Some good news to brighten up your Monday morning. The
Greyhound at Charcott, which was closed back in January by owner Enterprise Inns and earmarked
for conversion to a private dwelling, re-opened for drinkers on Saturday
afternoon.
Regular followers of this blog will be aware that the pub
had been bought from Enterprise, by
local couple Richard and Fran Gilliat-Smith back in April. The pair have spent the last 3
months carrying out an extensive refurbishment, and in some cases a
restoration, following years of only basic maintenance by both Enterprise
and previous owners, Whitbread.
Most days, my regular lunchtime walk takes me past the
Greyhound, and judging by the number of builders skips outside the pub, plus the number
of different tradesmen’s vans, it was fairly evident that the refurbishment was
going to be very thorough.
On Sunday my son and I walked over to see for ourselves. We
caught the train from Tonbridge to Leigh; calling in at the village shop to
pick up a few bites to eat on the way. The Greyhound is only open for drinks at
the moment, as further work is still required on the kitchen. Richard and Fran
plan on having the kitchen open by the middle of next month, once the work is
complete and they have found a suitable chef.
Our walk took us through Leigh churchyard, from where we
picked up the path which skirts the perimeter of the Hall
Place estate. Unfortunately, as the path turned
into an area of woodland, we found the massive trunk of a recently fallen oak
tree blocking the way. With a fence on the one side, and dense undergrowth on
the other, we were forced to make a
detour, but with the aid of an OS
Explorer Map, this was not a problem, and some 90 minutes after leaving Leigh, we
found ourselves in Charcott.
We were both looking forward to a pint when we reached the
Greyhound, and after stopping briefly to say hello to friends Jon and Claire
who were sitting outside, entered the pub. I must say the new owners have done
an excellent job on the place; the bar counter and floorboards have been
stripped back to reveal the natural wood, whilst the walls have been painted
white, above a lower half of pale blue. The Greyhound always had a bright and
airy feel to it, and the colour scheme has really enhanced this.
To tempt us there were three cask ales on the bar, in the
form of Larkin’s Traditional, Tonbridge Blonde Ambition alongside Dark Star
American Pale. I opted for the latter, whilst son Matt was tempted by a pint of
the recently re-launched Hofmeister. The 21st Century version is a
far cry from the ersatz lager brewed by Courage back in the early 1980’s.
Brewed at an unnamed brewery in the heart of Bavaria,
using natural mineral water and locally grown barley and hops, the new
Hofmeister Helles Lager is a vast improvement on its 80’s namesake. Matt is too
young to remember the original, but I am not, and after trying the beer for
myself, pronounced it genuinely Bavarian.
Quirky! |
We took our drinks outside, and sat down with our friends.
There was a good churn of customers, with the numbers slowly increasing as the
afternoon wore on. Being a country pub, the Greyhound is dog-friendly, which
was just as well when several people pitched up with their hounds in tow.
The garden at the side also appeared popular with families,
and when landlord Richard, fired up the barbecue, there were hot dogs and
burgers for all who wanted them; on the house!
The secluded side-garden |
Our friends departed shortly before 3pm,
but Matt and I stayed for another. This gave me a chance to try out the rather
quirky gents toilets, with the urinals fabricated out of converted milk churns.
I also managed a brief chat with Fran, who was obviously pleased with the way
the pub has been received during its first couple of days being open. She
remarked that I’d now be able to pop in for a drink at lunchtime, instead of
furtively peering through the window.
Just before we departed, we were joined at our table by the
couple who run the nearby bed-and-breakfast establishment at Charcott Farmhouse.
They were really pleased that the Greyhound has re-opened, as not only does it
mean they have their local back again, but as soon as the kitchen reopens, they
have somewhere close by to recommend their to guests for an evening meal, or
simply just a few pints of locally-brewed beer.
I am also pleased to see the Greyhound open once more, and
I’m certain it will do well under its new owners. The only thing is I might
have to vary the route of my lunchtime walk, otherwise the pub could prove a
trifle too tempting!
2 comments:
New style urinals seem the be the current fad. I have seen some that were converted from kegs. Quite tasteful. Not sure I need it, but it is kind of funny.
A bit gimmicky I grant you Dave, and I also wonder how easy they are to clean, but on the other hand, a talking point as well.
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