The Brampton Halt is in Diana country, a big chunky country pub not two miles from where the Princess is buried at Althorpe House, this place set up perfectly for wining and dining the type of people who flocked there after the Princess death, its target lunchtime clientele even today, the elderly and the female of the species (with designated male driver) clustering around the noisy tables enjoying the off-season deals. Although numbers are a trickle up at the Earls manor they were surprisingly busy for a credit crunch Thursday night at the 'Halt', me mum treating the family to a good slap up meal from her Premium Bond win. The staff were very pleasant although our table for five (four at best) was appropriately squashed up and hidden away with the rest of us who there only for the February cheap deal, a free bottle of 'plonk' with every two main courses for £20 hard to turn down. Yes it was the old trick of serving you a ropey overpriced main course sandwiched between more exquisite starters and suites, making profit back on those extras and additional booze, a single glass of wine thereafter costing more than a parking ticket you would have got if you had eaten in Northampton. As I say the starters were good, well presented and flavored, around three quid each. The main courses were less sophisticated, the type of stuff that clatters on and off a service station rotunda, gammon and chicken burgers hardly cordon bluer. The salad vedge was so chunky and unoriginally served I could have made a face on the gammon, this kids menu territory. The sweet was a more superior fare, a choice of eight different ones, served in welcome big plates to suggest quality. But it's about value these days and feeding five people for £80 with two bottles of free wine is a cracking deal and the Halt is a nice, if formulaic, pleasant place to eat and enjoy those deals at. In the summer this place will be heaving, a pub fully geared up to holding on to its smokers with an excellent beer garden and heated outside areas, including stuff for the kids and the nearby reservoir bustling with wildlife making for pleasant evening walks with your lover. Like I say the pub is huge and has a games room and a lounge and bar for the locals, cable TV and two sets of toilets keeping the punters moving around the pub. The function room is big and the parking spacers even bigger, enough for 100 cars plus if you ask me. There karaoke and pub nights and so something for everyone. This is an old style family pub that has every chance of surviving this cruel recession that has seen 3 pubs a day close across the nation and 45,000 jobs lost in the industry since the smoking ban. In fact it's so keyed up it's even on wikipedia!

This is a pub owned by the McManus chain in Northampton is is one of their 'gourmet pub' style of venues. The area in which the pub is located is fantastic, Chapel Brampton - a suitably well-heeled area of Northamptonshire. It's located next door to the Lamport Railway which I am told is also worth a visit. We visited the Brampton Halt on a Saturday evening and the venue was packed to the rafters. It seemed that there was a good mix of local drinkers and eaters too and the atmosphere was excellent. The range of ales was limited, but what was there was very palatable and can highly recommend the locally brewed IPA by the Northampton Brewing Company which went down very easily on a warm summer's evening. The food range is pretty good, there's am interesting mix of gourmet-pub style cuisine and high-quality comfort foods, such as fish and chips and a range of burgers. The food comes well presented and is very tasty. The service is also very friendly and speedy. There's a large outdoor area with the biggest BBQ I've ever seen for when the weather is a little warmer no doubt and they also have a marquee for functions. All in all, very enjoyable experience, and will be back for sure.