THE WHEATSHEAF
34 KINGSTON ROAD, EWELL, SURREY, KT17 2AA
This rather nice local pub is nowhere near Yorkshire, but one of the advantages of making the rules is that you can break them whenever you want. We found ourselves staying with a friend in Ewell, and Amy - our soft-coated wheaten terrier - was with us. We were on the lookout for a pub that was dog-friendly, beer-friendly, and people-friendly : step forward The Wheatsheaf which ticked all the boxes.
There has been a pub on this site on Kingston Road for a good few hundred years, but the present building dates from the mid nineteenth century. For many years it was tied to the Middlesex based Isleworth Brewery. During the twentieth century the ownership of this brewery changed hands so often that it must have been an almost full-time job changing the pub signs. The Isleworth Brewery was taken over by Watney Combe Reid & Co, which became Watney Mann, which was taken over by Grand Metropolitan, which was taken over by Guinness .... and onwards and onwards until the music stopped. Luckily, by then, the pub had lost its' tie - and retained its' original fine etched glass Isleworth Brewery windows.
If you are a dog-owner, there is a delight in finding a decent pub that positively welcomes your dog. At the Wheatsheaf, there was a fine relaxed atmosphere and several of the canine clientele would wander around from table to table, making new friends and sniffing new smells.
During several visits I was able to sample a variety of local real ales. All were well-brewed and well-kept, but particularly memorable was This England from the West Sussex Hammerpot Brewery. I suppose it can be called a pale ale, but a pale ale with a rather rich and fruity body. Which, by some strange coincidence, is exactly what a West Highland Terrier said to Amy in the Snug Bar!
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