Weighing (The) Anchor

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Mrs GH and I popped out for a quick early evening drink to The Anchor Inn in the nearby village of Eling on Southampton Water, which was a nice change from the four walls of the hermitage.

The Anchor Inn at Eling (Image - Google maps)

First lets get our ‘bearings' for this nautical themed post*...
The satellite view from Google maps gives you an idea of the Anchor Inn’s location next to the creek where Bartley Water flows into the River Test at the head of Southampton Water (with me so far?  If not you’ll need to look at a bigger map).  The pub is in the southern corner of ‘Eling Wharf’ a historic industrial dockside area now with modern industries related to Southampton port.  A short distance away is the historic Eling tide (flour) mill and toll bridge across Bartley Water to the more rural bit of Eling.

A nice ‘gas lamp’ style street light by the Anchor Inn - very in keeping with it’s 200 year old heritage

Of course on a dark January evening nothing much of this was visible - the tide was out and the lights from the adjacent industrial area reflected in the muddy creek.  The pub has a nice beer garden well positioned to take advantage of views over the creek to rural Eling, and hiding the container storage/industrial area behind the pub - so that should be quite nice in summer.

Quaint beach hut wall art contrasts with steel shipping containers outside.

The pub is ‘L’ shaped with bar, dart board and loos at one end and dining tables in the other.  The typical current fashion for pastel paintwork prevails, with wood flooring and panelling giving it a kind of seaside feel in keeping with its name and location.

Locals hog the bar - enhancing the emptiness of the rest of the pub.

When we arrived at 7pm there were a good group of locals around the bar and some lively conversation.  All were friendly and willing to talk to occasional visitors like us.  We headed for the comfy sofa and armchair in a small carpeted area near a window overlooking the creek.

Ringwood Forty-niner, like the tide, just on the turn.

The beer was relatively standard for the area (and Enterprise Inn pubs) with Sharp’s Doombar and Atlantic and Ringwood Forty-niner.  I opted for the Ringwood but sadly this was (average) and past its best.

Pint of Atlantic and mass exodus of locals from the bar (must have all needed the toilet at the same time).

Not knowing when to quit I went for a second pint - this time Sharp’s Atlantic.  Though the beer was well kept/dispensed, there is no escaping the fact that Molson Coors have now tampered with, and  ruined, the original Sharps Brewery core beers (in the name of profit no doubt).  The Atlantic was (average) and while less salty than the real ocean, was just as watery and tasteless.

Dillon (dog not twog) in smart polka dot collar, keeps a close eye on the Smith’s Bacon Fries

The highlight of our visit?  Well there were two really:
The first was Dillon, the very entertaining dog, who was having a whale of a time racing round the empty areas of the pub, playing chase with his owner (except when he took time out to scrounge my bacon fries).  Well behaved though, and cute, so even BRAPA would probably like him.
The second was the locals trying to light a fire in the brick fireplace using newspaper and logs, which wasn’t going well despite whole newspapers being chucked at it.  I would have taken a photo but didn’t want to get caught up in any unexpected conflagration.  Though I could have been helpful and told them about firelighters  - I didn’t.
I think they were still fireless, and had given up, by the time we 'weighed anchor' and left.
I presume The Anchor Inn was once a working mans pub with trade from adjacent industries on Eling Wharf and whilst it is now a pleasant, friendly, family pub  it still hints at those historic underpinnings.
Sadly at the time of our visit the real ale offering was disappointing.  Ironically, Molson Coors had provided small ‘Sharp’s' branded ‘tasting’ glasses by the handpulls, and the Atlantic pump clip announced ‘Try a Taste’.....
....shame they have eliminated any taste worth trying.....

*A prize of a packet of Smiths Bacon [flavour] Fries (except for some that Dillon ate) for the first person to correctly identify all the nautical references....