Drop anchor in the Fens

Glyn Williams seeks out one of Cambridgeshire’s hidden riverside gems.

As remote spots go, one wouldn’t have thought the Anchor at Sutton Gault, just seven miles or so drive from the city of Ely or less as the crow flies would be hard to find. But as Paddy Burt the Daily Telegraph’s esteemed travel writer pointed out, ‘Sutton Gault in Fen country is a village so tiny they forgot to put it on the map’. Perhaps that added to the inn’s appeal in her eyes ‘....a little bit of heaven anchored in Fenland’, I for one agree. Besides the obvious delights on the inside, the setting is magically remote and verdant, the pub being built next to the ‘Hundred Foot Drain’, technically the New Bedford River and one of the 17th century drainage rivers to enable this rich Fens farmland to be cultivated. Ironically on the other side of the channel, agriculture stops in winter as the pasture turns into a flood plain for several months, nature providing her own riches of migrating wildfowl and swans on the natural lakes formed. In spring, it once again returns to a lush oasis off the beaten track.

Ahead of its time, the Anchor was perhaps one of East Anglia’s first stalwarts in its modern take on serving food, the dining pub was born, serving restaurant quality food but in the relaxed surroundings of a characterful hostelry. In this case 350 years old, full of undulating clay tiled floors, open fires, a wealth of beams throughout, even a converted inglenook to sit in. But the period charm stops rightly short of the ubiquitous horse brasses and hops, giving it a smart modern edge albeit rusticated at the edges. Now owned by a savvy committed young couple, local lass Carlene Bunten and her Northants born‘n’bred chef partner Adam Pickup, they have returned this charming inn back to the heart of the community, rebuilding neighbourhood ties. Having worked behind the bar since 2001, Carlene was eager to snap the pub up when the previous owner retired, whilst Adam’s three years in the kitchen also convincing him of its potential.

Very much a food led destination (not much passing trade!), they specialise in cooking simply fresh seasonal ingredients, given a worldly touch in their global flavours. Whilst Adam doesn’t like to pigeonhole his food, the ‘modern British’ label best describes it – the new menu features new season asparagus, wrapped in Denham Estate wild boar ham and grilled with vintage cheddar butter, perhaps followed by baked fillet of sea trout with crushed minted Jersey Royals, watercress sauce and wild garlic oil, and finishing with almond topped rhubarb and ginger crumble with clotted cream. Local produce features heavily such as the artisan goods from Bottisham smokery, the aforementioned Denham rare breed and game meats, wild duck from the marshes in season, Sutton butchers sausages and the like. Upstairs, four cosy comfortable bedrooms have all mod cons as well as those pretty views, making it less of an ephemeral treat if you stop off a while.

The Anchor Inn Sutton Gault, Sutton near Ely, Cambs.
T: 01353 778537  W: anchorsuttongault.co.uk