The Talbot Hotel Pub

Beds are really comfy and rooms are very spacious and very friendly staff

Had a lovely stay here. Host and hostess very warm and welcoming. Room was lovely...only minor grumble is mattress was too soft but that's a personal preference thing. Great English breakfast. Otter ale was nice too.

I had a work stopover at the Talbot. Would highly recommend - lovely village setting, the staff were extremely friendly. Dinner and breakfast were tasty and had I a great nights sleep. I will be back.

Great country pub well worth a pint or two in

Since Steve and Kim took over a number of months ago now, the Talbot has become exactly what it used to be years ago. A friendly establishment with great people, great drinks, and excellent food. I would thoroughly recommend coming down to the Talbot to anyone passing through the area or local to Iwerne Minster. Also, the Talbot Inn is very dog friendly, there are always snacks on hand for Man’s best friend!

A one night stay at The Talbot, which is under new management since the venue was featured on Four in a Bed. We were welcomed at the bar on arrival after a long drive from Suffolk, we arrived early evening but apparently check-in has to be after 17:30 anyway. Having settled our bill for bed and breakfast, we were shown to our room on the first floor: Blackberry. This is located above the pool and breakfast dining room with a pleasant bay window view towards the side of the property but pretty much aligned with the road junction just outside, running north. The room was well furnished, a dressing table with three adjustable mirrors was a dated but no-doubt helpful feature for some guests. A single wardrobe and TV, with a well stocked hospitality tray (fresh coffee for a cafetiere, tea and hot chocolate, biscuits) including a tiny fridge which we were advised would be supplied with fresh milk upon request at the bar. There was bottled (sparkling) water in the room, which was appreciated. The bathroom was at first sight spacious and similarly well appointed with a bath and shower over. The bathroom had no windows and only an inefficient extractor fan so it was evident it suffered from damp on the walls. This despite an effective chrome heated towel rail. Closer inspection showed mould on the shower screen, tiled areas and bath edge. Water did not fully drain from the bath so a small puddle gathered the wrong side of the plughole. Also, the shower screen wasn't man enough to contain water from even the most careful shower. The water pressure was however great and we (unlike guests in other rooms, it seemed) found the water temperature performed as anticipated. Complimenrltary toiletries were supplied, we thought it strange that none of them were matched but this isn't a criticism. Because no food was served in the evening we dined out, returning for a drink in the bar before turning in. A friendly dog played catch for a while and the Otter ale was well kept and went down a treat. The bed was very comfortable and the linen was of good quality. Bespoke roman blinds at the windows were okay at blocking light from the road. Unfortunately our sleep was disrupted by proximity to the road. We had to close the single glazed window (which we'd otherwise have liked to leave open) in an attempt to mute it, but this wasn't that successful. We woke a little tired for breakfast - served between 08:00 and 09:30 and were met with a friendly good morning from the owner and breakfast chef. We were offered a continental and full English cooked breakfast. I requested a veggie breakfast (with veggie sausages, if available, otherwise a full minus meat). It was only when we sat down that my partner said he'd kindly made this request when making the reservation and was told it would be fine as there were croissants and veggie breakfast items. Our hot breakfasts arrived and mine was a full minus meat. It was actually fine but not what was suggested over the phone... and there was no sign of a croissant. Still, there has good hot filter coffee on the go, we had plenty of toast and what promised to be excellent French unsalted butter (but was actually warm and tasted a little rancid - presumably because it hadn't been refrigerated), together with a further pat of what was some form of spread of the "I Can't Believe It's Butter Because It Doesn't Even Look Like Butter" sort. We opted for butterless. Couldn't find an EHO scores on doors rating for the establishment online and none was displayed but, other than the butter situation, nothing seemed out of order with the breakfast and (writing this review a few days later) no ill effects felt.