Secret Drinker reviews The Ivy Wall in Spalding

It seems JD Wetherspoon pubs are like London buses… and by that I don’t mean full of miserable people crammed in uncomfortably close.

After an extremely disappointing trip to a nearby Spoons pub recently it was only fair to give the chain another chance.

You wait a year for one Secret Drinker review of Tim Martin’s cut-price empire and two come along (almost) at once.

I’d described my visit to the Moon Under Water in Boston as cheap, but not cheerful.

Surely The Ivy Wall in Spalding couldn’t be any worse. Could it?

Well, I’m happy to report it was much, much better.

This glass-fronted, L-shaped pub, complete with a nice-looking long bar - always a bonus when there’s plenty of you waiting to get served - gets its name from ‘Ivy Wall’ being marked as the location of this spot in an old town map from 1732.

Fast forward close to 300 years and I found myself taking a drink at the back of the building, looking out at drinkers, still in their high-viz work jackets, enjoying a pint and a smoke in the beer garden.

A toddler sat at a nearby table made another break for it from their parents, who gave chase but made it clear they just wanted a pleasant, quiet bite to eat.

Unlike Boston’s Spoons, Spalding’s effort was better lit and with a more modern, comfortable feel, once your eyes get back to normal after being dazzled by the bright fruities that greet you at the entrance that is.

The bucket chairs dotted about randomly as if they were town centre planters (I passed some bewildered shoppers tutting and complaining about this ongoing redesign as I passed through Spalding), magic-eye carpet and spotlights make the place look like a Premier Inn lobby.

But throw in the high tables and stools and diner-esque wall benches and the seating options were much nicer than the regimented village hall-looking furniture at the Moon.

In what is a rare treat for a Spoons, there weren’t too many stairs to the gents along what can only be described as a nice, art-deco-ish hallway.

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Through the door and the urinals had the appearance of being in a giant wet room, complete with a few beer bottles on display in a glass cabinet.

Break in case of an emergency?

There were many positives in comparison to the Spoons from the next town down, but just like the Boston pub the place was busy, clean and, tragically, again lacking atmosphere.

I stand by my claim that Wetherspoon pubs never feel like a place where people look forward to going, but instead an easy compromise where nobody is truly happy.

But at least this one is a bit nicer.

THE IVY WALL, NEW ROAD, SPALDING, PE11 1DQ

DECOR: Some nice touches and a nice-looking long bar. 3/5

DRINK: I went for a half of Marston’s Old Empire (ABV 5.7%), a surprisingly nice IPA. 4/5

PRICE: At 90p there’s no complaints. 4/5

ATMOSPHERE: Nice and busy, but low murmuring busy. Each table kept themselves to themselves. 3/5

STAFF: “It’s alright love,” said the barmaid as I apologised for handing over a £20 note.

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