The Anchor Inn - A British Seaside Pub

The Anchor is a reworking of the Slip Inn, the pub from my third-round entry for the Build a Resort contest. The Anchor was actually the pub’s working title until very close to the submission date. This version’s on a flat lot, with the landscaping changed to suit.

The build is CC-free but has loads of store content – although most of it (especially the clutter in the main bar and attic) could easily be replaced by other items.





Once reputedly the haunt of pirates and smugglers, the main bar is now the social hub of the village, with salty old seadogs, genuine or wannabe, propping up the bar and a mix of tourists and locals packing the place out most evenings. A tradition has grown up of contributing items to the décor and, somehow,space is found for everything: interesting finds from shipwrecks and assorted other nautical bits and pieces, photos, press cuttings, flags, badges and postcards from around the world… almost anything is welcome.

The lounge bar has recently been refurbished in a more modern nautical style. It’s much quieter, popular with families and those in search of simple pub grub. The Anchor used to be a crisps-and-peanuts sort of place, and still lacks a proper commercial kitchen, but sandwiches, pies and pasties are delivered from the local bakery each day and there’s a cold buffet at lunchtimes during the main holiday season.

Upstairs is a games room, popular with the local teenagers. It has a dartboard, table football, a couple of ageing arcade games and a jukebox. An archway leads into an adjoining room with a pool table.

Across the landing, with its telescope for gazing out to sea, is a somewhat shabby but much-loved function room. Its stage and dancefloor have seen better days but it’s the home of assorted clubs, classes and committees and still hosts occasional celebrations. At the moment, it’s in the middle of being set up for a pirate-themed party, complete with music from a local band.

The attic holds an assortment of old furniture, stuff that may come in useful sometime and out-of-season decorations. I’m not at all sure why the Christmas tree is up and has presents underneath – maybe they’re just decorative. Either that, or the staff are about to have a private not-Christmas party up there.

Almost everything is usable. Sims can’t interact with the mini-fridge and coffee machine in the lounge, although the equivalent kitchen appliances are fine. The bar in the lounge can be used for practising mixology and Sims can sit at it but the cornicing gets in the way and stops them from ordering drinks or moaning to the bartender about their troubles. The bar in the main bar is fully functional. Only some of the chairs in the function room are usable, although (rather to my surprise) Sims can use the dancefloor and barre, despite the clutter. The instruments on the stage are all playable. I hope people will rearrange the room to suit their own games.

This version of the pub has a cellar with the traditional beer drop trapdoors. I wanted the original version to have a beer cellar but it was forbidden by the contest rules. It isn’t actually accessible in-game because I’d have had to completely rebuild the pub to fit the stairs in. The front wall includes a pinfold, repurposed to hold a phone box and litter bin.

The building is zoned as a hangout. Buzzler’s Build/Buy Restriction Choker or NRaas Traveler is needed to keep all of the furnishings, although it only seems to be the dishwasher that goes missing if no mod is used. The toilets are freely accessible to both sexes because the standard male-/female-only doors didn’t suit the style of the building. Daluved's A Better Washroom Door would fit in well, though. I’ve used a LLAMA as a phone box, although Hekate999’s British postbox and phone box would look really good in the pinfold.

All EPs and SPs (except Sweet Treats) used, although I think there are only one or two decorative items from stuff packs – the Boathouse had more. The treehouse is from Town Life but one of the ones from Generations could be substituted in.



Lot Size: 40x40
Lot Price (furnished): 173034
Lot Price (unfurnished): 66136

Additional Credits:
Thanks to KarenLorraine for hosting the ‘Build a Resort’ contest, to Armiel for Builder’s Island, where I built most of the contest entries and this version of the pub, and to Shimrod for the soft lighting mod – spending so long building in Sunlit Tides was giving me a headache .