Salisbury Arms, Shirley

Greene King pub serving Speckled Hen and the Greene King house ale badged as The Salisbury Arms. Square island bar around which the aging locals sit and chat with the redoubtable bar maid holding court and banning tramps and touts who wander in.

Greene King's house ale, known internally as
"Landlord's Choice", pubs can sell it under
their own name and badge.

The local Camera branch champion this pub. The place has little to offer non locals, it's a little care worn, there is no food, and a limited beer choice, but I can understand the  fondness. I enjoyed my time there. Good banter and a friendly atmosphere. However, it's not a pub I'd recommend. 


Date: Oct 2016   Score: 5 

    

 

Place has been refurbished. Still popular with the older locals, many of whom pop along to smoke in an inner courtyard with the door left open so smoke drifts into all parts of the single room pub. All cask beers and pumps have been removed.

Decent Guinness

 
Several everyday keg lagers and a Guinness. It's an elderly locals place. Down to earth and cosy.

   

The central bar

I like it, though it's not a place I'm tempted to visit again soon because of the lack of decent or interesting beer, lack of food, and the presence of cigarette smoke. Which is a shame, as the ambience was relaxed, and the people were friendly and laid back.  

Now owned by Proper Pubs. 

Date Aug 2024. Score: 4


126 Shirley High Street
Shirley
SO16 4EZ


* WhatPub 

• Pubs in Shirley

Greene King pubs in Southampton

The Talisman, Swanwick

A former strawberry barn, this Badger pub is full of character and charm. Well kept and well run this is a restaurant pub that also has plenty of room for those who simply want a drink. I like that there is a formal restaurant area in conjunction with the large and welcoming family pub area. The choice is yours. You can also eat in the pub area, where you can have a simple dish of cheesy chips or other various sharers as well as a full meal with desert. The ambience is relaxed and refined, so may not suit those looking for something more upbeat or loud. The rooms appear to have themes, such as the racing car theme in the room in which we sat. In another room there is a large mural of women picking strawberries. The strawberry connection is found in various little things around the pub, like a mural of The Beatles on the outside ("Strawberry Fields Forever"). The pub itself is named after the talisman strawberry which grew in the area. Service is excellent - polite, professional and quick. There was a choice of three Badger ales.  Large outdoors seating area at the back, and a very large car park. We liked this place. We liked the ambience, the beer, and the food. And it was good value.

Relaxed and refined ambience

Some history of the local strawberry fields

Date: Oct 2016    Score: 7


Badger / Hall & Woodhouse

3 Bridge Road
Park Gate
SO31 7GD

Open: 10am - 11pm 

Food: 12 - 9pm

Child friendly 

Pub website
WhatPub 
BITE
Trip Advisor

Grove Tavern, Woolston (Closed)

Large 1920s/1930s "roadhouse" pub, built at the same time as the neighbouring estate. Large beer garden, and two bars. It's a little too large these days, but manages to keep itself going, and has recently been redecorated. The car park space out front is popular with the locals as there are parking restrictions in the area. Serves at least one cask ale. I've only been in once. It was OK, and it would be interesting to go back on a weekend with the family, but there's something about the place that doesn't grab me. On my visit only the smaller public bar was open. There were several seats in the corners, all occupied, and a large empty space in the middle of the room. It felt sparse and unwelcoming. I tried chatting, but nobody was interested in keeping up a conversation with me.

Date:  Sept 2016  Score: 4 

***

Just had a flyer through the door with news that there is an application at the council to demolish the pub and build houses. Even though I go past most days, I hadn't realised the place had been closed since March. I also just found out that CAMRA have it listed as having a regionally interesting historic interior.

May 2017

***

The place is not yet closed. They are struggling on. Showing big football matches on sports TV. 

July 2017 

***

Definitely closed now. Demolition fence is up. A lot of people in Swift Road have now lost their parking space!

Sept 2017 

Nov 2017 



68-70 Swift Road
SO19 9FN


* WhatPub
* FaceBook 

Pubs in Woolston

Ship Inn, Woolston (Closed)

When we arrived in 2014 the Ship Inn was closed., It appears to have been a Punch Taverns pub that closed at some point in 2012, and had been for sale since then. It appears to be a converted Victorian house- with a single story extending out to create bar space. It has been a pub since at least 1907.

A young Polish couple took it over in early 2015. It looked promising - they had inviting signs in the window which indicated they were doing meals all day, and were child friendly. I paid a visit, and had a meal. The place was clean and tidy with an open fire, and the food was nicely cooked, if a little pricey for pub grub. There was, however, no cask ales. And no other customers. And it was a little sparse and echoing. It needed bedding in. It needed an atmosphere. It needed something to pull in the customers. It needed decent beer. I wanted the place to do well, but with no beers I felt comfortable drinking, no bargain foods, nothing for children to do, I couldn't see myself going back. And I didn't. After a few months signs were up saying "Under New Management". There was a heavy emphasis on cheap all day foods, and lots of attractive offers. But still no cask beers, or beers I wanted to drink. So nothing to attract me, but it got customers from the nearby social housing. Just after Christmas 2016 the place looked closed.

It has remained closed since, though as as July 2017, there have been people going in, and clearing up. Unsure what is to happen, but I did see a case of drinks being taken in last week.....

As of October 2017 there hasn't been much development, but occasionally builders are in there. Unclear what they are doing. Some internal changes by the looks of things.


Ship Inn - Victoria Road  SO19 9DZ  - Ind - Children - Meals
10-11 Mon-Sat; 12-11 Sun


*  WhatPub
* FaceBook 
* Ship Inn

Pubs in Woolston

Victoria, Woolston

Pub that seems to have a number of variations on its name - I've seen Victoria Inn, Victoria Hotel, The Victoria, and simply Victoria - which seems to be its current name. It appears to have been converted from two or three cottages that stood on the boundary of what became the Thornycroft ship building factory. It's a little scruffy and off-putting on the outside. I've only been in once, though intend to go back for another look pretty soon.



Review Jan 2015

Somewhat stranded on the boundary of the redevelopment of the old Thornycroft works, the Victoria is a down to earth locals pub. The pub business appears to have started at the same time as the Thornycroft works were built, though the building may have existed as two residential houses which were then converted into a pub. The entrance to the works were next to the pub, and the wall around the works indented inwards to accommodate the pub. Part of this wall still remains on the street to the left of the pub. The outside appearance is off-putting. There is little sign of activity, and the place often looks closed. Given that a number of shops opposite the pub are closed or struggling, and a cafe building has been part demolished and abandoned, the impression given is that this is a very rough area. The England flag painted on the outside of the pub may give the impression that this is a pub intolerant of those not English, and that, coupled with the scruffy depressed state of the street and the uninviting exterior, may not encourage everyone to visit.

The gravity cask in the Victoria pub

I was surprised when I entered by how packed the place was, how welcoming it is, and that a locally brewed cask ale was on offer. It is rough and ready, and on my visit was predominantly occupied by middle aged to older men loudly watching football. The place is well worn, and is in need of a refurbishment, so is not the place to come for a meal, or bring your wife or children. But it welcomes dogs. On my visit there were several dogs. And other visitors have remarked on that as well.

This is not a pretty pub, but it has a warm vibrancy and it has character. I don't know how welcoming it would be to everyone, and I prefer pubs that are open, liberal, and cosmopolitan, but I saw no evidence that this pub would be unwelcoming. It's a down to earth working class, mainly male orientated pub. It's walking distance from my house, so I may well find myself in here from time to time to check out what cask beer they have on.

A more attractive Victoria before the paint job

Sept 2016

I have been back inside for a drink - again there was a gravity cask beer available, this one from Marston's - Salted Caramel. I sat near the back, and noted there is a small beer garden at the rear. It's an OK place once you're inside.


* WhatPub
 * Bite

Pubs in Woolston

Olaf's Tun, Woolston

A new pub has opened in Woolston. Micro pub or craft ale bar, it's part of a trend for small (or intimate) pubs that are drink and conversation focused. They tend not to do food and not to accept children, the target market tends to be young people out for the evening who want somewhere to drink and chat.

There are four gravity casks on offer along with some keg and bottled beers. Food is crisps and nuts. It has a pleasant ambiance.

The limitations on food, non-acceptance of children, and the evening only (plus weekends) opening hours means this is a place I am unlikely to visit often. Shame, as I like the place.

Visited here with Ian on our November 2016 tour of Southampton.  We had Wild Weather Big Muddy Bitter and Lost And Grounded Saison D’Avon,



* WhatPub
* Facebook

Pubs in Woolston

November 2016 Pub Crawl

The Cricketers Arms, Woolston

Large Marston's roadside pub near the roundabout leading to the Itchen Toll Bridge into Southampton. It's a little run down. It no longer does food, and there's an air of neglect about the large echoing back room, which has a stage and dance floor. Pool table and large TV screens in the front room. Two cask ales on offer - Pedigree and BoonDoggle. Decent condition. Children welcome. Smokers use the entrance lobby on damp days. The place is not attractive, comfortable or charming, but it does serve beer, and is not offensive.

Date: Nov 2014   Score:  3

This Marston's pub has had several names over the years. When we moved to Woolston two years ago it was called The Bridge, and despite what it said outside, it didn't do food. It was a little run down and in need of some TLC. It had a particular problem with smokers hanging around the door. It was then closed for  several months while it underwent what appeared to be a major overhaul. I tried it shortly after it reopened and the large back room is now shut off, and Marston's are doing food again. The place was cleaner, but still had problems with smokers standing in the doorway so smoke blows into the pub. They have a children's menu, so there is an intent to attract families, but despite the refurbishment, it's still a pub I'm not that comfortable taking my daughter into because of the smoke. At least previously you could go into the back room to escape the smoke, now that's closed, there is no escape. I'm not comfortable eating food in a smokey atmosphere.

Date: April 2016   Score: 3 1/2

Back to not doing food, but new managers due in a couple of months when it is hoped food will start up again. £3.20 for Hobgoblin, £2.85 for Carlsberg. Pool table requires a deposit for the cues; games are £1 a go. Music playing moderately loud. Some chit chat among the customers. Nobody (yet) smoking by the door. Pleasant relaxed atmosphere. Normal and unremarkable pub.

Date: Nov 2016    Score: 3 1/2

As part of the Covid precautions, the front of the pub is roped off so customers are funnelled into the old backroom which opens onto the car park T the back which has tables for smokers and a raised wooden desk for others. No cask available so I settled for a Thatchers cloudy cider. It's early Tuesday evening, but there's around 18 or so customers.

From the back you can see how the pub has been extended over the years. There appear to be around four or five separate single storey extensions.

Date: Sept 2020.  Score: 4

***

Pubs in Woolston

Marston's pubs in Southampton