Daily Echo: Pub of the week- August 2025

It's the traditional village pub with good conversation and great local food and drink, but no TV, no WiFi and absolutely no swearing. 

The Lion and Lamb at Pennington, just minutes from the New Forest and the coast, reopened its doors in April following a major refurbishment.

The historic pub, known in recent years as The Musketeer, has gone back to its original name under the ownership of Eric Light, who was landlord of The Salmon Leap in Totton for 30 years.

Eric was born just a few hundred yards away from the pub, which was the local frequented by his father and grandfather, and had always dreamed of one day owning it. 

Following his retirement from The Salmon Leap last year, he set about transforming the pub, overseeing a project to expose all of the original beams, open up the space inside and build an accessible entrance from the car park and garden. 

Eric brought in a highly regarded chef, John Daniel, to source local produce and oversee the menu and stocked up on local ales and ciders as well as barrels of Pimm's, which is served on draught. 

He has since welcomed customers to jam nights and book clubs, seen guests to the pub's two associated cottages travel from as far afield as Massachusetts, USA, and introduced a few rules of his own! 

Eric told the Daily Echo: "We're a traditional village pub with no TV, no WiFi, no jukebox, no radio, no pool table and no darts board, just good conversation and great food and drink. 

"I've banned swearing, which has been very well received, except by very few. We take no messing, swear once and you're told, the second time, you're out. It's really paid off and we're building a great customer base. 

"Before we introduce too many things, we're looking to share the pub with local groups like the walking football, the running club, the yoga and pilates club, the WI, the village hall committee, and see what they'd like to use it for. We want groups like that to have first choice use of the pub as a facility for the community."

The original pub was built in the 1800s, proudly serving the village until it was completely gutted during a fire. It was lovingly rebuilt in 1905.

Read the original article here: https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/25405044.swearing-ban-pennington-village-pub-lion-lamb/