Westerham re-visted - Part Two

 

After a brief, but pleasant journey over from Sevenoaks rail station, the Go Coach No.1 bus service dropped me in the centre of Westerham, opposite the town green and its imposing statue of Winston Churchill.  Churchill of course was probably the town’s best-known former resident, and this impressive sculpture of Winston, first revealed to the public in 1969, depicts Churchill in a rather thoughtful pose, with the absence of his trademark cigar. Rather than standing, Britain’s wartime PM is sitting (almost reclining), on a large block of white marble, that was donated by Marshall Tito and the people of Yugoslavia – no doubt in thanks for assistance rendered by Britain, to their country, during WWII.

I originally only planned on visiting two of Westerham’s three town centre pubs, but seeing as the bus stop was just a few steps away from the King’s Arms, it seemed rude not to call in and see what the place was like. It had been more than a few years since I last set foot inside this imposing looking pub, as on a previous visit, with a group of friends, following a walk over from nearby Crookham Hil, we’d only had time to call in at the George & Dragon plus the nearby Grasshopper on the Green.

I’m pleased to report that despite my initial reservations, I found the King’s Arms to be a pleasant and stylish hotel bar, which forms part of a large, Georgian coaching inn. It is part of the Old English Inns group and has been welcoming guests since 1700. Its 17 bedrooms are handy for those wishing to spend a few days in the area, in order to visit the some of the nearby local attractions such as Chartwell, Emmetts Gardens and Quebec House. There is a courtyard terrace at the rear, which provides a peaceful environment away from the often-busy High Street, although not really appropriate in January.

Not surprisingly, the King’s Arms has a real hotel feel to it, with reception desk, plus restaurant to right of a central lobby, plus a large bar area to the left. With Greene King IPA and Abbot on tap – nice pint of Abbot btw, I soon felt at home. The food offering looked good, but as I wrote about this in the previous post, I shan’t repeat myself here. I took my pint to rear of the room, which overlooks the garden, but following my mantra of never sitting with one’s back to the action, I manoeuvred myself up on to the raised bench, designed to complement the high “posing tables.” 

From there I had a fine view of the bar. Siting parallel to me, but a couple of tables to my left, were two middle-aged women, who were definitely “ladies that lunch.” I wasn’t ear-wigging but given their loud voices, I couldn’t help hearing their conversation. This seemed to centre around breast enlargements (boob jobs), and which of their circle/close family relations had them, and which didn’t. I presume they were talking about the female members of their confidants, but who knows! I couldn’t decipher either whether they personally were in favour of them or not, but perhaps large breasts are a bit of a thing in Westerham, as there’s certainly plenty of money floating around the local area.

Time to move on, and to something rather more sedate, and less intrusive than boob jobs, I upped sticks and headed for the George & Dragon. Located just across the road, and overlooking Market Square at the town end of the green, the G&D is another pub with plenty of history. Like its counterpart across the road, the pub has a lengthy frontage, and an equally impressive heritage. Painted in a much lighter shade of grey than the King's Arms, the G&D dates from the 16^th century, but in early 2021 underwent a long period of refurbishment, before re-opening in July 2022. It is operated under the Bel & the Dragon brand, a small upmarket pub chain purchased by Fuller’s a few years previously.

I can’t really remember what it was like previously, but the pub has a long and stretched out, interior with a raised section in the centre, which is where the bar counter is situated. There are several smaller rooms and drinking areas leading off from either side of the bar, and it was to one of these secluded areas that I retired to, once I had bought my drink. London Pride, Oliver’s Island plus a guest ale from the local Westerham Brewery, in the form of 500 Miles. Billed as a Sassenach Heavy, and also as an obvious tribute to the Proclaimers, this darkish beer is brewed as a Scottish Heavy, with touches of roasted malt for both colour and body. 

The pub interior is referred to as being in a colonial style, possibly a reference to the white paint that coats much of the walls and ceilings, as well as the oak beams supporting the ceiling.  There is a conservatory restaurant, plus an attractive terraced area at the rear, and like its neighbour opposite, the G&D has a total of 13 rooms to let. Special mention ought to be made of the Gentleman’s facilities, with the orange-themed décor, garish wallpaper, and obligatory, posh hand-wash – fragrance unknown, but not unpleasant.

It’s now time to move on to the third pub, which is just a short hop away, from the G&D. Enjoying an enviable position, the Grasshopper on the Green is another inn with coaching connections, although unlike the town’s other pubs, accommodation is not available. The Grasshopper is considerably smaller than the other two as well, although somewhat unusually in this day and age, it contains three separate bars. 

Upon entering, I opted for the bar at the front of the pub, and to the right. There seemed to be an identical bar to the left, plus a much larger one at the rear, running across the entire width of the building. Judging by the conversation and banter coming from that area, the bulk of the pub’s customers seemed to be in that bar. I didn’t go exploring the other two bars, as there was no need, although a visit to the Gents may have been advisable before boarding the bus back to Sevenoaks.

According to the write-up on What Pub, the three bars cater for a variety of clientele with the rear room housing a log fire and the Wolfe Bar catering for customers seeking live sports TV coverage. The latter must have been the one to the left, as fortunately there was no televised sport spoiling my visit. Outdoor table seating is available for “people-watching” on the green or those desperate for a nicotine fix, whilst for those seeking solitude, the peaceful garden, at the rear provides a welcome escape away from the tourists who flock to Westerham. Late January was far too cold to be sitting outside, and I was more than happy to sat in the warmth of the cosy bar at the front. A comprehensive menu includes breakfast and light bites, and the first-floor restaurant provides additional dining space, but given the limited time-frame between bus departures, I was only there for the beer – and it wasn’t Double Diamond! 

Instead, it was a choice of the ubiquitous Harvey’s Sussex Best, or Gresham Hopper, a light and refreshing 3.4% pale ale, from the rather unfortunately named, Titsey Brewery. “Titter ye not”, as the late Frankie Howard would have said, but for those who think I am continuing with the “bosoms” theme, the brewery is named after the nearby Titsey Place, which is one of the largest surviving historic estates in Surrey. The Titsey Estate Company, now own the brewery, which was originally founded as a one-man band microbrewery in 2017 by Craig Vroom. Gresham Hopper was a nice drop of ale, and I remember, back in the summer, enjoying another Titsey beer – Leveson Buck. In common with Westerham, Titsey Brewery,  have their own taproom which, in their case, is located at the highest point of the North Downs Way, with arguably some of the best views in Surrey.

As mentioned earlier, I had a bus to catch, and it was one I didn’t want to miss, as that would mean a two hour wait until the next one. In common with most of the other local bus companies, Go Coach vehicles are engaged on the busy school run, between 3 & 5 pm, ferrying hordes of lively school kids, back from their place of learning, to points closer to home. My bus arrived on time, and dropped me off opposite Sevenoaks station, where fortunately the toilets were open, rather than locked. These points are important, once one reaches a certain age. Westerham, is well worth exploring further, and come the summer, I intend combining a bus trip, with a walk across the fields, in order to take in a visit to Westerham Brewery.