But I was intrigued that none of the Ripley pubs have ever graced the pages of the Good Beer Guide in the editions I’ve got from the last ten years. Some of the pubs must be doing something right as they can be obviously busy at times when I’ve driven through the village.

So given a fine summer Thursday evening and a friend and two bikes we went exploring.

Seven Stars

The first stop was the Seven Stars which is not in the centre of Ripley but about half a mile along the road towards Pyrford. It’s a large pub for such a remote location but a welcoming one. From the small real ale selection we chose the Hogs Back TEA. This favourite from the local-ish Hogs Back brewery was a recurring feature of pubs in Ripley as we were to discover.

Anyway the beer was in good condition and was enjoyed in the attractive garden behind the pub. I didn’t eat but my friend had a superb ham, eggs and chips. Overall a good experience and a pub to return to. I’d like to explore the food menu a bit more.

Talbot Inn

Once into the centre of Ripley we parked up the bikes and started at the Talbot Inn. The Talbot is right at the northern end of Ripley and is an old coaching inn. Apparently Nelson used to stay here too on his way to Portsmouth. The older parts of the inn have been extended with more modern dining areas and accommodation blocks.

As non-diners we weren’t really supposed to crash the patio immediately behind the pub but they lacked the will to shift us so we stayed. The Talbot may have a reputation for food (if you can afford it) but the Hogs Back TEA chosen from a conservative selection of beers was disappointing. Good job we were only drinking halves. We didn’t stay long.

Half Moon

Over the road to the Half Moon. We were practically the only customers on this Thursday evening – does it ever get busier? Full of interesting bric-a-brac felt welcoming – but empty. Bypassing the Courage Best we opted for Shere Drop from the local Surrey Hills brewery and it was not bad, but not the best pint of the night.

Anchor

After the Half Moon we strolled tp the southernmost pub in the centre of Ripley – The Anchor. But we quickly beat a hasty retreat when we realised all the handpumps were turned round. The pub looked interesting and I’ll explore another time when hopefully they’ll have some real ale on.

Ship

Last pub of the topur was the Ship – right in the centre of Ripley. Compared to the rather empty pubs we’d visited up to now the Ship seemed buzzing. Despite being strangers we were made to feel welcome by the barman and the Hog Back TEA (again) was actually very nice. Unfortunately evenings don’t last for ever so we couldn’t stay long but the Ship is definitely a pub I’d want to visit again.

Our Ripley cycle tour was a good evening and yielded a couple of good pubs – the Seven Stars for food and the Ship for best beer and atmosphere. Maybe we should have been in Ripley on a Friday night – perhaps the pubs would have been much busier. And it was good to see local beers (Hogs Back, Surrey Hills) present in amongst the more national brands.

Full reviews of these pubs will appear soon.

Ones We Missed

On the night we didn’t have time to visit the Jovial Sailor – a Chef and Brewer pub just south of Ripley. I’ve read lots of negative reviews about this place but they must be doing something right as the car park always seems to be full when I drive past. There is also the Saddlers Arms close by on Send Marsh.

The shop stocks the full range of current Hog’s Back beers on draught – including seasonals, and they are happy to provide you with takeaway containers in which to put it. I think the smallest size is 3.5 pints. As well as the draught beer, the shop also carries the full range of Hog’s Back bottled beers too, although some people may be disappointed to learn that the Hog’s Back beers on sale are no longer bottled conditioned.

The selection of beers doesn’t stop there – the shop also carries rows and rows of bottles from many other breweries too, including a good selection of belgian brews. But be warned – the prices for bottles are steep. However the draught beer is reasonably priced though.

If you’re a CAMRA member you can get a 5% discount off the Hog’s Back’s own draught and bottled beers on production of your membership card. For non-members they run a loyalty card scheme which gets you a discount once you’ve made a certain number of purchases.

The Hog’s Back Brewery and shop are situated just south of Tongham village – close to the A31 Hog’s Back.

Dispensary, Aldgate

The Dispensary is situated on the junction of Leman Street and Alie Street – just down the road from Aldgate East tube station. There used to be 3 pubs on this crossroads a few years ago. The Old Monk has now become a ‘gentlemans club’ and the Black Horse which reinvented itself as Bar Bed recently became a crime scene.

The Dispensary itself is enjoying a bit of a resurgence after having reopened some months ago. Prior to that it was closed for ages after a drastic decline in quality. It originally opened in 1998.

On the beer front, the Dispensary is now the local CAMRA group’s Pub of the Year, so you’d expect something special. I started with Hog’s Back HBB – refreshing and tasty, but I preferred the Nethergate Umbel which is a fruity, floral beer but slightly bitter. I know not everyone likes beer like this, but I do.

Lunch at the Dispensary, Aldgate

If you’re eating here and ordering from the menu make sure your bank balance is healthy. I chose the steak burger – almost the cheapest item on the main course menu at £9.50. But it was superb – cooked slightly rare, how I like it. And I was cetainly full up when I finished it.

The Dispensary is very much geared up like a restaurant at lunchtimes – you’re shown to a table and the order is taken from the table.

I was going to say that I’d be unlikely to eat there again given the prices but during a conversation with Annie who runs the pub she told me that they do offer Beer and Baguette lunches for £5, and Beer and Ploughmans for £9.50. I’ll certainly be back to try those.

I did pop back today for an excellent pint of Harvey’s Best which they usually stock. Dark Star Hophead is another regular apparently.

The Dispensary has a website.

And you can read a more recent review of the Dispensary here.

The Old Vine

The Old Vine, Winchester

Having met my friend at the station we headed straight over to the Old Vine in Great Minster Street opposite the cathedral.

I occasionally used to visit the Old Vine when I lived in Winchester 20 years ago and it was very popular. But it got a lot less attractive over the years – descending into an awful chain pub format.

I was alerted that things had changed for the better at the Old Vine through the reviews on Beer in the Evening and I returned earlier in the year to investigate.

The interior of the Old Vine has been extensively refurbished and the pub is now split into two halves – a restaurant side and a pub side.

The Old Vine, Winchester - Good real ale selection on the bar

The restaurant seems very busy but I’ve not actually eaten here – I’ve just focussed on the pub side which was also very busy on our Wednesday evening trip.

The Timothy Taylor Landlord seems to be a permanent fixture, but on this occasion I had the Summer Ale from the Hog’s Back Brewery) – quite a dark and malty beer for a summer drink but tasty nevertheless.

We had a few more pubs to do so didn’t stay for more than one.

The Green Man

The Green Man on Southgate Street is another pub that has resurrected itself after some time in the wilderness. Even the barman at the Hyde Tavern couldn’t believe it was actually worth going to these days. But it’s definitely worth the short walk away from the centre.

The interior is very atractive with wood everywhere and a beautiful green tiled fireplace in the side wall. There’s even a skittle alley out the back but I’ve never tried it.

The Green man is a Greene King pub but you wouldn’t believe that from the usual selection of real ales. On my previous trip in March I think GK IPA on gravity was the only GK beer available.

Well Geoff and I had a shock waiting for us as the pub was closed – due to electrical problems – or so the sign said. That was a real shame as I could see that one of the handpumps was for Bowman’s Swift One – one of my favourite beers.

Thwarted, we had to head down the hill to the Wykeham Arms – one of the more famous and historic pubs in Winchester.

The write-up continues here.

Read about the pubs we got to:

• An Evening in Winchester Part 1 – Albion, King Alfred, Hyde Tavern
• An Evening in Winchester Part 3 – Wykeham Arms
• An Evening in Winchester Part 4 – Black Boy

And the ones we didn’t get to:

• Other Winchester Gems