Colnbrook
Colnbrook is a partially picturesque village nestling between the M25 and the M4, 'neath Heathrow's sunny skies. At night, after the flights stop, it gets so quiet you can hear the motorways.But it does have a load of good points: there's a medieval palace, an ancient water meadow, a conservation area and it's where Cox's Orange Pippin was first grown.
Until the 1930's brought the Colnbrook Bypass, our High Street was the main road from London to Bath and Bristol. Which explains the large numbers of pubs and ex pubs along what used to be the mailcoach route. What it doesn't explain is why it is so difficult to get a decent pint in any of them. Most of them are picturesque and genuinely steeped in history which is great: such a shame that the quality of the beer doesn't match the quality of the image.
| Pub |
Location |
Pic |
Comment |
| Star & Garter |
Colnbrook |
 |
Dates back to 15-something. The carpets may be of a similar vintage. When the Pride is poured, you can hear the clicking of a badly-set cask breather in the cellar. This should be a jewel of a little local boozer and if they changed the carpets, furniture, cleanliness and, above all, standards of cellar-keeping, it could be. |
| Ye Olde George |
Colnbrook |
 |
Kestrel Inns should be ashamed of what they did to this historic coaching inn. Prince Rupert and his troopers drank the place dry during the Civil War. So trying to refurb it as a wine bar with new pale wood panels and a shiny trendy floor was not exactly sympathetic or caring. Best thing to say about the Pride is that it is generally not quite as bad as the Star. |
| The Ostrich |
Colnbrook |
 |
England's third oldest inn, dating back to 1103. The Pride is relatively improved of late and even reaches as high as distinclty average. As with the other Colnbrook underperformers, there is the "click-click-click" of a cask breather everytime the pint is pulled along with the concomitant metallic tang of pressurised CO2 on the palate.
The recent change of ownership to an investment company has improved the food no end. Shame they can't take the same care of the beer.
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| The Queen's Arms (aka The Crown) |
Colnbrook |
 |
Proudly announced new management early 2006, great hopes were raised - and rapidly dashed. Walked in, checked the pumps, only Greene King IPA on offer.
The barperson took one pull and out came clear water. She looked at what she had done and then filled the glass! Why? Good grief.
And then, without a word being spoken - no "sorry" or explanation or alternative - she just sadly shook her head. I walked out and would recommend you do too. Why do they bother? |
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