The Anchor, Barcombe

I hadn't been to this pub for a long time. But went back last weekend (end of July). As soon as we arrived it was onvious that the pub had lost the wasted, lazy charm it used to have. The vegetation has been shorn, hedges are very low, the willow that used to weep over the river is no more, the roof dormers have been replaced with two that are entirely out of keeping with the pubs character and the furniture and fittings just looked very tacky. There are also vaguely threatening signs and obstructive bollards all over the place. "No Picnics", indicating that the the pub did not allow picnics on the the land across the river (which I have since found out is not owned by the pub but by a local farmer who gets a grant for allowing permissive access to it!"). Its past easy comfort and charm had been lost.

At least the river still looks the same, but the price of hiring the boats was unbelievable. We were a party of four adults and four children and we'd have needed a second mortgage to takes the boats out. Needless to say we gave the river trip a miss.

We tried the food. The bar staff seemed quite vacant, with no local knowledge and fairly unhelpful. Half the food was not available. We settled for some fairly standard fair which arrived overcooked, tepid and very unappetising. Still, at least the Harveys was good (very hard to destroy a pint of Harveys!).

We watched the landlord (at least we assumed it was the landlord; short, LA police style shades, tight blue jeans, tucked in white shirt, gold chain and belligerent attitude) berate some people who wanted to put their kayak in the river (from the side owned by the farmer) and then boast to another could about how much money the pub was making. Odd, as it seemed distinctly underused when we were there at a peak time.

We left earlier than we might have and walked up the river, visiting the Laughing Fish at Isfield. Generally we wished we had eaten there instead. Although the Isfield pub does not have the lovely setting of Barcombe's Anchor Inn it is a much friendlier and more comfortable feeling pub, with bar staff who seem to genuinely want you to have a good time.

I'm afraid that Anchor Inn, Barcombe has been well and truly ruined. We won't be going back.

1 Jul 2010 10:32