The Sun, Saffron Walden

The Sun has closed and has had the metal shutters treatment, which does not bode well for it's future as a pub.

26 Jul 2011 17:27

The Queens Head, Littlebury

My local, which I sadly don't get into enough. The Queens Head has changed hands many times over the past 15 years. It was a very decent Good Pub Guide free house with really good food, but the landlord's brother (the chef) ran off with the landlady and it all fell apart, changed a tenanted/managed house, with various, mainly large brewery owners, the chains fleecing a variety of well meaning and hard working landlords/ladies over the years.
A very old, nice looking inn, with decent rooms, a restaurant area (I used the restaurant a couple of times, a few years ago now, and the food was good then) the usual bar food/snacks, and most importantly, a well kept cellar.
Sometimes it could get very quiet (the fault of people like me), and had a touch of the "Slaughtered Lamb" about it, but the standard of the beer served here has remained consistently high. The current managers have really put great effort into making it a success, running quiz nights, theme evenings and similar, so if you like that kind of thing you're often be in luck .
Though a proper traditional pub, with a couple of outsize original open fires, it does have a few mod cons like decent flat screen tellies (not 50" jobs, but in keeping with the size of the bar) which get turned on for special sports events, and an electronic dart board (a couple of darts teams are in the local leagues) large and attractive garden, and an occasional bouncy castle for the small pubsters.
The rooms are up the narrow stairs, and are not big, but clean (I had a look when planning a possible family event), and apparantly much in demand by people going to the open air concerts up the road at Audley End.
Has a loyal local following, as well as many from the villages round about, and is the after match venue for the local cricket team.
Watch it when turning right out of the car park, as the visibility is not good, and the main road suffers from speedsters, but you could always go left and left again to get back to the main round in 2 mins.

17 Jun 2010 15:35

The Crocus, Saffron Walden

Friday-night visit for band, so was pretty busy. Feels like a "locals" pub, but none the worse for that, as it had a friendly atmosphere - not a "slaughtered Lamb". Friendly, efficient, bar staff including an attractive barmaid - sorry, barperson.
Guinness was fine, if a bit cold, otherwise a typical mainstream selection.
New management are making a big effort, and have brightened the main bar up, so it no longer has the gloomy feel that traditional "fag brown stain" pub paintwork offers. Hopefully they will also be a bit more adventurous with the beers on offer.
Bogs (gents anyhow) clean and tidy.
Delux darts kit indicates the thriving darts teams (the Crocus are in at least the local leagues). Also pool tables / teams.

1 Mar 2010 11:19