Campaign for Real Pubs: The Farriers Arms

The Farriers Arms, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL3 4PT

A small two-roomed street-corner pub just off the city centre that is believed to be the only pub in St Albans that never stopped serving cask beer. For many years a McMullens’ tied house, it has now been sold into the free trade but continues to serve their AK and Country Bitter along with a couple of guest beers. Although the door between the two rooms has been removed, the interior looks little changed since the inter-war period, with a front public bar featuring a dartboard, and a rear saloon bar, both with extensive fixed seating backed with light wood.

WHAT ARE REAL PUBS?

Real pubs are pubs whose primary function is still the original core purpose of pubs – for people to meet and socialise over a few drinks.

They may serve food, and very good food at that, but they don’t allow it to dominate to the exclusion of all else. They’ll probably have a strong core of regular customers, but still make casual drinkers welcome. They may well serve a good drop of real ale, but won’t be full of beer bores droning on about hop varieties and IBUs.

In many parts of the country they’re getting very hard to find. In recent years, the smoking ban, beer duty hikes, the demonisation of “one-drink driving” and the general anti-alcohol climate have all had their effect, but such pubs do still survive if you know where to look and deserve to be celebrated.

Although in many ways they are a laudable organisation, this blog is not connected with and does not in any way represent the Campaign for Real Ale.

The inclusion of a pub does not necessarily reflect a recent visit by myself, although often it does.

Campaign for Real Pubs

The Farriers Arms

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