Many, many years ago, I visited ‘The Chairmakers’ pub/restaurant at World’s End, in the small village in Hambledon, in the Winchester area of Hampshire. In the middle of nowhere, hence, I guess, ‘World’s End,’ this pub has a large front garden which is used to put on beer festivals with live music and hog roasts. The parking facilities are adequate and the pub itself, quite a good size.
I remembered it as being well known for it’s great ‘tea-bone steaks.’
So, I suggested we try this place when meeting up with friends. We had a good table near the window overlooking the road and countryside and didn’t have to wait long to be shown the menu and order.
I enjoyed my belly pork main course, but a friend chose a burger which turned out to have terrible chips (frazzled at both ends) and not realy edible. Despite making a comment to the staff, we only got told they would report it back to the kitchen and there was no apology when the bill was paid.
We all had starters and main courses, but could not manage dessert. However, we were not asked if we would like coffee. Beers were good.
I understand afterwards, the General Manager reported this was an oversight and the kitchen staff were spoken to, to ensure it didn’t happen again. It was rather disappointing as I had had great expectations.
Hopefully, this will be the case as the place has a lot going for it, tucked away in the countryside with just several farm cottages and houses and a post box which is thought to be the oldest one in the country.
The church disappeared in the last century.
As the World’s End inhabitants worked locally in agriculture or forestry, the only entertainment was an evening at the Chairmakers (formerly called the Pig and Whistle) playing cards and darts.
In World War Two, a German aircraft crashed close to the pub after being hit by an English fighter plane over Southampton. The landlord of the Horse and Jockey, the neighbouring pub, arrested the 3 surviing German airmen with a water pistol!
In months leading up to D-Daythere were many vehicles and hundreds of soldiers, including Americans and Canadians camped in the area.
The place has a lot of character, so I do hope this was just an odd occasion when things could have gone better?
No one seems to know, even to this day, where the name ‘World’s End’ derived from!
