Review

The Bath Arms was originally opened in 1864 as the “True Briton Eating and Beer House” and claims to be the original licensed premises in The Lanes. In 1868 it became The Bath Arms. You get the impression that its philosophy has changed little since its original incarnation; it’s now a T & J Bernard Pub whose promise is “Tradition, Heritage & Authenticity”.

Inside it’s a lot bigger than you’d expect from its corner position in The Lanes. The main bar area features a wooden floor, covered with a couple of large rugs that are remarkably free of beer stains, a selection of old wooden tables and chairs, some well worn curtains, a large open fire and even an old upright piano. On the walls are a number of old pictures and cartoons, some decorative plates and other pieces of seemingly random crockery that often appear in the more traditional British pubs. The area at the back of the pub is slightly more secluded and the furniture almost luxurious compared to that at the front.

An unusual feature, found at a table by the bar, is a selection of board games for those drinkers in need of some additional entertainment. A pub seems like a strange place to find games such as Scrabble, which require a certain amount of mental dexterity, but they say everything about this pub; it’s a quiet place to come for a pint and get away from the busy streets and the bustle of life outside. There’s even a selection of books to read, and if you can’t finish an entire novel in one sitting you have the option to buy the book for just 50p. That’s not to say The Bath Arms resembles a library, its location ensures there’s always life in the place. But the books and games are about the only form of entertainment on offer; there’s no Sky Sports, quiz machine or jukebox.

Where The Bath Arms excels is in being a traditional pub and doing what traditional pubs should do, which is serve a range of beers. Above the bar is a vast collection of beer mats, each one of them a Real Ale that has at some point been served in The Bath Arms. Looking at the stickers on the window, it’s evident that a favourite is Bombardier, advertised as “A Really Rather English Ale”, a good line, though not as good as the very non-politically correct line that was purportedly used to advertise Spitfire: “Downed all over The Home Counties, just like the Luftwaffe.”

Review by AJS