\u00a0<\/p>\n
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<\/a><\/div>\nAfter a brief, but pleasant journey over from Sevenoaks<\/b> rail I originally only planned on visiting two of Westerham\u2019s<\/b> I\u2019m pleased to report that despite my initial reservations, I found Not surprisingly, the King\u2019s Arms<\/b> has a real hotel feel to it, with reception From there I had a fine view of the bar. Siting parallel to me, 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. <\/b>Located just across the road, I can\u2019t really remember what it was like previously, but the The pub interior is It\u2019s now time to move on to the third pub, which is just a Upon According to Instead, it was a choice of the ubiquitous Harvey\u2019s Sussex Best,<\/b> or Gresham Hopper<\/a>,<\/b> a light and refreshing 3.4%<\/b> pale ale,
\nstation, the Go Coach No.1<\/b> bus service dropped me in the centre of Westerham<\/b>,
\nopposite the town green and its imposing statue of Winston Churchill.\u00a0 <\/span>Churchill<\/b> of course was probably the town\u2019s best-known
\nformer resident, and this impressive sculpture of Winston,<\/b> first revealed to the public in
\n1969<\/b>, depicts Churchill<\/b> in a rather thoughtful pose, with the absence of his trademark
\ncigar. Rather than standing, Britain\u2019s wartime PM<\/b> is
\nsitting (almost reclining), on a large block of white marble, that was donated
\nby Marshall Tito<\/b> and the people of Yugoslavia<\/b> \u2013 no doubt in thanks for assistance
\nrendered by Britain<\/b>, to their country, during WWII. <\/b><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nthree town centre pubs, but seeing as the bus stop was just a few steps away
\nfrom the King\u2019s Arms<\/b>, it seemed rude not to call in and see what the place was
\nlike. It had been more than a few years since I last set foot inside this imposing
\nlooking pub, as on a previous visit, with a group of friends, following a walk
\nover from nearby Crookham Hil<\/b>, we\u2019d only had time to call in at the George
\n& Dragon<\/b> plus the nearby Grasshopper on the Green.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nthe King\u2019s Arms<\/b> to be a pleasant and stylish hotel bar, which forms part of a large,
\nGeorgian<\/b> coaching inn. It is part of the Old English Inns<\/b> group and has been
\nwelcoming guests since 1700.<\/b> Its 17 <\/b>bedrooms are handy for those wishing to
\nspend a few days in the area, in order to visit the some of the nearby local
\nattractions such as Chartwell, Emmetts Gardens <\/b>and Quebec House.<\/b> There is a courtyard
\nterrace at the rear, which provides a peaceful environment away from the
\noften-busy High Street,<\/b> although not really appropriate in January.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\ndesk, plus restaurant to right of a central lobby, plus a large bar area to the
\nleft. With Greene King IPA<\/b> and Abbot <\/b>on tap \u2013 nice pint of Abbot<\/b> btw, I soon
\nfelt at home. The food offering looked good, but as I wrote about this in the previous post,<\/a><\/u><\/b> I shan\u2019t repeat myself here. I took my pint to rear of the room, which
\noverlooks the garden, but following my mantra of never sitting with one\u2019s back
\nto the action, I manoeuvred myself up on to the raised bench, designed to
\ncomplement the high \u201cposing tables.\u201d<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nbut a couple of tables to my left, were two middle-aged women, who were
\ndefinitely \u201cladies that lunch.\u201d<\/i><\/b> I wasn\u2019t ear-wigging but given their loud
\nvoices, I couldn\u2019t help hearing their conversation. This seemed to centre
\naround breast enlargements (boob jobs), and which of their circle\/close family
\nrelations had them, and which didn\u2019t. I presume they were talking about the
\nfemale members of their confidants, but who knows! I couldn\u2019t decipher either
\nwhether they personally were in favour of them or not, but perhaps large breasts
\nare a bit of a thing in Westerham,<\/b> as there\u2019s certainly plenty of money
\nfloating around the local area. <\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nand overlooking Market Square <\/b>at the town end of the green, the G&D <\/b>is
\nanother pub with plenty of history. Like its counterpart across the road, the pub has a lengthy frontage, and an equally impressive
\nheritage. Painted in a much lighter
\nshade of grey than the King’s Arms,<\/b> the G&D<\/b> dates from the 16th<\/sup> century,<\/b> but in early 2021<\/b> underwent
\na long period of refurbishment, before re-opening in July 2022. <\/b>It is operated
\nunder the Bel & the Dragon <\/b>brand, a small upmarket pub chain purchased by
\nFuller\u2019s <\/b>a few years previously.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\npub has a long and stretched out, interior with a raised section in the centre,
\nwhich is where the bar counter is situated. There are several smaller rooms and
\ndrinking areas leading off from either side of the bar, and it was to one of
\nthese secluded areas that I retired to, once I had bought my drink. London
\nPride, Oliver\u2019s Island<\/b> plus a guest ale from the local Westerham Brewery<\/b>, in
\nthe form of 500 Miles.<\/b> Billed as a Sassenach Heavy<\/b>, and also as an obvious
\ntribute to the Proclaimers,<\/b> this darkish beer is brewed as a Scottish Heavy<\/b>,
\nwith touches of roasted malt for both colour and body.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nreferred to as being in a colonial style, possibly a reference to the white
\npaint that coats much of the walls and ceilings, as well as the oak beams
\nsupporting the ceiling. \u00a0<\/span>There is a
\nconservatory restaurant, plus an attractive terraced area at the rear, and like
\nits neighbour opposite, the G&D<\/b> has a total of 13 rooms to let. Special
\nmention ought to be made of the Gentleman\u2019s<\/b> facilities, with the orange-themed d\u00e9cor,
\ngarish wallpaper, and obligatory, posh hand-wash \u2013 fragrance unknown, but not
\nunpleasant. <\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nshort hop away, from the G&D.<\/b> Enjoying an
\nenviable position, <\/span>the Grasshopper on the Green<\/b> is another inn with coaching connections,
\nalthough unlike the town\u2019s other pubs, accommodation is not available. The Grasshopper<\/b>
\nis considerably smaller than the other two as well, although somewhat unusually
\nin this day and age, it contains three separate bars.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nentering, I opted for the bar at the front of the pub, and to the right. There
\nseemed to be an identical bar to the left, plus a much larger one at the rear, running
\nacross the entire width of the building. Judging by the conversation and banter
\ncoming from that area, the bulk of the pub\u2019s customers seemed to be in that bar.
\nI didn\u2019t go exploring the other two bars, as there was no need, although a visit
\nto the Gents <\/b>may have been advisable before boarding the bus back to Sevenoaks.
\n<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nthe write-up on What Pub,<\/b> the three bars cater for a variety of clientele with
\nthe rear room housing a log fire and the Wolfe Bar<\/b> catering for customers
\nseeking live sports TV coverage. The latter must have been the one to the left,
\nas fortunately there was no televised sport spoiling my visit. Outdoor table
\nseating is available for \u201cpeople-watching\u201d<\/i><\/b> on the green or those desperate for
\na nicotine fix, whilst for those seeking solitude, the peaceful garden, at the
\nrear provides a welcome escape away from the tourists who flock to Westerham. <\/b>Late
\nJanuary<\/b> was far too cold to be sitting outside, and I was more than happy to
\nsat in the warmth of the cosy bar at the front. A
\ncomprehensive menu includes breakfast and light bites, and the first-floor
\nrestaurant provides additional dining space, but given the limited time-frame
\nbetween bus departures, I was only there for the beer \u2013 and it wasn\u2019t Double
\nDiamond!<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
\nfrom the rather unfortunately named, Titsey Brewery.<\/a><\/u><\/b> \u201cTitter ye not\u201d,<\/i><\/b> as the late
\nFrankie Howard <\/b>would have said, but for those who think I am continuing with
\nthe \u201cbosoms\u201d <\/i><\/b>theme, the brewery is named after the nearby Titsey Place<\/a><\/u><\/b>, which
\nis <\/span>one of the largest surviving historic estates in Surrey. <\/b>The Titsey Estate Company<\/b>, now own the brewery, which was originally
\nfounded as a one-man band microbrewery in 2017<\/b> by Craig Vroom. <\/b>Gresham Hopper<\/b> was a nice drop
\nof ale, and I remember, back in the summer, enjoying another Titsey beer \u2013
\nLeveson Buck.<\/b> In common with Westerham, <\/b><\/span>Titsey <\/span><\/b>Brewery,<\/b>\u00a0 have their own taproom which,
\nin their case, is located a<\/span>t the highest point of the North Downs Way, <\/b>with
\narguably some of the best views in Surrey.<\/b><\/p>\n