The Stockton Arms

There’s a great range of drinks here, and it’s a friendly pub. Sam was welcoming and pleasant, and kept things running efficiently behind the bar.

The rooms are really good, and make this a great comfortable stop if you’re just passing through. They don’t serve food, but they’ll give you cutlery for your takeaway, which is a thoughtful touch.

I slept well after the long drive up from London, but the stay didn’t feel worth the £120 I paid. The room itself was a decent size, though the furniture didn’t match and the roller blind was badly water stained. The electric shower was weak, and if you’re six feet tall you’ll struggle to fit under the rain head. The printed words on the glass panel looked tacky too. I was there on business because the Stockton Arms was near my client. At 4.05pm the front door was shut, so I had to walk around through the garden to reach the pub. Only one person was serving. He was friendly, but said he was on his own that day, and I waited while he helped other customers before taking me up to my room. The upstairs corridor had flock wallpaper, net curtains and chintz everywhere, like walking into your gran’s house. Room No3 had a cutaway around the door handle in the architrave, and dirty paintwork. I’d booked because the photo on booking.com looked nice. There was no food at the pub. I was told about a restaurant, but found a fish and chip shop when I walked down the road. In the morning the bar door was shut when I went for breakfast. The mobile number on my booking didn’t work, so I emailed the property and learned the breakfast room was on the same floor as the bedrooms. It carried on the chintz look, but was well stocked with a good continental selection. I can recommend the pub for a drink, but not the stay.

Since the new owner came in, a pint costs 40-50p more. Maybe they don’t know the area, but putting prices up that much just weeks after opening seems a lot. Goodbye to the old customers.