Ship Inn, Wincleback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
The Ship Inn is set in beautiful countryside. It's prime territory for walkers. Just down the hill is the Wincle Brewery. But this is a JW Lees pub. The focus appears to be on diners. Almost all tables in each section are laid out with cutlery. Nevertheless, there were a few drinkers at the bar. The 3 regular ales were Dragon Fire, Founders & MPA. They also had JW Lees Dark & The Boilerhouse Craft Pale. Slightly above average due to its fabulous setting.
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Worth the short uphill hike from Danebridge especially if you can also manage to fit in a visit to the local brewery during the same trip. Admittedly they struggled with the food service on Friday night even though there were only 15 or so diners. However, the food was good (not in the same league as the Sutton Gamekeeper 4 miles away though) and we weren't in a hurry as we were staying within walking distance for the weekend. The JW Lees ales were Cosmic Brew, Founders and MPA - the ones I tried were in very good condition.
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Agree with previous review. The Ship is a gem. Good beer choice, good food and reasonable value. It's also a good base for walks up and down the Dane Valley.
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An exceptional pub, which stands head and shoulders in front of the competition! The landlords are extremely nice, hospitable people and the food is without question the best for miles. An unspoiled country pub with open fires, stone floors, great beer, even better food and a warming atmosphere that you will never get bored of. Walkers and dogs welcome, which is great. The only other pub that I consider as good is Mike Robinsons Pot Kiln in Berkshire. If you like rustic, real and unspoiled pubs with great quality food and consistently high standards visit the Ship Inn.
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Very good range of JW Lees ales on, seemed to be teeming with diners on a busy Saturday night. Very attractive pub set in a seemingly remote valley with one through road, has smallish car-park, so most cars parked up and down the lane, but without hassle. Appears quite upmarket, but also seems to welcome all-comers.
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I've been living in the south for about 15 years, and appreciate that my voting rights are worth less than 100% in terms of local currency. That said, I've visited this oasis on 3 or 4 occasions in the last two years.
The beer (ale) has always been spot on, and the food equally good. Similarly, the atmosphere has always been warm and friendly - in short, a great country pub!
I'm looking forward to a pint or two on Christmas Eve (if BA or the weather don't let me down), else Christmas Day assuming I can dodge lunch detail :-).
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Recently changed hands, will have to wait and see how it goes.
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Visited for Mothers Day with family, restaraunt extreamly busy but this did not impact on service received. Great food, good beer friendly welcome and staff exceded my expectations for help and assistance with young child. The perfect country pub highly recommend. Congratulations to the managers/owners!
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Lost the plot recently; need to take a look at the quality of food being served, especially at lunchtimes.
anonymous - 22 Aug 2007 19:36 |
It is interesting that the comments posted on 20 April are anonymous. This pub is at the heart of the small community it serves and successfully attracts people from a considerable distance.
I have used this pub as my local for over 10 years under three different landlrds. It has always been a very good country pub in my view and the current landlord has taken it up at least three notches from previously. There are no games machines and music is only heard on rare occasions and, when it is, it is live.
The beer is very good, the food excellent and the atmosphere ranges from perfectly okay to absolutely brilliant - depending on who's in and what mood I'm in!
The only organised events which result in people spilling onto the road are the annual beer festival (4 days at the end of August) and bonfire night. Hardly an increasing habit. I have attended most of these and, whenever I have, on bonfire night there has been a local volunteer monitoring the traffic and crowd. We do have a problem of people drining too fast through the village - no doubt some of them local - but it is in no way connected to the pub.
It could be said that I have a vested interest in that I have been working there on Sunday evenings since December. But I am not anonymous and would have said all this anyway.
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Another pub which thinks it is superior but, as local residents, we find it increasingly difficult to get along with.
The food and pub itself are good but, the pub's increasing habit of holding events which clog up the main thoroughfare and prevent real emergency access, and which also cause traffic accident risk, is appalling.
There have been occasions of hundreds of people spilled out into the narrow lane, beerglasses in hand, who barely move for passing cars. They are increasingly taking to parking both sides of the lane with no care for leaving passing places. Utterly abysmal.
There is also a bench outside where you will find a collection of locals who can give you a stare as you drive by - somewhat unnerving as you try to weave your way in and out of their visitors' parked cars. Now, a pub clearly cannot be responsible for the bad parking habits of its visitors, but it is time this venue realised that it is a tiny country pub, with poor through access, and its events should be small scale to avoid causing issues for people who need to continue their daily business. Otherwise, the proprietors would be better suited to a larger venue with its own parking spaces.
The other difficulty I (or, myself and my hubby) have with this pub is that it is a hotbed of adverse and untrue gossip about certain locals. As the pub generates such a lot of 'talk' itself, the proprietors will not mind a poor review.
anonymous - 20 Apr 2007 15:04 |
The perfect country pub. Excellent beer, excellent food and always a friendly welcome whether you're in walking gear or smartly dressed. Dogs also allowed, and made very welcome, in the bar area.
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Lovely pub, good beer. England won the second test while we were having two pints. Barman/manager was a little short with woman and child in our party, before blokes turned up, nothing serious but unnecessary,one small imperfection.
bulky - 30 Jul 2006 22:03 |
Walked to Pub via The Roaches on a Saturday. Food, beer & welcome excellent. (Lamb cutlets were superb)
anonymous - 3 Oct 2005 13:56 |
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