I'm on a bit of a mission to scout out pubs with the best child-friendly beer gardens (especially those with play areas as my kids are of that age) while it's beer garden weather and while I still have a few weekdays with my youngest before school and work begin in the not too distant future. And so the mission starts - first on my hitlist: The George at Charmouth.
Wandering along Charmouth high street, you’d never assume from the pub’s pretty frontage that The George has such a large garden – complete with Pygmy goats (of course!) and a well-equipped playground. However, once you’re out the back of this traditional pub, you find that the garden stretches out behind the pub for miles. (Well, not quite miles, but it’s very generous, fully enclosed, and there are lots of tables with parasols to sit at while you have a cold beer and watch your children play.)
I met one of my great friends and her two-year-old daughter Daisy here this sunny July afternoon for a light lunch and a shared bowl of ice cream (a bargain at £3 for 3 scoops), before Daisy and Livvie gave us the run around the play equipment in the summer heat. (“yes darling I’d love to push you on the swing… again…!”).
The play area has a wendy house, some wheelie toys (scooters, trikes and a little tykes car), rotating seesaw, swing, basket swing, climbing frame, slide – all the usual candidates – and a couple of friendly goats in a fenced off enclosure to go and meet, and feed from the 20p food dispenser if you wish. (They’ve conveniently provided a handwashing station next to the goats so you can avoid any goaty germs.)
Food wise, there’s a lunch specials menu and pub-food cooked menu, sandwiches, ploughman’s and salads, along with a simple cooked menu for kids – the kids lunches were all under £5 and most other things on the lunch menu was around the £8-£12 mark.
Highchairs are available, and handily they’d chosen some really bulky but light enough to carry plastic ones which were well suited for use in the garden, coming in handy this afternoon.
There’s no pub car park, but we found free parking on the road just outside the pub. Inside is lovely and cool on a summer’s day, and cosy on a winter’s day next to the fire; and at the back of the pub there is a permanent marquee extension joining the pub with the garden with additional covered seating – so you’ve got indoor seating options, outdoor options, and something in between!
A great little find for those looking for lunch or a bowl of ice cream and a drink in a spacious, safe beer garden only a stone’s throw from Charmouth beach and the seaside town of Lyme Regis.
Do ring the pub on 01297 560280 to check the opening hours and food service as it’s not listed on the website, they do an evening menu too and I think I’m right in saying service starts at 6pm - but do let me know if you know otherwise!
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