Mum was standing on the doorstep, waiting for a full report on the previous evening's Half Man Half Biscuit gig and demanding to be taken to Axminster to visit a new micro pub.
It was looking lovely under wintery blue skies, although -hell's bells- it wasn't half scarf and gloves weather.
Aiming to get indoors, we made our way through the backstreets to the town's Good Beer Guide listed pub, the Axminster Inn...
We should be wary - the last Trip Advisor review, by someone called 'Warers', is titled 'Royston Vaisey' and says "clearly a locals pub...landlady made us feel unwelcome". Uh-oh.
No doubt it was a locals joint, with a host of regulars sat around the edges of the main room all having a quick peer at the odd fella who'd just opened the door. But they said hello to us and the landlady was super welcoming and keen to tempt us with the mulled wine.
This was a pub of two halves.
Cosy bar with big wooden tables and a log fire roaring...
And a very different second room through the archway to the right...
 |
| Yikes! That's not proper pub seating |
We really wanted to sit by the fire, but as there was no space there we were relegated to the modern room on the swivel chairs.
Being a Palmer's pub there was a trio of their ales on the bar: 'IPA', 'Copper' and 'Dorset Gold'. The Gold was fine and well kept, whilst mum and Mrs PropUptheBar succumbed to the mulled wine and we entertained ourselves by spinning around in our chairs to a soundtrack of sixties crooners.
Drinking up, we went on a search of somewhere that would sell us some food and found our way to the Castle Inn.
Being a Palmer's pub there was a trio of their ales on the bar: 'IPA', 'Copper' and 'Dorset Gold'. The Gold was fine and well kept, whilst mum and Mrs PropUptheBar succumbed to the mulled wine and we entertained ourselves by spinning around in our chairs to a soundtrack of sixties crooners.
Drinking up, we went on a search of somewhere that would sell us some food and found our way to the Castle Inn.
This was another pub of two halves, with basic no-frills bar to the right and a small dining room to the left. And again I found myself sat in the half that I didn't really want to be in, shown to the dining table where I couldn't see the football on TV and had to be sociable instead.
Drinks-wise, there was a boxed cider on the bar whilst hand pumps dispensed St Austell 'Tribute' and Dartmoor 'Dragon's Breath' - a very drinkable winter warmer which tastes stronger than it's 4.4% ABV.
 |
| Disappointing lack of carpets to say we're in Axminster |
This has only been open since May 2021, having had a couple of previous planned unveilings scuppered by lock-downs. It's a smartly-done conversion of old Victorian railway offices, with a tiny ground floor room containing the bar and seating for half a dozen.
On the hi-tech beer board there's Bristol craft, Silly Cow cider, more Dragon's Breath and the Powderkeg 'Inkling' cask milk stout, which is what I picked and enjoyed.
Up the stairs is more seating and railway-orientated furniture, maps and reading material.
Up the stairs is more seating and railway-orientated furniture, maps and reading material.
We did manage to make it to one more East Devon GBG entry over the weekend - the Drewe Arms in the Blackdown Hills...
But we didn't visit at the best of times, calling in mid-afternoon on a Sunday when I figured lunch would be over, only to find folk lingering and stretching out the dining experience.
This left us with an uncomfortable perch near the bar, balancing our glasses on a narrow ledge.
Otter 'Amber' and 'Bitter', Hanlon's 'Citra' and a Dartmoor 'Best'. Four beers for a pub-full of people quaffing wine and keg cider. Which was probably why my Dartmoor was very so-so.
I suspect it turns into more of a village pub in the evenings, when I'd like it a lot more.
Lovely old building; wrong time to visit.
It was time for us to call it a weekend and head back to Oxfordshire.
I'll leave you with a picture of Broadhembury which was indeed a charming East Devon village...
That's some pretty grim seating. Is Mrs PropUptheBar technically called Mrs PUB in the great tradition of Mrs RM?
ReplyDeleteNope, I've checked and she insists on being Mrs PropUptheBar in full. More typing for me, but she's in charge of approving blog content, alongside finding hidden craft beer bars.
Delete