The Old Bell

The Old Bell used to be a lovely country pub, but since the new ownership it's become cold and uninviting. When we arrived, the landlady sat in front of the bar without acknowledging us. Later, the bar was left unattended for more than five minutes while customers waited for drinks and staff went out front to smoke. I also saw someone spit in the car park. We paid £11.30 for a Guinness and a pint of lemonade, which felt extortionate. The landlady told off a staff member in front of us while we were having a drink. The TVs showed football on BBC iPlayer, which kept cutting out and losing connection. I'm not sure whether that breaches any licensing rules, or if they have the right licence at all. There were no menus out to indicate they serve food. In the ladies' toilet, a dirty pink rag had been left on the sink. The tables were sticky and covered in ring marks, with no coasters. They served another tinned beer in branded Guinness glasses, and it's not a good look to have staff standing at the bar with a cigarette behind their ear. A very disappointing visit.