The Butchers Arms Freehouse

The accommodation was cold, rough and unwelcoming from the start. We weren’t allowed to check in until 5pm, so had to hang around all day. The walk to the unit, which really does feel like a unit, was dark, slippery and uneven, dangerously difficult if you’re unsteady on your feet or using a wheelchair or pushchair. In the morning, we could see a bleak patch of lawn and a bench. The place reminded me of a hop pickers’ cabin. It was bitterly cold, with just a plug-in radiator that hadn’t been switched on beforehand. The beds rattled and were awful, there were no extra blankets, and the thin bedding wasn’t warm enough. I was freezing all night and had to put my coat over the bedclothes. There weren’t enough sockets for chargers or computers, and the bathroom had no heat and was icy. It was reasonably clean, but everything felt shabby. It looked like the whole unit had been kitted out from Wilkos before it went bust. The pub itself could be beautiful, but it’s tired and scruffy. When we went for a drink, there were only three other people there and no atmosphere. The barmaid seemed totally inexperienced and didn’t understand my request for ‘full fat tonic’ in a G & T. It came without ice or lemon. I know that’s picky, but it added to the poor customer service. The landlord was friendly enough when he came to chat, though seeing his egg-stained jumper should have been a warning. Breakfast the next morning was the final straw. The landlord was still wearing the same egg-stained jumper, and the sausages were most definitely off. They smelled of rancid pork and were disgusting and inedible. The land lady tried to say they were posh sausages from the butcher. It seemed to me she’d kept them in the fridge too long, or couldn’t smell them, or thought we’d believe her. She apologized but didn’t offer a reduced price or any compensation. “The lady doth protest too much” came to mind. We declined breakfast the next day because we didn’t want to risk food poisoning. Again, there was no mention of money off. This accommodation wasn’t cheap. The following weekend we paid a similar price for a warm, well-decorated place with a beautiful bathroom and kitchen two minutes up the road. I’d strongly advise people to avoid this pub and accommodation. The people running it don’t seem up to the job or to understand how to run a successful pub or B&B. They only open a couple of days a week, so I suspect they won’t continue long term.