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On 1st August, without notice, Facebook stopped allowing the link from WordPress. I managed to post that one manually, but could not do the same yesterday. Elizabeth and I unsuccessfully wrestled with the problem. Jackie managed to access it from her e-mail alert. Today I sought the advice of James Peacock who set me up a Facebook page to receive these posts. Previously they had been going to my profile. We will have to see how we get on with this one.
This is how its own website describes ‘The Fleur de Lys [which] resides in the beautiful village of Pilley just outside Lymington. Serving excellent local ales, wines and spirits, the Fleur-de-Lys first pint being served can be traced back to 1096 and has a list of landlords beginning in 1498. This makes her the New Forests oldest Pub.
As well as being a pub rich in history, she’s also one of the prettiest, smothered under a huge thick thatched roof and the beautifully refurbished interior is traditional, welcoming and serene. She has a rustic busy bar at one end, main restaurant, seating around 30 in the center and a snug room further on which is ideal for private dining or large groups. Vast open inglenook fires in each room means this will the place to be in the midst of the winter, and during the summer laze in the pretty garden with a chilled glass of Rose next to the original water well. Dogs are welcomed in the bar and snug area but not the main restaurant.
We look forward to welcoming everyone to Fleur de lys…. the Grand Old Lady of the forest. Very young children are not permitted in the resturant in the evening due to the small and intimate nature of dining at the Fleur de lys. We are a very small pub that caters for an adult environment, during the summer when the garden is open and there is plenty of space to run around children are more than welcome.’ (I have chosen not to edit this).
We just had to try it out.
The advertisement for a Paranormal Evening suggests the establishment may be haunted.
Before our meal we spent an hour in the garden which boasts a well
and a little thatched house.
Elizabeth
sampled different seating arrangements.
The service was excellent and mea incredibly good. Jackie’s breadboard and dips starter was more than enough for her, so Elizabeth and I had to help her out. We were also given little cups of cream of tomato soup.
Elizabeth and I both chose a Brixham crab starter.
For her main course Jackie chose mushroom risotto.
Mine was a brill dish,
and Elizabeth’s what she considered the best liver and bacon ever.
I have seen scrolls of parish priests going back centuries before, but never pub landlords. The eleventh century brewers were monks who started with mead.
Of all the other historic items on display, I found this one the most amazing.
You have seen what we ate. Jackie drank Jail ale, and Elizabeth and I shared a bottle of Merlot.