please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Get in there and try a pint (or two) of Alton Pride.....Champion Beer Of Britain 2008! Failing that maybe one of the several other fine brews on offer. Generous seating at rear and back coupled with friendly staff and a relaxed ambiance equates to a must visit pub. Well done to all involved.
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Popped in for a quick one after the triple fff brewery opening ceremony and had a wonderful Dark Star Over the Moon. Friendly pub, well-kept ale and near the station.
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After being suitably impressed by Moondance a while back, I decided to google Triple fff brewery and head for the source, and the Railway Arms is certainly the place to enjoy their marvellous product. fff Alton’s Pride, Moondance, Hallelujah, Pressed Rat & Warthog, Stairway, also Dark Star Old Ale & Addlestones ‘Cloudy’ on handpump. An early visit and beers were drawn thru & inspected before serving, the best indication of proper care. The hop adorned horsehoe bar is surrounded by barstools & will no doubt be a focal gathering point for returning train travellers, post work. Some breweriana (watneys barrel hangs from ceiling), various old bottles & advertising plaques, ‘Spratts Ovals’ the best small-dog biscuit! I love the picture to the right of the main bank of pumps – 3 old boys enjoying a drink at the bar in a former, rather simpler & preferable era. Larger room to the rear with plenty of seating plus a dartboard &, beyond this, an outdoor area with picnic sets; a virtually illegible note from my later rtn (hic!) suggests a covered pergola or summer-house construction(?). Small outdoor seating area at the front below a flowered post carrying barrel-bearers on a plinth. Notices advertise local breweries ‘fest at Medstead Green (5m) 12July, & Vic’s Buskers open mic nt, 29Jul. Staff were still ensuring beer quality when I returned late afternoon, great stuff!
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An excellent pub, good friendly service and great selection of Triple fff and other beers. An ideal start to the Watercress Line's RAT (Real Ale Train). Highly recommended.
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A lovely way to finish a trip on the watercress line with a couple (or four)very nice pints before Ale. Fantastic.
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Now refurbed with another bar area oot the back.....lovely job. Normally 6 real ales on (four Triple fff brews plus 2 guests?) Bitburger and Fruli for the 'fruitheads'. Happy days
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Excellent drinkers pub with a beer for everyone, and lovely, cloudy Addlestones cider. Highly recommended.
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I would fully endorse the comments below. The pub has real charm, and the real ales are very reasonably priced. When I visited yesterday the conservatory was being rebuilt, but it looks as if it will be really nice once it has been. Friendly staff and locals.
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Like other reviwers, I looked at the Railway opposite and would have entered if it had been open but fortunately I happened to look across and see the Railway Arms and I'm glad that I did. Heavily modernised with loads of pinewood panelling. This might sound offputting but in fact this pub encourages one to linger. Perhaps its the hops surrounding the servery or the beer range (TripleFFF and guest in excellent condition) but with the preserved Mid-Hants railway Watercress Line 200 yards away, it could prove irresistable.
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Excellent pub. All the Triple FFF beers plus guests, welcoming and efficient service even when busy.
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An agreeable place to sink a few of the Triple FF breweries wares.
Worse for wear during my brief visit, but did enjoy the train bursting forth from the pubs frontage.
Definately worth a stop, especially if boarding the Real Ale Train!
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I was confused with the pub over the road as well! But the Railway Arms turned out to be a bustling and friendly locals pub with a good selection of Triple fff beers and a guest from the Surrey Hills brewery. Very efficient barmaid and well kept beers and very handy for the station.
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Am I right in thinking the beer festival was held around here? Very confusing as there is also a place called The Railway just opposite.
Very wide range of beers, mainly triple fff (this has nothing to do with the professional wrestler Triple H. It is a brewery based in Hampshire). If you're a smoker, probably best to bring your own tobacco though as the cigarette machine doesn't provide change
Will2 - 21 Feb 2007 17:58 |
Great pub. The beer range is excellent. All sorts of interesting ales to try, the scenery and general entertainment of this pub make it well worth visiting. It even has a special room out the back but we never tried there in the end. 10/10
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Superb pub; had a few "Rock Lobster's" at Christmas. Left in a mellow mood. Great place to wait for a train, although I missed one!
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Very crowded in the bar area when we visited (midweek but just before Christmas) but the non-smoking room out the back was a nice surprise - big sofas and plenty of space. Great beer!
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Stream trains and brilliant ales within a whistle away from each other. Never had any Triple F beers before, but having tried Moondance I'll be back for more.
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I don't know what you mean by 'lack of a quality ale', there are several and a mild (Pressed Rat and Warthog) to choose from. This is an excellent little pub that escapes being the nearest pub to the station by the proximity of the 'Railway'.
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Visited here at end of March. Beers excellent (as they always seem to be when I come here). They now have a new convert from Manchster who was with me. Could have stayed all day, and nearly did.
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i was really surprised by the general lack of a real quality ale, i dunno about anyone else but i have ventured up to the gentleman jim in recent weeks and i gotta say i might get a bit of stick from the bar staff but if your in for banter and u can take it so can they! very reasonable price's aswell! i definatly give it a go
anonymous - 16 Mar 2006 14:16 |
this is another easy going pub, a lot of the time, decent ale, if you enjoy FFF beers (go for teh stronger ales they have a better taste.)
again worth a visit, for a quiet one anyways.
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We visited this pub purely by chance on Monday (5th September) and loved it - the staff were very friendly and the beer very good.
Unfortunately we only had time to stay for one pint (Moondance), but that tasted great to me.
It was pretty full for a Monday night, mostly younger people.
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Oh dear. We visited the Railway 10 months ago and all was well - excellent beers and all well kept. But our visit this week was extremely disappointing, and things have evidently been allowed to slide. Of the three pints ordered, two (different barrels) were off. The FFF brewery really do need to pull their socks up.
More disconcecting has been the pub's marketing of itself as having the lowest local prices. While this might seem quite nice - £1.90/pint anyone? - it's had a disastrous effect on the clientele. in the same manner as Wetherspoons, it now attracts anyone who wants to get pissed for the least money, and encourages others to over indulge. On our visit, there was an aggressive and violent 'regular' with a dog he clearly mistreated. Think hard before paying a visit. The French Horn up the road is much better.
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Visited last weekend. The staff were friendly and efficient, the regulars were cool too.
The beers were FANTASTIC - very well kept, obviously their landlord/cellarman knows his beers. My favourite was the 'Moondance' - light, with a good hoppy flavour. The cider was above par too - I'd certainly travel the 40 miles or so to Alton just to drink in this pub!
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This Pub is fantastic. Even for a small place its got a really big atmosphere- real friendly. A good place for real ale, as it has a good selection. It also has a cosy beer garden which is good for sitting in the summer months, and at an arms length from the train station- a convinient place to go after/before a long train journey. The train sticking out the wall and the dildo on the toilet pullchain also gives the place a unique feel to it. Good stuff.
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This pub is an absolute gem. I visited after riding the Watercress Line last Saturday (20/11/04) and can vouch for its friendly hospitality, convivial buzzing atmosphere and above all its excellent Triple fff range of beers.
The Railway Arms is visible from Alton station, and it is worth visiting Alton for the pub alone. Try Alton Pride and Moondance, you will not be disappointed.
Another recommendation, if you are doing the Watercress line, do it first. The earlier journey (beginning 1930) allows time for a couple of pints in the Railway Arms afterwards! I thoroughly enjoyed my visit.
Recommended, 10/10.
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I have heard a lot of stories about the quality of the real ales in this pub. Sounds quite good.
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Its a real ale pub owned by the brewery in the village of fourmarks. Nice atmosphere and good ales with nice prices for the town.
Sean kellie - 26 Sep 2003 18:55 |
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