Somerset is a county noted for its cider, but there is much more to the pubs of Somerset than overpriced sweet alcoholic apple juice. Leaving the holiday camp in Breen well behind us, we drive in convoy across the county towards the village of Somerton, the ancient capital of the county and possible all of Wessex. Soon I had left Jonny in my wing mirror after some roundabout or another.
Pubs of Somerset : The Halfway House Pitney
The previous evening we’d been recommended a pub, the Halfway House, in the village of Pitney, halfway between the towns of Somerton and Langport.
Fortuitously we arrive in time for lunch. The pub is packed. The couple next to us travelled from Yeovil to sample its food. They make the pilgrimage each Thursday.
The Halfway House has a deserved great reputation, and judging from the menu on this occasion, a really good array of vegetarian options. There’s also excellent beer behind the counter. I sup a pint of Reel from the Teignworthy brewery in Devont. A lovely light amber ale, this real ale is an excellent lunchtime pint.
Pubs of Somerton
Shortly afterwards, we arrive at our destination, Somerton.
We’re booked into the White Hart, a beautiful listed building which dates back to the 15th century. Originally called the Bear or perhaps Black Bear – apparently nothing is black and white here –, it now has a glorious white hart above the doorway itself some 100 years old.
The pub has bucket loads of history. One of the rooms, the one in which Johnny will stay, is called the King John window room, as rumour had it that King John was incarcerated here. Sadly, this proves to be a fallacy, and all Jonny can find is a small window which used to lead to the bar.
King John might not have been imprisoned at The White Hart, although, as we discovered on our barge trip along the Worcester to Birmingham canal, England’s least popular monarch lies buried in Worcester cathedral.
Etsome Offy
Somerton is a picture postcard town. If it were in the Cotswolds, it would be frequented by minor celebrities, disgraced ministers and flocks of American tourists. Thankfully, it is not. So, leaving the pub I stroll across the empty streets to visit the 13th century St Michael & All Angels’ Church, which has a stunning roof and Jacobean altar. It’s apparently one of the finest examples of Jacobean furniture in Somerset. The market cross is equally dramatic. Nearby Judge Jeffreys condemned seven Monmouth martyrs to death after the failure of their rebellion at the Battle of Sedgemoor in 1685.
However, Johnny and I are not here for culture and history, but for beer.
We head to Etsome Offy, to chat with Sharon. Together with her husband Peter, they opened the Etsome Arms, a couple of doors along, back in 2019. A teacher by profession, she’d had enough of giving detention to troublesome kids so decided to serve them pints instead.
Fine Tuned Brewery
The Offy followed a few year later. Some of the beer – and apologies cider – comes from Somerset, some from Bristol, and some from ‘elsewhere’.
They also sell beer from the Fine Tuned Brewery. Opened by Pawel in 2017, this is the last remaining brewery in Somerton; breweries are disappearing in Somerset quicker than jokes in this article.
Pavel came to the UK from his native Poland and worked in breweries across the county, including Glastonbury brewery. He decided to set up his own microbrewery, and a musician at least in spirit, thought why not include music in the names of the beers. Thus, Pitch Perfect, Magic Melody and less alliteratively Sunshine Reggae.
Pubs of Somerton : Unicorn Inn
After chatting to Sharon, we saunter down the road to the Unicorn Inn, a traditional pub on the high street, which has the most welcoming fire and staff.
One of the claims to fame of The White Hart is that it held the world record for the longest nonstop skittles game back in the 1960s. The skittle alley has been turned into the restaurant and kitchen, but the Unicorn Inn has kept its alley. I have a quick throw of some wooden balls, one of which coincidentally hit some skittles.
The Unicorn also serves a decent pint of Wadsworth 6X, although Jonny opted for his traditional non-descript lager.
Pubs of Somerset – Castlebrook Inn Compton Dundon
Chatting with the locals, while the staff hogged the fire, we discovered one of them was the landlord of the Castlebrook Inn, a nice little pub in a neighbouring village with the great name of Compton Dundon – worth the visit for that alone.
As we were no longer sober enough to drive to his pub, we headed there the following day, after visiting the brewery, for a quick chat with Dave about his plans for the pub.
Etsome Arms
We return to the Etsome Arms where Peter is now working behind the bar. Before becoming a micropub, the Etsome Arms was a delicatessen amongst other things, with a licence.
Now it is the hub of the community. Packed on a Thursday night with locals, dogs and YouTubers, it exudes character, proving that you don’t have to be a traditional pub to be the centre of a community.
The name Etsome Arms comes from a magical pub that Pete had imagined in his youth in Portsmouth and dubbed the Epsom Arms. When he came to Somerton, they discovered there was a road called Etsome Terrace and thus the Epsom became Etsome.
The Etsome Arms is a great local. It is a place where the community gathers for a pint, swapping tales, or in the case of four-legged guest chasing tails. I have a nut brown stout which smells like 95% chocolate, followed by a lovely bitter, while Jonny actually excels himself by sipping the artisan lager which he admits is almost as good as his beloved Stella.
Pride of place goes to the mural on the wall opposite the bar. Sharon and Pete had it created by a local artist – it took many a month and had too many 000s in its price, but it features Sharon, Pete and all the regulars – drunk and sober alike – and is a great testament to the spirit of the Etsome Arms.
Pubs of Somerton : The White Hart Somerton
Our meal at The White Hart caps off a wonderful day. We missed the enticing happy hour with reduced price house beers, negroni and margarita cocktails while chatting to all the inhabitants of Somerton.
We start with pollack ‘scampi’ and crab fritters, followed by sea bream and spatchcock partridge. My fish is succulent and served on a tasty bed of couscous, while Jonny’s partridge was cooked to perfection, leading to a most unusual compliment from the hard to please lager drinking food connoisseur.
Need to give a shout out to the incredible Charlotte, the manager of the White Hart, who must be powered by Duracell batteries. Led by her, the staff’s service was impeccable.
Fortified by so much great beer, food and cheer, I sleep sounder than Judge Jeffreys hopefully did, and rise slightly less sprightly than I went to bed.
Fortunately, my room had a great shower and bath – both of which I used to resurrect myself. The breakfast – smashed avocado on toast with plenty of coffee – was the best I have ever had in a British pub. It was almost enough to prepare myself for the return drive home along the M25, almost but not quite. A great ending to our brief sojourn in Somerton, the sixth century capital of Somerset, and home to some great pubs, a microbrewery and a lovely little micropub.
