The Golden Fleece, Wells next the Sea

This is a strange pub. Looks OK from the outside but when we went in it seemed to be frequented by a load of young lads (including the barman) who were playing something on laptops! We bought our beer and sat down by the window but the noise from the bar was annoying. The pub itself seems very empty of any furniture or atmosphere and is incredibly dirty and dusty. There is a huge fireplace but it looks like it hasn't been used for years and the remains of previous fires seemed to be all over the place. No beermats on a very empty table which meant any slops just sat there, and they certainly had - the table was filthy and sticky and the windowsill had about an inch of dust on it. Absolutely fantastic views spoiled by a very "don't care" attitude. Saying all that, we didn't feel threatened or intimidated in any way - just uncomfortable. The beer (Wherry) was OK but pulled in a hurry so just didn't sit right.

6 Apr 2009 00:31

Ship Inn, Brancaster

We stopped at the Ship Inn in January when we were camping down the road at Wells. I'm a bit stunned by the reviews on here! OK - the food wasn't the best in the world, but it certainly wasn't the worst. I had the pie and although the lid (I hate pies with lids, I want a whole crust!) was definitely overcooked, what was inside was absolutely fine and the chips were lovely. My OH enjoyed his steak and we stayed and had a few more drinks. We didn't see the landlady, but the landlord was really cheerful, chatty and we had a good laugh with him (about the photos on the wall of him dressed as a woman no less!). No sign of the aggressiveness mentioned in reviews at all - neither of us would hesitate to pay another visit and will definitely do so when we go back that way. We didn't go into the dining area (didn't know there was one) but we sat by the fire at the side of the bar and had a really pleasant afternoon. I thought it was a really nice pub all round.

6 Apr 2009 00:16