NON Bournemouth Pubs

davidwhitehead

Fans' Favourite
I left Bournemouth when I was 14, so was never into the local pub scene - I did my drinking apprenticeship in the pubs of Worthing, and occasionally Brighton.

I was wondering, what were the great pubs in Bournemouth ? The go-to places ? Pubs to avoid ? Pubs that were really popular for a while, then faded ?

I worked in the pub trade for a few years, so I am quite fascinated by English pub culture generally. Your memories, please gentlemen !
 
Depends on your age and what you were looking for but, city centre 70's pubs my favorites were,
The Criterion ( upstairs ) (1) The Central Bars, The Landsdown ( downstairs ), The Gander, The Roundhouse ( downstairs )
 
Criterion was great, modern upstairs, traditional downstairs. Great pint of the old Draught Bass. Absolute mayhem on xmas eve's. Spanish Bars on Old Xchurch road was decent, Fox was also O.K. but Bournemouth was a poor second to Poole Quay or High St for a good pub crawl back in the mid to late 70's.
Up at the Triangle you had the Pembroke Arms which was good.
In the suburbs Cricketers was and is still good. Beaufort Bar at Westbourne was a good friendly basement bar selling 6X. You always avoided the Osprey and the Smugglers on the West Howe estate !!
There were a few decent ones for Sunday lunch drinking after playing football. Crown and Sceptre run by Dennis who was an ex Torquay player, Brunswick, Five Ways were all good meeting places.
 
In my younger days The Bell at Pokesdown and The Pinecliffe which I know you lived quite close to David. Also The Oak Longe which was a small downstairs bar underneath The Southbourne Cliffs hotel.
In the town The Palace Vaults and the upstairs bar at The Criterion. Also the Hop Inn.
The Smugglers and Osprey in West Howe had a bad reputation but I found them ok.
There was a dodgy pub over at Turlin Moor, I can’t remember it’s name.
 
I left Bournemouth when I was 14, so was never into the local pub scene - I did my drinking apprenticeship in the pubs of Worthing, and occasionally Brighton.

I was wondering, what were the great pubs in Bournemouth ? The go-to places ? Pubs to avoid ? Pubs that were really popular for a while, then faded ?

I worked in the pub trade for a few years, so I am quite fascinated by English pub culture generally. Your memories, please gentlemen !
My son got married in Brighton. The reception was at the Ginger Pig in Hove.
Have you been there?
 
In my younger days The Bell at Pokesdown and The Pinecliffe which I know you lived quite close to David. Also The Oak Longe which was a small downstairs bar underneath The Southbourne Cliffs hotel.
In the town The Palace Vaults and the upstairs bar at The Criterion. Also the Hop Inn.
The Smugglers and Osprey in West Howe had a bad reputation but I found them ok.
There was a dodgy pub over at Turlin Moor, I can’t remember it’s name.
Some good ones there.
 
The Smugglers was a cracking pub and sorely missed.
The Kings Arms in Wallisdown is a good ‘locals’ pub.
As others have said, the fox and the criterion were good town pubs.
 
Criterion was great, modern upstairs, traditional downstairs. Great pint of the old Draught Bass. Absolute mayhem on xmas eve's. Spanish Bars on Old Xchurch road was decent, Fox was also O.K. but Bournemouth was a poor second to Poole Quay or High St for a good pub crawl back in the mid to late 70's.
Up at the Triangle you had the Pembroke Arms which was good.
In the suburbs Cricketers was and is still good. Beaufort Bar at Westbourne was a good friendly basement bar selling 6X. You always avoided the Osprey and the Smugglers on the West Howe estate !!
There were a few decent ones for Sunday lunch drinking after playing football. Crown and Sceptre run by Dennis who was an ex Torquay player, Brunswick, Five Ways were all good meeting places.
Mark Morris was the landlord at The Crown and Sceptre for a few years. Left around 7 or 8 years ago.
 
In my younger days The Bell at Pokesdown and The Pinecliffe which I know you lived quite close to David. Also The Oak Longe which was a small downstairs bar underneath The Southbourne Cliffs hotel.
In the town The Palace Vaults and the upstairs bar at The Criterion. Also the Hop Inn.
The Smugglers and Osprey in West Howe had a bad reputation but I found them ok.
There was a dodgy pub over at Turlin Moor, I can’t remember it’s name.
Friday nights at The Hop Inn Bar. Great times.
 

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