Orchard Pig 0623
Orchard Pig 0623

About us

Overlooking the majestic grounds of Aldenham House, home to the famous Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, and just a ten minute amble to the beautiful Aldenham Country Park, this charming country pub is conveniently located five minutes from Junction 4 of the M1, and less than 18 miles from Central London. Nearby Borehamwood is home of the famous Elstree Film Studios, where TV shows as diverse as The Tweenies, A League of Their Own, Strictly Come Dancing and The Saint have been filmed. Indeed, in 1968, The Battle Axes pub was featured in an episode of The Saint. With its rural location and spacious terrace, The Battle Axes pub is ideal for al fresco summer eating, whilst inside diners and drinkers will find plenty of period charm, including exposed beams, open fires and cosy nooks and crannies, the perfect backdrop to a romantic evening meal. Visit any day of the week and enjoy a tantalising menu of delicious pub food, including traditional Sunday roasts and seasonal dishes, complemented by a fine wines and hand-pulled real ales. The Battle Axes pub’s history is intertwined with that of the Aldenham House Estate, and can be traced back to 1840, when it was known as The Wrestlers. The estate was one of the broadest in Hertfordshire, stretching all the way from Aldenham Village, past where Elstree Aerodrome now stands, and beyond to the Aldenham reservoir. The landowner at the time was Henry Hucks Gibbs, the 1st Baron of Aldenham. Mr Gibbs was an ambitious and successful man. He made his fortune trading guano, a type of fertilizer, during the middle part of 19th century.

Facilities

Beer gardenCar parkDisabled facilitiesFamily friendlyFoodFunction roomOutside areaReal aleReal fireWiFi freeCask Marque

Pub reviews

Reviews

Jade

2 months ago

We popped in here after a windy walk and they were extremely accommodating from the moment we stepped in with our 4 year old and 6 month old. We had two adult three meat roasts and one kids meal and it was yummy and very good value for money. The toilets were very clean and the service was wonderful. Thank you and we will definitely be coming back again soon!

Red Goose

3 months ago

Excellent service. Staff very attentive. Timely service. Excellent food. Even allowed to mix and match from general and festive menu. Highly recommend. Always worth and visit.

Melanie Willimott

4 months ago

Sadly, this has really gone downhill. The portion size of the Korean chicken was more that questionable, the chicken was likened to rubber and the little pot of something was supposed to be cabbage, it was definitely onion which I have a reaction to. The salad contained strips of cucumber peel (the skin).. who eats that! There were very few people in there, which is hardly surprising. There are so many excellent eateries locally that this one needs to up their game to contend. The loaded chicken was slightly less rubbery but the bacon was complete fat. The cups are stained and the milk had a hair in it.

Lisa L

4 months ago

Lovely quaint pub with beams in the ceiling. Staff friendly and helpful. Great allergy service with an app and staff fully aware when taking food orders. The meals were amazing. So much choice for me needing dairy free food we went twice in our week away. Really high quality, tasty, well prepared food with some unusual options available. We felt really welcome to while away some time here reading our books after dinner. Thanks for making us welcome

Drelb 370

7 months ago

Well worth the wait... Following a fun packed 'outdoors' day with our youngest we looked for an out of the way, 'family-like' place to have an evening meal. A Google search for such a location within 5km of Elstree studios revealed this unusually named venue. Revues were OK though a repeated focus of concern was the speed of service. As we had no particular need to rush, Google Maps took us scenically to the spot. Arriving at around 6:30pm, first impressions were fine as we entered the modestly sized free car park. Set in the Hertfordshire countryside the place has the look and feel of a large, classic village pub with a beer garden perfectly capable of seating a hundred. A similar number could be catered inside on what appeared to be more than 20 family sized tables. Upon arrival, the beer garden looked busy though a dozen or so were saying their farewells and leaving for the car park. The restaurant was about one-quarter full when we were quickly seated and left with three menus, one for drinks and two for meals; one for adults and one for younger diners. Drinks were ordered and delivered within 15 minutes of sitting which was fine, as we let the atmosphere of this joyful establishment relax us into our dining experience. With the arrival of our drinks our food orders were taken. Given the speed of service reports we chose not to have starters but skip directly to main courses. Our three meals were all modified variants of what was offered on the menus so it was to be a good test of the kitchen's attention to detail. As we waited, we noticed more guests arriving and noted too that only two team members (Karen and Leah) were available to attend us all. Not once did they appear frustrated or pressured and were always with good demeanor. When beckoned for additional drinks they stopped and were immediately attentive to their customer's requests. Within about 20 minutes our meals arrived. This was certainly within our expectations of service speed and not of any concern. Leah commented that she'd checked with the kitchen to ensure that all our meals were exactly as ordered. Portion sizes were ample and none of us were disappointed with the flavour of our food. Within 15 minutes of finishing we were once again approached and asked if we wished to view the dessert menu. Given the lovely meals we'd just enjoyed we were all eager and tempted by dessert. Once again, the good pace between our orders being placed and the arrival of our desserts was perfectly acceptable and the deliciousness of those desserts was in line with that of our meals. All in all, the place is great, the service is great, the food is great. The balance between price, quality, quantity, taste and overall experience is absolutely perfect. Including gratuity, we paid less than £24 per head.

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Orchard Pig 0623
Orchard Pig 0623
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Orchard Pig 0623
Orchard Pig 0623