The Bell and Jorrocks, Frittenden - pub details
Address: Biddenden Rd, Frittenden, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 2EJ [map] [gmap]
Tel: 0871 951 1000 (ref 11829) - calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras
Headcorn (2.4 miles), Staplehurst (2.9 miles), Marden (4.9 miles)
Pub facilities/features:
- Sunday roast
Pub suggested by Gabby on 2 Aug 2004
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> Current user rating: 7.8/10 (rated by 17 users)
> Hotels nearby: Search
> Local guide: Kent pub guide
other pubs nearby:
Hop Bine Inn, Cranbrook (1.7 miles), Knoxbridge, Frittenden (1.7 miles), Three Chimneys, Biddenden (1.7 miles)
user reviews of the Bell and Jorrocks, Frittenden
please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
5 most recent reviews of 13 shown - see all reviews
| Dropped in here on the weekend for quick one, tidy little place. Unpretentious is the only word I can add to the worthy and wordy reviews below. A good friendly, hard working local where everyone was cheerfully getting on with the job in hand; having a decent pint, eating some straight forward tasty food and partaking in good chat. Billyfish - 26 May 2011 09:38 |
| Praise the Lord for a genuine English country pub - a dying species. The Landlord's family have .been here for 40 years. The pub is welcoming and not gastro. In other words, the menu is short, well cooked and interesting. The landlord is cheerful. The regulars actually talk to you. What a blessing. Well worth a detour. Romer romer1342 - 17 May 2011 00:12 |
| There is little in the way of honest and useful analysis that I can offer in addition to the review left on the 4th by my regular partner-in-quaff CJG, who has decided this time through a quirk of fantasy that only he can explain that my name should now be 'Thomas' as opposed to 'Telford'......... Anyway, esoterica aside, he is spot on with his comments here. The B & J is actually an earthy, working rural man's local, and the clientele plainly favour good solid choices on the cask ale front, with a few lagerites topping up the custom. Provided one does not come across as awkward and aloof in this rarefied drinker's den, one should not receive a bad welcome from the regulars, who were perfectly amenable when C and myself bowled up in shirts and jackets and shiny shoes and stood firm at the bar ordering beer with gusto. I had the Moorhouse's Blond (okay not exactly local but well-kepy nonetheless), while my oppo sampled the Dark Star Critical Mass - albeit by the half (bloody girl!). I noticed later on that a young couple turned up and seemed to be equally at ease with the atmos, so perhaps at different times the pub is home to a broader spread of punters. Incidentally, the pub is apparently an amalgam of 2 pubs in Frittenden, one called the Bell (housed here), and one called the John Jorrocks (which closed in 1969), named after a fictional 19th century cockney creation of the author RS Surtees. Those of the local hunting fraternity/sorority will be au fait with the character, as Jorrocks gives his name colloquially to the Old Surrey & Burstow and West Kent hunt. TWG - 12 Jan 2011 10:02 |
| A quick late afternoon visit to the B&J on the penultimate day of the last decade proved what previous reviewers have already said: this is a fine community pub which (thankfully) leans towards the wet trade. Notwithstanding that I was on the Dark Star Critical Mass - country pubs with good local support can stock strong dark beers - I remember that the bar was heaving with ale drinkers and a few younger lager types. The clientele seemed to be not the well to do sorts that dominate in many Wealden pubs but rather a good mix of farm workers and those enjoying a few days off before going back to work. The atmosphere was merry and myself any my erstwhile partner in pubbage Thomas Wikins Galbraith were made to feel most welcome. As for the pub itself, the interior has not been ponced up and retains a certain cosiness mixed with a welcome rougher edge - wearing wellies at the bar will not get you thrown out, rather you will fit in well. I suspect in the evening it attracts a slightly different set, after what (from the menu) looked like good well-priced fare. All in, an excellent pub which I am disappointed not to have visited before. CJG - 4 Jan 2011 10:50 |
I drive past this pub frequently, and know that it is “the” pub in the district, but haven’t been in for at least thirty years. However, today, on a foul Saturday lunchtime I had a bit of time on my hands, so I went in for a quick pint. I’m a dog lover, so was pleased to see a couple of attentive black dogs patrolling the bar. An L shaped bar: open fire one end,darts the other: I was very pleased to see a proper Kentish “black” dartboard-no trebles or outer bull.Quiet, as you might expect, given the weather, but it gradually filled up with groups and families.The food looks good and not too pricey. The beers were Harveys Best, Adnams Bitter and Black Sheep Best, together with various fizzy offerings. The collection of resting pump clips hinted at an interesting guest beer policy. I saw clips for various beers from DarkStar and Westerham, always a good sign in my book.The Harveys was on good form, and made me glad I live in England. The pub also doubles as the village Post Office, and plays an important role in this isolated community. 9/10 wittenden - 16 Jan 2010 15:57 |
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