Been to a couple more pubs on the ‘must be visited soon pile’, and both proved to be well worth the trek into the Suffolk wilds. The first was in Laxfield and the second in Hartest. Both to the west in the Bury St. Edmunds area, they were a good 45 minutes to an hour away, depending on traffic. I won’t mention the maniac muppet who illegally nearly took us out on the A14 Bury roundabout on our return. Thumbs up to Mrs. No Name and her excellent reactions and car control, unlike the prat in question – red traffic lights, right of way and completely wrong lane all amply in evidence. Said I wouldn’t mention it though!!
Laxfield’s Kings Arms pub, otherwise known as The Low House on account of its ‘lowly’ position in the village. Nestled behind All Saints Church, it offers a glimpse of a bygone era with no bar just a tap room (see picture, bottom left), plus wooden benches and inglenook, serving hearty dishes. We had a pint of the Victoria (from the Earl Soham brewery, pulled directly from the tap room barrel), along with a fine dressed crab and hearty chilli con carne plus puddings of course. Laxfield is a pretty village, with a very fine Guildhall now housing a museum and is also the home of the Baptist Church, with services every Sunday, both morning and evening. On the front wall of the chapel there is a plaque commemorating the burning at the stake of John Noyes in the village on 22 September 1557.
Hartest was not too far from Horringer, home of the lovely Ickworth House (and hotel) and is a picture book village with an idyllic green at its heart (bottom right in collage photo). Mentioned in the Domesday Book and believed to date back to before 1086. Just off the green (missed it twice!) is the 16thC grade II listed Crown, previously used as the Moot Hall, independently owned by the Gusto Pronto family who are passionate about great food, drinks and hospitality. Had a pint of Brewshed bitter (independent micro brewery in Bury), which was excellent and for lunch we both had the chicken escalope with Caesar salad, followed in my case by a lemon posset, which was excellent but a posset too far; although, in retrospect, it was probably the side order of hand cut chips that were ordered 😉
Had a walk around the village, including the lovely All Saints Church and the Green itself. Bucolic I think is the word and, undeniably, two more very successful trips out!