Town Mills to expand?

It has been reported that the historic and impressive Town Mills public house in Andover may be expanding.

Exciting proposals
Wadworth's of Devizes currently run the pub in the main western part of the Mill building while the eastern part which previously housed Age Concern and the small Riverside Café remains vacant. The proposals are for the whole building to become the public house.
In addition the land at the back currently used by the pub as a garden, under licence from Test Valley Borough Council, would be sold to Wadworths.

There is much potential
It is still early stages and it is not yet known what the detailed plans would entail but with the new theatre being constructed just yards away and the major development of the new riverside park adjacent this could result in an exciting venue for the town. It could add much needed vitality and provide expanded leisure, employment and economic benefits.

History
Town Mills is a Grade II Listed Building, dating from the mid-18th century. The plural name Town Mills is comes from there being two mills on the site, one for grinding malt and the other for wheat. The mill stream off the River Anton runs under the building and a restored waterwheel can be viewed from the bar area.
No doubt if the building were fully refurbished the wheel would become a much more prominent feature.

Let us hope the plans progress.

Town Mills
(click image to enlarge)

Bell Inn to re-open soon

THE BELL INN, Whitchurch

UPDATE: GREAT NEWS – Application Approved

Some wonderful work has been taking place at the historic BELL INN Whitchurch to bring it back into life as a local public amenity which will help support both the town and the surrounding area's social, leisure and economic needs. 

The Bell, a Listed Building, closed a year ago having been under the wonderful ownwnership of popular publicans Jan and the late Paul Mcgarvey and is currently being renovated.

An Application has now been submitted for its Premises Licence, ref 26/01464/PREMV

The Campaign for Real Ale is sharing its own support here and asks its members, residents and our local Councillors to do the same.

Rural towns and their surrounding areas have lost far too many of its public houses and other services and much support as possible should be given to those who wish to develop businesses.  

The letter sent to the Licensing Committee is reproduced below. Copying and using its content is acceptable for anyone who wishes to express support.

This should be sent to licensing@basingstoke.gov.uk

Click to enlarge

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John Russell Fox loses its Crown

John Russell Fox 

Andover Wetherspoons has lost its 'prestigious' crown for the most steps to the pub loo in the town – as measured from the bar – but a twist may lead to an Appeal. 

The John Russell Fox, with its impressive staircase, has been pipped by just one step by the new upstart youngster across the road, the Vicolo Lounge.

The JDW has 27 steps from the bar level to the loos, including the four up to the rear 'eating' area.

Vicolo Lounge

Meanwhile, Vicolo has a total of 28 steps, but here is the twist – the last four of those head back downwards before the small rooms are reached.

It must be said though that the Wetherspoon's staircase carpet really is a winner and its worth the climb upstairs for that alone.

Redbridge

Just to be fair, a question was raised over the nearby Redbridge that also has a trek to the loos. Crampons and ropes were at the ready but unnecessary as they only reached 24.

 

However as with many competitions there are often booby prizes so with the largest of tongues in cheek the Redbridge took the Empty Ketchup Bottle for the stickiest floor/stairs while JDW walked away with the Waste Bin Award for uncleared tables.

So on our reckoning it is CONGRATULATIONS to Vicolo who now hold the coveted Andover Loo Stairs crown.

Are there any challengers?

BUT ... We won't mention the National Winner that has over 100 steps.
Andover pales into insignificance, but it’s still a bit of fun!

Beers in the UK – You are being deceived

You're being misled about British Beer

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has released a hard-hitting consumer-led report on the UK beer market and the "stark state of British brewing" and setting out how customers are being deceived.

'Beer in the UK' states that most of those 'foreign' named beers on the bars such as Cruzcampo, Madri, Stella and San Miguel are in fact being brewed in industrial-sized beer factories in the UK, and are masquerading as continental products. They come from places such as Manchester, Burton on Trent, and Magor South Wales, 

It also sets out how publicans are massively constrained in which products they can sell, through restrictive ties and contracts that reduce or remove consumer choice.

One particular highlight in the report states:

"Beer consumers are routinely misled about the origins of their beers. Most big brand ‘foreign’ lagers are made in the UK, often to diluted recipes; most of the largest ‘craft’ beer brands are made by corporate producers; and many ‘local’ beers come from industrial-scale national plants, far from the locality suggested by their names."

CAMRA calls for this deception to end and that it must be made clear who owns and brews the beers on the bars. 
CAMRA also calls for an investigation into the industry by the Competition and Markets Authority and challenges the abnormally high levels of beer taxation.

The full report can be seen here:
https://camra.org.uk/beer-report

Hampshire Pub of the Year, 2026

The Flower Pots Inn, Cheriton

Affectionately called "The Pots", the Flower Pots Inn in the pretty Hampshire village of Cheriton is a friendly traditional style country inn, serving fine beers, excellent food and above all offering a welcome to everyone. 

This pub should not be missed
This is definitely not a pub to miss and has been announced as a worthy winner of the Campaign for Real Ale's (CAMRA) Hampshire Pub of the Year for 2026. It now proceeds in the next round of the competition which leads towards being the national winner. Along with the other nominations, it was visited by a dedicated team of judges several times over the past few months using a detailed and trusted set of criteria ranging from quality of beer and community commitment to standard of service and range of facilities.

Widely recognised as a top pub
As a free house it is unrestrained by the excesses of the national pub companies, and has been a regular entry in the Good Beer Guide – in fact it has been more than regular having been in the last 52 editions, and incredible achievement.

Flower Pots Brewery
Set just off the village centre, the Pots also brews its own beer through the Flower Pots Brewery, which is found in many of the county's better pubs. A wide range of its own beers are also available at its annual beer festival on the end of August Bank Holiday which sees visitors flock from far and wide to enjoy music, food and over 100 different beers.

https://www.theflowerpots.co.uk/

Full results CAMRA Hampshire Pub of the Year – congratulations.

Overall Winner: 

FLOWER POTS INN, Cheriton 

Runner-up:                                   

ANDOVER TAP AT THE LAMB, Andover

Highly Commended Finalists:    

STAR INN, Bentley

JUNCTION TAVERN, Gosport

ALE HOUSE, Cowes IOW 

The annual beer festival with over 100 beers
28th – 30th August 2026

Pub of the Year presentation

Top awards have been achieved by the Andover Tap at the Lamb, as the local Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) announced its Pub of the Year Awards for 2026.
The community-focused pub was voted to be the best pub in the North Hampshire area for both beers and ciders. The awards also recognise aspects such as community support, facilities, service and social inclusivity.

Presentation
A presentation was held at the pub where publican Tim Abram and team were handed certificates for:

• North Hampshire (West area) Pub of the Year 2026
• North Hampshire Overall Pub of the Year 2026
• North Hampshire Cider Pub of the Year 2026
  
  

  

  Publican Tim Abram with his Pub of the Year Awards

Over 200 pubs eligible
Over 200 pubs are eligible for the awards in an area that stretches across the northern reaches of Hampshire including the main centres of Andover and Basingstoke. Hartley Wintney and Odiham are included to the east; Whitchurch, Sutton Scotney and Stockbridge are towards the west; and Tadley and Kingsclere are to the north.

Pride in its service
Tim and his committed team have created a unique community-style pub that prides itself on quality ales, craft beers and ciders. The pub also has a small in house occasional brewery and produces some excellent tasty ales. 

A real social centre
Regular activities are held ranging from the fortnightly themed food nights to brewery visits, silent discos, tasting sessions and charity fund-raising. Last year around £20,000 was raised for the local hospice Naomi House & Jack's Place. This year several thousand has already been raised for the Andover Young Carers charity. Beer festivals are also arranged along with meets for folk evenings and games nights, while the pub is a lively venue for the Andover Rocks charity music event.

The Andover Tap at the Lamb

Onwards and upwards
The pub now progresses in CAMRA's County competition with the final possible accolade being the top pub in the country!

MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS

Picture of Tim Abram courtesy Ben Tuffin

International Womens Day

It was an amazing Sunday afternoon at the Andover Tap and the Gin Palace when International Women's Day was celebrated with a fantastic range of activities, ranging from raffles and an auction of promises to a selfie challenge and a lovely food spread. 

All was organised by the wonderful Vikki along with the Tap and Palace teams whose incredible efforts were nothing less than phenomenal.

Purple was colour of the day, cocktails were mixed, and many beers supped. 

Best of all was the fun, respect and warmth towards each other that made the afternoon so special, while a terrific £1500 was raised for charity (Andover Young Carers)

It will be remembered for a long long time.

If anyone is wondering, International Men's Day was celebrated last November! 

That was good too.

One Bell opens but others remain Closed

THREE BELLS

Another Hampshire pub has been saved.

There are three pubs in north Hampshire named The Bell, and until last week all were closed.
Now, in brilliant news, The Bell in Odiham on the historic Bury has reopened having been saved from being replaced as housing by the local community which raised the funds to purchase and save the pub.
Last weekend saw the official opening with many activities including Morris dancing.

This small traditional two room pub is a Grade II Listed Building and is steeped in 500 years of local history as a hostelry. 

To give a feel for the pub's character' it also has Dominoes, Shove Ha'penny and Pickled Eggs, while on the bar three cask beers are currently served – Fullers London Pride, Flowerpots Pots Bitter and Odiham Drizzle, a Flack Manor rebadged dark mild.

It is a fantastic win for the Odiham pub scene and showed the importance of being registered as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) and of having local community support.

The Bell is easy to reach by using the 13 Basingstoke/Alton service, getting off at Crownfields and taking the adjacent footpath to the Bury. 

Its a 'must visit' pub

The pub opens at 4.30pm each day including weekends, but is closed Mondays.

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The other Bells:

Sadly the other two ‘Bells’ remain closed.

The Bell in Whitchurch, another Grade II Listed pub, closed a year ago with a hope it would reopen but despite some limited work the doors remain closed. It would be good if the Council had registered it as an ACV but as yet that hasn’t taken place. A request is to be made.
Regrettably hope for reopening has been lost for The Bell at Weyhill which has been given planning permission to become a childrens nursery. It currently deteriorates behind hoardings as substantial work has yet to commence.

The Bell, Weyhill – CLOSED 👎

The Bell, Whitchurch – CLOSED 👎

The Bell, Odiham – SAVED and OPEN 👍

SUPPORT OUR PUBS

"When you have lost your inns, drown your empty selves, for you will have lost the last of England"

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Vicolo v Powder Monkey – which is best?

Vicolo v Powder Monkey

These two new Andover venues, opening within weeks of each other in the High Street, have brought a much needed boost to the Hampshire market town. With these, and the building of the new theatre underway, the town centre is certainly starting to look up.

After several visits to each, comparisons are inevitable so here goes...

The newly opened VICOLO LOUNGE is one of over 260 'Lounges' throughout the country, one of the fastest growing independent chains of bar/restaurants.

Vicolo Lounge Bar

In the old Barclay Bank, it follows their heavily furnished lampshade/framed picture decor style run on an inclusive friendly community model. 

The wide menu choice caters for all with good prompt table or friendly bar service. The recommended use of the on-table QR Code has drinks served usually within minutes and food just a little longer – it works well.
The brunches are highly recommended as are the tapas boards but if tempted by the extras such as flatbreads or sides the cost may start to escalate.

For beer lovers the list is limited though there is welcome nod to the company's independent west country roots with the bottled Bristol Beer Factory Stout. Otherwise it is fairly mainstream although does include the newer version of Hofmeister pilsner, far better than the tasteless 'follow the bear' version of years gone past.

A visit is highly recommended.

So on to the POWDER MONKEY AT THE GUILDHALL. Here the feel is much more open and minimalist decor with the large high expansive ex-market hall venue refurbished to recognise the building's historic character. 

Powder Monkey at the Guildhall

Powder Monkey are a fast growing company based at their brewery in Gosport which itself only began brewing in 2021 and have since acquired a number of other small breweries in the UK and Australia.

The opening of the Andover venue is a relatively new aspect of their business and deserves to do well. You are always greeted on entry and like the Vicolo there is a strong emphasis on the welcome. Also like Vicolo there is no pressure and you can pop in for a coffee or beer as much as something to eat. Staff are very friendly, attentive and helpful and interact with customers well, perhaps better than at Vicolo. They are always asking for feedback, and experience shows it is acted upon.

Service is a mix of bar and table service with a good range of food and drinks with an emphasis on  independent suppliers. Food is exceptional with a limited changing menu. The 'Nibbles' are exceptional value and chosen together can make a full meal, while the Sunday roasts are highly recommended.

As would be expected there is a wide choice of beers with six of their tasty craft keg beers on tap including their lager, bitters, IPAs and stout, alongside a variety of cans. There is also a good selection of bottled beers from their other breweries, notably from Goddard's on the Isle of Wight. You won't find national brands here. 

So which to visit?
Both venues are a very welcome addition to the town, and are both open 7-days a week. One surprising aspect is that neither open for breakfast for workers in the town which would seem short-sighted. However, each has their own strengths and it is difficult to split them.
If we had to choose it would be a smidgeon towards Powder Monkey at the Guildhall but that would be for its beers and that service is a touch more friendly. 

Otherwise both are very highly recommended. Visit both.

9/10 each

An Amazing Charity Effort

This must rate as one of the best local pub charity efforts as customers and staff of The Andover Tap at The Lamb, raised an incredible £19,669.60p in just one year for the chosen charity Naomi House & Jack's Place.

The funds came from an amazing number of charity events ranging from raffles and beard shaves to parachute jumping. From a few pennies of change dropped in the charity pot to sponsoring a marathon walk, every penny counts. 

Located at Sutton Scotney, Naomi House & Jacks Place are hospices providing Specialist Nursing and Respite Care for life limited and life threatened Children and Young Adults. 

The charity is currently experiencing some serious funding issues and needs all the support it can get. The numbers of children and young people receiving end of life care has more than doubled over last five years. In addition the hospice's costs have increased by a third and the charity is having to use its reserves.

It relies heavily on supporters and donations.
If anyone can help see:
https://www.naomihouse.org.uk/donate

2026 Good Beer Guide published

The latest edition of the Good Beer Guide has been published this week and a number of local venues have been included. These entries would not have reached this status without the hard work and commitment they give to their customers.

The book, now in its 53rd edition, is completely independent and compiled by local members of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale using an ongoing quality Beer Scoring system, where members report on the beer quality throughout the year. 

Pubs in the north western area of the Test valley that are listed in the 2026 Good Beer Guide are:

Town Mills, Andover:

Andover Tap at the Lamb, Andover:

The Eagle, Abbotts Ann:

The Welcome Stranger, Kimpton:

The Kings Arms, Whitchurch:

The Prince Regent, Whitchurch:

The Three Cups, Stockbridge:

The Guide, which contains 4,500 of the best pubs across the UK, is the definitive beer drinker’s guide for those seeking the best pints in the nation’s hostelries. 

Meanwhile the 'CAMRA WhatPub' website lists all pubs in the area (and UK) which can be accessed here:
https://whatpub.com/

To purchase the Good Beer Guide
The 2026 Good Beer Guide can be purchased online here:
https://shop1.camra.org.uk/product/good-beer-guide-2026/ 

Andover's Exciting New Pub

Andover has a New Pub.

The Powder Monkey at the Guildhall opened officially yesterday – and what a great addition to the town it is.

The expanding brewery/pub operator, Powder Monkey,  has transformed the ground floor of the historic Grade II* Listed Guildhall into a modern fresh bar that will add some much needed vibrancy to the town centre.

With six of the Gosport brewer's beers on keg and a number of their cans and bottles there is a good choice, while a comprehensive menu is available. The six tasty keg beers include a very tasty Pilsner, along with modern pale ales and a stout.

A feature is that everything comes from small independent producers, of which the friendly manager Luke was proud.

Powder Monkey is based at Priddy's Hard, a historic naval site now also housing the exciting Explosion! Museum.
The forward-looking company was formed in 2019 and was set up in a historic naval gunpowder store with the first beers being brewed in 2021.
They have expanded rapidly, taking over Goddards Brewery on the Isle of Wight, whose beers are now available at the Guildhall in bottles. In July they also acquired two Sydney-based Australian brewers – the Wayward Brewing Company and Akasha Brewing Company. 

The addition of the new pub to Andover will be a welcome addition to the town.

Woolly Jumpers raise thousands

WOOLLY JUMPERS and THE ANDOVER TAP at the LAMB

What a day – The Woolly Jumpers – 18 brave souls from the Andover Tap at the Lamb, threw themselves out of a flimsy plane above Old Sarum. 

But at least there was a brewery at the bottom to aim for, which had a beer named 'Woolly Jumpers'. 😉

From the now traditional bacon rolls at The Tap, to a full coach of 50+ jumpers and their raucous singing supporters, it was just one of many charity events the great community at The Tap have arranged.
This year's efforts are all going to the outstanding Naomi House and Jacksplace hospices, who care for seriously ill children, young adults and their families.

The award-winning Good Beer Guide pub chooses a different charity to support each year and holds numerous events ranging from hairstyling and beard shaving through to cycle rides and themed food evenings. Last year it raised funds for the Alzheimer's Society.

This weekend's jump was its largest fundraising event to date. 

 

Amazing Fundraising
Funds are still coming in, and at time of writing this event has reached an amazing £9,735 + 2k+ in Gift Aid.

With further events still to be held it is certain the overall year's total will be impressive.

If anyone would like to donate the link is here:

https://www.justgiving.com/team/andover-tap-woolly-jumper