Sad news indeed as we visited a number of times and enjoyed it. Maybe the offering was a little too upmarket (and expensive) for the area? Possibly a 'local' with good but basic pub grub would have better?
You live there? I love the road sign, warning of ducks. Vicious things, Isle of Wight ducks. We barely go to the pub on the Island, but the last time we went, it was the New Inn. Is the Horse and Groom so terrible? I guess it’s a long way to any other pub from Shalfleet. The Sportsman’s rest? Rising Sun? All a drive away, not a walk. We find ourselves in Yarmouth socialising because that's where the boat is moored, so bed is a walk (and a boat ride) away. Mostly the club. I don’t know anyone brave enough to take on a pub in the current climate. I think many people are like us. We used to do pubs as young people, now it just seems like an easy way to dispose of £50.
That was about the time we were going there. Dad built the pram.and a Ent and a 505. Then onto bigger things
We frequent the Woodvale (300m away) and the newly refurbished after a fire last year Portland Inn at Gurnard (500M away).
As we live in Freshwater Bay, those, and the New Inn, are a fair way for us. We have the newly refurbed Albion Hotel, and the Red Lion. The Red Lion is a walk, and sometimes a tender ride, from our mooring as well as just about walkable from home. We haven’t been to either in the last 6 months. And the Albion is 50m or less
If it is owned by Stonegate, it is likely a managed house they’re not often tenanted. SG are struggling these days, their big high street names like Yates’s, Walkabout, Popworld aren’t doing the business. Their biggest earner at the moment is their Craft Union estate, selling cheap lager to customers with too few teeth and too many fingers
The Kings head just around the corner seems pretty busy most of the time. I think the Six Bells, a Wetherspoons, is taking a lot of the locals from other places. Unfortunately, people of all ages are, apparently, drinking less and more are drinking at home.
These pubs are in Lymington, although I mentioned lunch there yesterday, this thread more about the New Inn in Shalfleet which was accesible (at high tide) from Newtown Creek.
If only it were that simple…
The reviews of Stonegate don't look good .. "I never thought there could be a worse company than Wetherspoons for being scum but Stonegate has won the award because at least in a Wetherspoons, drinks are priced well."