hoppy finish and this was also perfectly acceptable. With an eye on the clock halves of the last two were had. Gilbert's 1765, based on an original recipe from the renowned naturalist was something of a one off. The ABV is meant to be 4.6% but due to glitches in the brewing process this one came in at 5.5% still with the expected subtle smokiness. Finished with the potent Zig-Zag at 6.2% with its roasted malts and caramel notes. So a very satisfying session and anyone getting a bus back, particularly in the dark, is advised to make their presence well known as it approaches: not all the drivers appear fully conversant with where the stops are.

Hammer Vale and Alton (27 January - TD)

The Prince of Wales at Hammer Vale can always be relied on for top form Fuller's beers and the London Pride 4.1%, £5.20 and Gale's HSB 4.8%, £5.30 were very tasty, the latter leaving one of my companions particularly enthused. Dark Star Hophead was also available.
After being dropped off in Alton I went into Cassidy's for a quick half of Hand Brew Bird 4.2%, £4.90 a classic English bitter with a vegan twist. This Worthing brewery also owns what is claimed to be the only tower brewery in a pub at the Hand in Hand in Brighton. Also available today were two Electric Bear (Bath) offerings, both quirkily named which with my illegible scrawl remain obscure.

Selborne (23 January - TD)

After getting off the the 10 am no. 38 bus out of Alton and purchasing some bottle-conditioned GIlbert White beers from the Museum shop I walked round to the Selborne Arms for 11 am opening to start off with one of their beer bats of three thirds. These were Bowman Swift One, 3.8%, Crafty Brewing's Shepherd's Delight 4.5% and Ringwood 49er, 4.9%. All were on good form , Shepherd's Delight, a smooth red ale, particularly so. The pint of Hog's Back TEA, 4.2% did not disappoint either but unfortunately their Surrey Nirvana went off before I could get round to it and Loddon's Hullabaloo, an old favourite, only came on too late for me to out sample with the last bus of the day at 2.30 pm imminent. All ales are £4.40 a pint.
Those frustrated by the paucity of the 38 bus service between Alton, Selborne and Petersfield, which severely constrains visits to the Selborne Arms and rules out the Gilbert White Jubilee Tap Room entirely if using public transport, will be pleased to know that for a period starting on 4 February to probably around October the no. 13 bus from Alton to Whitehill and Bordon will be diverted through Selborne as a result of the rolling B3004 closure. With a last bus around 8pm Monday to Saturday the Jubilee Tap Room in particular will become much more accessible. Not good news for those wanting to get to East Worldham or Kingsley of course

2023

Royal Oak, Lower Farringdon (20 November - TD)

Prompted by news on the pub's Facebook page that it was re-opening until 3 December I paid a visit (a strenuous walk out along the old railway line and back via Chawton Park) to find out what was going on. I found long standing staff member Flo behind the bar and three cask beers, all I think at £4.30 a pint, Bowman Swift One, Dark Star Hophead (both 3.8%, tried and in good order) and Sharp's Doom Bar.
I was told that subject to finalising the legal niceties the Golden Pheasant has been sold to someone who wants to keep it going as a pub with David and Melanie as live-in managers and Flo staying on behind the bar. This, if it all goes through is really good news as it represents continuity in a pub that has long been a mainstay for real ale in East Hants, being a Good Beer Guide regular and a frequent local Pub of the Year or runner-up.