Coventry Arms  

This pub has plenty of history, the site was listed in the Doomsday Book and a pub has stood here since 1426. It now sits on a fast and busy main road going between Dorchester and Wimborne. A face lift a few years ago gave it a naff name - something to do with wet fish - but it did extend the pub and now it has more space. Reverting to a more sensible name, this multi-roomed pub with many nooks and crannies has low beams predominating (tall people beware) and there are wattle and daub partitions everywhere. The inside walls of the pub are covered with olde worlde objects (especially fish oriented) and there is a mummified cat, but you need to ask a knowledgeable member of staff about it. Seating is a mixture of dark wood tables and chairs on uneven stone flag floors in the main. This gives it a very olde worlde rustic air, but the prices remain very modern. This visit in 2004 found both wine and beer as expensive as London (?3+ for wine and ?2.50 for the guest ale). Prices for food were what you would expect them to be for a gastro type pub. Interesting choices of food were available (including choice of roasts), with fish predominating. Alas there was only one choice of vegetarian meal while meat eaters could choose both from the main menu and the changing specials. Access for the disabled is not really possible, due to the uneven flag floors and narrow entrances. There is access via the large beer garden (with rose trellis) at the rear, but not to the bar area. The bar is an 'L' shape and the space behind it is very spacious. All the beers are served by gravity under insulated jackets against the kitchen wall. Beers on at the time were: Ringwood Best Bitter, 49er and Young's Special. Camping is available. There is no music.

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