Bricklayers Arms, Pooleback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I wasn't planning to come here. But after finding the Oakdale closed down last night, I moved onto the Bricklayers. This seems a lovely little village area and you can tell this used to be a fairly traditional pub. But the interior looks to have been modernised and brightened up. It's not all bad, but not entirely my cup of tea either. Some kid of ambient music was playing, which didn't seemed to fit in with the clientele's age group. 4 ales were on - Ringwood Best & Forty Niner, Hopback Summer Lightning and just as I was about to go an entire without seeing it in a pub - Sharps Doom Bar! I thought I ought to succumb to having a half of Forty Niner, as its a fairly local brew and had been on in most pubs. It was better than I had anticipated.
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Here's my tuppence worth - mostly negative, but I'm afraid that's how I feel !
Best thing about it is the real fire, the two comfortable armchairs next to it and the beer. Shame about the featureless, bland extension; also the loss of the nice garden at the back. The latter has been sold off (of course) and some nasty houses have been built there, leaving only a small, paved-over area to sit in.
If you stay in the front of the pub where you can't see the extension you can imagine it's still a nice place to be, if a little devoid of atmosphere and decent music for most of the time.
It feels to me as if the owner has 'sold the soul' of the pub for a quick buck, and has done the cheapest makeover possible. The Conservation Area cottages next door, owned by the pub, were allowed to fall down, and have now been demolished and replaced by one modern house. Not even the old bricks were utilised.
One of the worst things about this pub are the lavatories - the smell. There is one lobby door leading to the doors for both Ladies and Gents and you need to hold your breath as you enter the lobby area. As a woman I try not to use them, but if I have to I hold my breath from the moment I go into the lobby until I get into the Ladies. The smell must be unbearable in the Gents.
The washbasins are ridiculous - 'gee whizz' basins that lack any functionality - there is no room for your hands between the basin and the bottom of the tap so the water drenches you if you're not careful.
I'm sorry, I didn't want to be so negative but this pub has been ruined. Bring back landlords Geoff and Ruth from 'the old days.' Now they really knew how to run a pub, it had a great atmosphere and people kept coming back. I now prefer the BT, over the road.
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Decent enough pub, bland ale choice.
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Decent pub, but the Bermuda Triangle is much more special
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Wonderful place with nice outside seating at front and great big garden at back. But they have just dropped the London Pride and replaced it with Old Speckled Hen - graon. However at least there's still Ringwood Best and Summer Lightning.
Somehow it is more consistent than the Bermuda Triangle opposite - the Bricklayers may never hit the dizzy heights that sometimes the BT can but also it never seems to hit the (very occasional) low that i have experienced in the BT either.
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Decent enough pub. Good beer, a nice beer garden and friendly staff. Its only downfall is that it lacks a bit of atmosphere sometimes but if a quiet drink is what you want it is perfect.
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Nice friendly pub and serves a good pint of cider
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Lovely garden for the summer evenings, and nice and warm in the winter (open fire, pub dog). Regulars seem very friendly and funny, as do the staff. One of my preferred places to go in the summer for a properly chilled pint of Warsteiner, although the prices are monstrously excessive (�3.20 a pint, I believe). Still, nice to go with one or two mates and have a laugh in, certainly a favourite of mine. The ales seem reasonably well-kept, although more could be done to improve their condition I think.
Gets very busy, although I never feel as claustrophobic in there, bizarrely, as I do in the Cow. Rumours abound about it being sold off, or at least the garden, and I certainly hope they aren't true. One of the best pubs in easy reach of Bournemouth, highly recommended.
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A pleasant pub just across the road from the Bermuda Triangle. They have a good sized beer garden round the back.
No matter how busy it gets (usually when people have popped in for a pre Kyps gig sharpner), bar staff cope well and you never have to wait that long to get served.
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Has some decent ales, but they don't know how to keep them in tip top condition
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Good friendly local with several ales (Hop Back Summer Lightning, Abbot Ale, Ringwood Best and Ringwood Fortyniner). Nice surprisingly large back garden.
Packed on Friday and Saturday evenings. Get their early or you'll have to stand!
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untrustworthy bar staff, twice in one evening a dispute over how much was paid and whether change was actually given!
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