Secret Drinker reviews the Blacksmiths Arms pub in Willesborough, near Ashford

whatsoneditor@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 01:20, 21 June 2024

I was making a collection from the William Harvey Hospital but there was a lengthy delay on the hard drugs so I opted for a swift pint instead.

The nearest pub I could find was the Blacksmiths Arms in Willesborough which sits right on the roadside and, just in case you miss it, has a sign about half the size of the pub.

An 18th Century, Grade II listed building, the Blacksmiths Arms on The Street in Willesborough, makes sure passers-by won’t miss it with its massive sign

The car park is opposite on the other side of the road and it was already fairly busy by 5pm on a Wednesday.

There was a good selection of drinks available but the Black Sheep Best Bitter at 3.8% sounded like a decent session ale so I settled for a pint of this and, as the sun was shining, wandered into the back garden.

I was immediately faced with a large, sweeping staircase that was immaculately kept with potted plants up the centre. After this grand set of stairs, the garden was slightly more a rambling, work-in-progress, affair with plenty of barriers constructed from blue plastic and two massive umbrellas which had definitely seen better days.

It’s not a busy road but take care stepping out of the front door as it’s not far from the street

There was a reasonable selection of drinks on offer but I was pleased I chose a Black Sheep

However, there was also a mass of rattan-style garden furniture placed on carefully crafted concrete squares and rectangles and, although you hear some distant traffic, it was generally very peaceful.

There was no-one else about, despite it being warm and bright, but I imagine it must be incredibly popular on busy afternoons at the weekend.

Feeling lonely, I headed back inside the pub and once my eyes had adapted to the gloom, like the locals, took a stool at the bar.

That’s quite an entrance – this grand, sweeping staircase leads up to a huge beer garden

They might not have got round to filling the planters this year but there is plenty of outdoor garden furniture positioned on solid concrete bases

There was a phone charging from the Guinness tap in front of me and I think I might have nicked one of the regular’s seats, although Josh assured me it was okay as long as I didn’t steal his cushions too!

Manager Ollie was serving behind the bar and he reckoned he’d been on duty since opening at noon, which they do every day, and would still be here until he decided to call time later, probably somewhere around 9/10ish depending on the state of play.

This is an 18th century free house and its history is evident the moment you walk through the door, there are heavily beamed low ceilings, a solid wooden bar and panelled walls all of which make it quite dark in parts.

As well as the impressive outside area there are plenty of nice touches, an old-fashioned newspaper rack, a dartboard in an additional room, an inglenook fireplace and a number of separated seating areas with bench seats.

The heavily-beamed dining area to the left of the pub wasn’t in use while I was in and certain areas were being used for storage

Living up to its name, the pub has been painted with plenty of black paint.

The side room with a dartboard was deserted when I was in but I’m assured it is often full of folks keen to chuck a few arrows

There were a couple of drinkers on their own and one other couple but the locals favour their bar stools and this is where most of the chat was taking place. Ollie was friendly enough but maybe the extended hours were taking their toll as he didn’t get involved too much in the banter.

As often seems to be the case there was a hi-vis clad fellow centre of attention but even he lost interest when a couple of locals talked motorbikes for 15 minutes solid.

Several things in the pub took me back a few years – a strong whiff of smoke blowing back through the open door, a rotating sweet machine and some beautiful coloured glass panels at the top of the windows.

This is a Grade II listed building and the dark wooden boards across the ceiling make is fairly dark inside the pub

Beyond this seating area, with two large umbrellas there is an extensive garden area with a large number of picnic tables

A brief visit to the gents revealed a room as traditional as the rest of the place with white walls tiles and porcelain to match. They could probably do with an extra visit from Ollie every so often as they weren’t spotless and it would have been nice to have had some soap. I should also mention the hand drier is quite possibly the loudest example I’ve ever encountered.

When I returned Ollie had disappeared for a swift fag and the bikers were still droning on so I bid Josh farewell and indicated his seat was now available again.

On the way out I met an interesting old guy, who’d also dutifully returned his jug glass to the bar, and spent several minutes explaining why he was wearing a watch on both wrists. I have to say it’s brief encounters of this sort and a punters willingness to share a moment, and a story, like this make our pubs so special.

Generally all the folk were friendly enough and it felt like a proper pub so, in this instance, I’m pleased to say having to wait for the NHS worked out ok for me.

There is a good-sized inglenook fireplace in dining room on the left-hand side of the pub

There’s plenty of greenery to be found at the far end of the pub garden with a large grassed area surround by established trees

It looks as if the bouncy castle has been in this part of the garden for quite a while, but I don’t know how often it is inflated

THE BLACKSMITHS ARMS, THE STREET, WILLESBOROUGH, ASHFORD TN24 0NA

Decor: Low ceilings and heavy beams make it a little dark, but it’s a proper pub and has retained many traditional features. The outdoor staircase and the back garden are both immense. ****

Drink: I was pleased with my beer selection and the Black Sheep, amber-coloured, bitter was hoppy with a perfectly formed creamy head – a decent session ale at 3.8%. ****

Price: The pint of Black Sheep just squeaked under a fiver at £4.90 but I noticed the fellow next to me was charged £5.60 for a Kronenbourg and a packet of crisps was £1.40. ***

Staff: He did look a little tired and jaded, but manager Ollie was welcoming enough despite this. He did go missing occasionally but was apologetic when he returned. ***