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Country Pubs
Gloucestershire
ANCHOR
Church Rd, Oldbury-on-Severn, BS35 1QA. Tel: 01454 413331
• This 200-year-old pub is the perfect focal point for a day walking in the beautiful countryside of the Severn Estuary. Relax and recharge with a delicious meal from the restaurant’s huge range, or a well-earned pint of real ale, including Bass, Butcombe, Otter, the rather potent Old Peculier or Mr Perret’s Stout plus guest. Traditional English homecooked food plus some continental-influenced dishes using local produce, served in both dining room and bar. Under-18s not allowed in the bar, but welcome in the lovely garden and dining room.
There’s a large boules court for those feeling energetic.
BATHURST ARMS
North Cerney, nr Cirencester, GL7 7BZ. Tel: 01285 831281, web: www.bathurstarms.com
• Set in the picturesque village of North Cerney, right on the edge of the River Churn, the Bathurst Arms offers the intimacy of a traditional inn, combined with high standards of food, wine and accommodation. The restaurant, all stone fireplaces and antique settles, offers an ever-changing menu with fresh fish and much use of local and organic produce, there’s a full selection of real ales, lagers and beers, and at least 10 wines available by the glass. For warm summer days and evenings there’s a pretty flower-filled garden running down to the river.
Charity quiz night first Wed of the month.
BELL @ SAPPERTON
Sapperton, nr Cirencester, GL7 6LE. Tel: 01285 760298
• Logic might suggest that as the Thames’s easternmost end is famed for its geezers’ dodginess, its western extreme should be synonymous with good breeding. Venture here, ten minutes’ walk from the source of the river featured on a certain soap’s credits, and you’ll find proof via links to Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Lord Lichfield, Donald Campbell, Gina Lollobrigida, Sade and Liz Hurley, fiancé and nipper. The surroundings are smart but not stuffy, although a sign asks children to be quiet, well-behaved and to stay at the table. When our chap visited, he spotted 32 whites, 37 reds plus fine wines up for downing, along with four real ales including Bath Ales’ Spa and Uley Old Spot. Food then was locally sourced and country style including caesar salad, salmon with scrambled eggs, beef burger, calves’ liver and lamb rack plus Sunday menu. Smoke on the garden’s gravel or on the terracing out back or, if you’re really posh, have your butler do it.
One of the UK’s top ten pubs, according to the Good Pub Guide.
BLACK HORSE
Cranham, GL4 8HP. Tel: 01452 812217
• Cranham village is just off the main road between Painswick and Cheltenham, a couple of miles from Gloucester city centre; if you reach Prinknash Abbey, you’ve gone too far. This cosy, well-worn 17th-century pub has gorgeous log fires in both of the tiny bars, and high-backed wall settles, not to mention stunning views over the valley below. Good range of real ales, and wonderful food.
Very steep hill up to the car park, so make sure your hand brake’s working.
BOAT INN
Ashleworth Quay, Ashleworth, GL19 4HZ. Tel: 01452 700272, web: www.boat-inn.co.uk
• A real gem of a pub. A peaceful, unspoilt red brick cottage on the west bank of the River Severn. A fabulous well-stocked bar serves you drinks (four real ales at any one time) to enjoy while lazing on the grassy banks, or in the cosy front parlour. Closed all day Mon except bank holidays and Wed morning. Smoking area.
Annual beer festival in June (just held: look out for 2009).
BULL INN AT HINTON
Hinton, nr Dyrham, SN14 8HG. Tel: 0117 937 2332
• Boasting around 500 years of history, this is your archetypal pub (in a converted dairy). Two huge fires welcome customers drawn by the setting, the great selection of drinks and the regularly changing menu. Huge lawn with outdoor seating and the lovely sight of some pigs out back. Beers include 6X and IPA, plus seasonally changing guests, while ciders include Blackthorn and Stowford Press. Wide range of wines, available by the bottle or the glass. Children welcome in garden, which has a designated play area, and there’s a large front terrace too. Mains from the menu served 12noon-3pm (excluding Mon) and come in at around £9, and there’s a cracking Sunday roast served from 12noon-4pm. Food changes every six weeks.
Tue-Thur: any two meals from the Old Favourites menu for £15.
BUTCHERS ARMS
Sheepscombe, GL6 7RH. Tel: 01452 812113, web: www.blenheim-inns.com/butchers-arms.htm
• A traditional Cotswolds village pub which features in just about every good beer guide going. Unwind in the garden, taking in the pastoral surrounds of the valleys, or enjoy a real log fire while sipping local ciders and beers. A good selection of traditional and modern dishes available in the restaurant, famous for its fresh, locally sourced homemade food, with bar menu also available. Child-friendly and wheelchair-accessible in that the pub is the same level throughout.
Dates from about 1670, and comes complete with log fires, thick stone walls and mullioned windows.
CHEQUERS
Ferry Rd, Hanham Mills, BS15 3NU. Tel: 0117 967 4242 • Large riverside pub with a unique, curved frontage and attractive scenery all around. Three beers include Greene King ales, big on traditional pub food (done all day daily) including curries, chillies etc. Has its own restaurant offering glorious views of the river Avon. Heaters and covers on the sheltered patio.
Popular ferry stopping-off point.
DANEWAY INN
Sapperton, GL7 6LN. Tel: 01285 760297, web: www.thedanewayinn.com
• Flagstone-floored local in charming, wooded countryside, with terrace tables and lovely sloping lawn. Well-kept Wadworths IPA and 6X among five real ales on tap, Weston’s cider, and reasonably priced food. Small family room, traditional games in inglenook public bar. Good walks by canal, with tunnel to Coates. Alongside the large garden lies the Camping Sauvage site, a small campsite at really reasonable rates. Two tables with covers outside.
Amazing floor-to-ceiling carved oak Dutch fireplace.
DOG INN
Badminton Rd, Old Sodbury, BS37 6LZ. Tel: 01454 312006, web: www.cotswold-way.co.uk/doginn
• This pub's claim to fame is the enormous size of the menu - large selection of fresh fish, and veggie selection, all at great value, with mains starting from around a fiver. The atmosphere's cosy and dark inside, with a small courtyard and garden to enjoy the sunshine. Children have their own extensive menu, and the range of real ales includes 6X, Wickwar BOB and Doom Bar. Open all day, with food available lunch and dinner seven days a week.
Letting rooms available.
EDGEMORE INN AND RESTAURANT
Edge, nr Stroud, GL6 6ND. Tel: 01452 813576, web: www.edgemoor-inn.com
• This Cotswold free house offers great views and great homecooked food to match. Extensive range of daily blackboard specials, with plenty of veggie options: the Edgemoor prides itself on using local produce, including a large amount of fresh fish. Selection of ales includes favourites from Uley and Wickwar Breweries.
Big terraced patio with comfy seats overlooks the Painswick panoramas and surrounding countryside.
FARMER’S ARMS
Ledbury Rd, Lower Apperley, GL19 4DR. Tel: 01452 780307, web: www.farmersarmslowerapperley.co.uk
• Delightful village pub, with Henrys IPA, 6X and Stowford Press on draught. They used to brew their own beer here until Wadworth took the place over and moved the equipment to Devizes where it’s still used for their Pint Size Brewery operation. Excellent reputation for food and 20 wines from which to choose.
Smoking area being built will have heaters and cover.
FOX AND HOUNDS
Acton Turville, GL9 1HW. Tel: 01454 218224, www.foxandhounds.org.uk
• On the outskirts of Chipping Sodbury, this is quite the foodie gem, with a secluded beer garden. Offers creative catering to stimulate everyone’s taste buds, with delicious traditional and innovative food. Extensive selection of yummy daily specials complements the huge house menu. Two real ales, regularly changing but including Old Speckled Hen, Abbots and Spitfire. Smoking area.
The place for real food, and real value for money.
KINGS ARMS
The Street, Didmarton, nr Badminton, GL9 1DT. Tel: 01454 238245, web: www.kingsarmsdidmarton.co.uk
• Built in 1652, this lovingly restored, Grade I listed 17th-century coaching inn is just at the edge of the sprawling Badminton Estate and only two miles from Westonbirt Arboretum. The award-winning restaurant is renowned for many unique signature dishes. Fresh game is a speciality, and the seasonal menu, complemented by fresh daily blackboard specials along with a creative selection of lighter snacks and hearty meals, uses the freshest ingredients and the best local produce. Tasteful garden and patio to rear for roll-ups.
Annual rook pie night in June.
THE MASONS ARMS
94 Gloucester Rd, Rudgeway, Bristol, BS35 3QJ. Tel: 01454 412370
• Benefiting from a makeover in recent years, the Masons is a pub for all occasions, whether you’re out celebrating with friends, having lunch with the family or simply wanting to unwind and recharge your batteries. There’s a good choice of ice-cooled beers and wines behind the bar, while the menu ranges from snacks and quick bites through to full meals and chef’s specials. Three real ales from the likes of Butcombe, 6X, Spitfire, Bombardier, Landlord and Old Speckled Hen. Strongbow too.
Alfresco dining and drinking areas with parasols.
MAJOR’S RETREAT AT THE PORTCULLIS INN
Tormarton, GL9 1HZ. Tel: 01454 218263
• This creeper-clad treasure of a country pub, set in the pretty Cotswold-stone village of Tormarton, is comfortable, warm and cosy. Around six real ales on tap and an oak-panelled dining room/restaurant that seats up to 40, featuring a great a la carte menu and a weekly specials range, with huge portions and horrifically calorific desserts.
A glorious way to idle away those long winter days or balmy summer evenings.
NEW INN
Waterley Bottom, North Nibley, GL11 6EF. Tel: 01453 543659
• What was a 19th-century farm cottage, then ciderhouse, morphed eventually into a pub among Britain’s top 500, according to Roger Protz. The large terrace enhances the alfresco facilities upon which can be eaten the traditional homecooked food changing every 3-6 months. Dishes like lamb cutlets with creamy mash in orange and mint sauce, pork tenderloin in wholegrain mustard sauce and fine cod fillet topped with tiger prawns evince the menu’s high standards. The cider’s fine too, with five draughts and nine bottles bagging the New Inn a Gloucester cider pub of the year award. Cotley, Wye Valley plus guest real ales.
Garden among the nation’s top ten, according to The Times.
OLD LOCK AND WIER
Ferry Rd, Hanham Mills, BS15 3NU. Tel: 0117 967 3793
• Splendid waterside pub with plenty of real ale - expect to find sups like Otter, 6X, Gem and Hobgoblin - and absolutely shedloads of space to sit and bask in the sun outside. It does a roaring trade during the warmer months - no surprise at all in this location – with the alfresco patio getting some heating for when it’s colder. Plenty of good, wholesome food on offer, with lots of vegetarian options, and everyone from nippers to the oldies catered for.
Beer and cider festival every August bank holiday.
OLD SPOT INN
Hill Rd, Dursley, GL11 4JQ. Tel: 01453 542870, web: www.oldspotinn.co.uk
• CAMRA’S national real ale pub 2007, wherein up to ten regularly-changing ales include Old Ric, Butcombe and Severn Session, with Westons First Quality and Stowford Press among the ciders. Previously the Fox and Hounds, the name change was a nod to nearby Uley Brewery and, naturally, the county’s distinctive porkers. Licensee Steve Herbert and wife Belinda have gone the whole hog in kitting out the place with paintings, photos and ceramic pigs, nothing being done by halves here. Regulars rapidly pick up the 200 newsletters left regularly on the bar and gave the piñata what for on a well-supported Mexican night. Affordable food includes confit of old spot belly of pork, Old Ric sausages and mash, haddock and chive fishcakes and a tasty cauliflower cheese.
Your eyes will light up when you do; this pub’s smoking area is the best our chap’s seen.
PLOUGH
Pilning St, Pilning, BS35 4JJ. Tel: 01454 632556
• Major changes here since Sue, Shaun and Clare arrived from the nearby Swan at Tockington, bringing with them some of its most popular dishes. The ‘demon devil’ pie, a hot and spicy beast and its menu mate steak, stilton and 6X pie, are always on for lunch. (There’s also 6X to be quaffed among the ales, naturally). Those with asbestos mouths should try the homemade Tocky burner, wherein you’ll find chilli, tabasco and curry powder. The less adventurous can plump for the lamb or chicken burgers or wraps, while the evening heralds pub grub like steak, gammon, fishcakes and lasagne. Sunday’s carvery is a must-book. Barbecue area used by private groups (often in conjunction with boules piste for fun team-building) and wonderful children’s play area with adjoining paddock and orchard.
The pub provided a venue for last year’s Severnsound Music Festival and will do so again come 2 August.
RAGGED COT
Cirencester Rd, Hyde, GL6 8PE.. Tel: 01453 884643
• Dating from the 17th century, The Ragged Cot is set beside 600 acres of National Trust common land, just outside the market town of Minchinhampton. Set to launch as we go to press by Miles Johnson and Ian Rayner, founders of the Albion in Clifton, Bristol, this traditional coaching inn has a beamed bar with exposed Cotswold stonewalls and open fires, offering a warm welcome to dogs, wellies and the local community. The dining room will serve a menu of classic rustic dishes using local suppliers as well as ingredients grown on site. Dishes will include fresh daily soups, sharing fare such as braised mutton casserole with rosemary dumplings, Cornish turbot and braised ox cheek with Somerset potato gratin and good old jam roly poly. The pub will also offer picnics to walkers and pre-order hampers for long, lazy afternoons on the lawn. Cream teas and freshly baked cakes will also be on offer daily. A private dining room will host parties of up to 12 people.
Accommodation in nine guest rooms.
RAM INN
South Woodchester, GL5 5EL. Tel: 01453 873329
• Very friendly, listed country pub, with six real ales, some of which are from local brewers, so expect Old Spot from Uley alongside offerings from Stroud Brewery, Nailsworth Brewery etc and around 6-10 different ales monthly. Stowford Press, Strongbow and Bulmers pear for your ciders. Food’s good, too - an Egon Ronay-listed menu that’s had a fearsome reputation for decades - with an ever-changing choice, all mains Mon-Thur just £6, with the Sunday roast a very reasonable £6.95, plus loads of chef’s specials and light bites. New terrace installed with furniture, while the heated courtyard has a timber enclosed area with all work in keeping with the existing Cotswold stone background. Naturally, those wonderfully scenic views are still to be enjoyed. Limited wheelchair access. Regular venue for Stroud’s Morris men. Quiz Sunday.
Has gone into more books than Roy Keane - Good Beer Guide, Good Pub Guide etc.
THREE CHOIRS VINEYARD
Newent, GL18 1LS. Tel: 01531 890223, web: www.three-choirs-vineyards.co.uk
• OK, so it’s not exactly a pub, but the Three Choirs Vineyard is one of the jewels in Gloucestershire’s crown. Visitors can tour the winery or Whittington’s brewery, which produces Cat’s Whiskers and Nine Lives ale, or stock up on cases of wine or sumptuous local food produce from the vineyard’s shop. The estate also boasts one of the finest restaurants in Gloucestershire, the proud bearer of two AA rosettes. Open seven days a week, hotel accommodation is also available, with far-reaching views across the spectacular vineyards and towards the glorious Malvern Hills.
Diners can enjoy lunch or dinner prepared by Café Royal and Nico-trained chef Darren Leonard.
TIPPUTS INN
Bath Rd, Horsley, Nailsworth, GL6 0QE. Tel: 01453 832466
• In a renovated 300-year-old building, pub meets restaurant with eclectic furnishing, exquisite wines and champagnes personally chosen and imported from small vineyards worldwide, and some great beers. They back fine dining here, describing their food offerings as being at the ‘top of the tree’ when it comes to what’s found in pubs, with a gentle bit of educating for the clients. It’s served 11am-3pm and 6-10pm weekdays, 11am-10pm weekends - check for bank holiday details - but whenever you dine, you’ll enjoy admirably relaxed service. Abbot and Greene King IPA are permanent fixtures: expect a guest such as Otter, Wadworth 6X, something from the Moles Brewery or even Stroud Brewery’s nationally recognised Tom Long. Stowford Press cider. Renovation in recent years has obviously cost a bob or two.
Bollinger awnings – very swish.
TROUBLE HOUSE
Cirencester Rd, Tetbury, GL8 8SG. Tel: 01666 502206, web: www.troublehouse.co.uk
• Les Routiers’ Dining Pub of the Year in 2003, taken over in recent years by Martin and Neringa Caws (the former’s pedigree including stints at London’s Michelin-starred Pied a Terre and as head chef at Marco Pierre White’s now-gone Mirabelle). The new arrivals aren’t tinkering greatly at a pub consistently rated in the UK‘s top 50. Their menu, drawing heavily on British/French cuisine, changes constantly and has featured delights such as sea scallops, caramelised cauliflower and cumin puree, with raisins and capers for starters and braised ox cheek with snails, potato puree and sauce bourguignon for mains. Wadworth’s 6X and IPA on tap, and around 60 different, carefully selected wines. Stowford Press on draught. Closed all day Mon, including bank holidays and Sun evening.
The 1754 building is haunted by the ghost of a Lady in Blue.
WEIGHBRIDGE
Minchinhampton, nr Nailsworth, GL6 9AL. Tel: 01453 832520, web: www.2in1pub.co.uk
• Who says two into one won’t go? This beautifully situated 17th-century pub in the middle of the Cotswolds is home to the magnificent two-in-one pie. This unique speciality consists of a large bowl, half of which contains the filling of your choice, the other half brimming with homemade cauliflower cheese topped with homemade melt-in-the-mouth pastry. Absolutely delicious. The rest of the menu is great too.
Fine range of ales and enormously friendly service.
THE WHEATSHEAF
Winterbourne, BS36 1JG. Tel: 01454 777931
• Old coaching inn, now also a hotel with 12 letting rooms, all non-smoking, all ensuite. The hotel’s popular restaurant provides an intimate dining experience serving fantastic freshly prepared food using only the finest ingredients, and can accommodate any specific dietary requirements. Cosy panelled bar with real ales on tap.New menu celebrates traditional pub grub at its best.
WHITE HART
Littleton-on-Severn, BS35 1NR. Tel: 01454 412275
• Ancient whitewashed country pub in the tiny picturesque village of Littleton on the Severn Estuary. This former CAMRA and Bristol Evening Post pub of the year has four or five real ales on tap (two Young’s and guests like Gem and St Austell Tribute) and an extensive wine selection. Enormous menu, with traditional pub fare mingling with more innovative fodder, while the pub and its lovely garden copped a refurb since last year’s guide. The whole place is extremely kid-friendly, with family room and highchairs.
Tell the nippers the story about the whale – they’ll love it!
WILD DUCK INN
Ewen. Tel: 01285 770310, web: www.thewildduckinn.co.uk
• Award-winning 16th-century inn in the heart of the Cotswolds, with 12 rooms for accommodation. Great selection of around five real ales and excellent-value menus, rated very highly by the top food guides, including Egon Ronay. Ales change weekly, but usually include their own Duck Pond Bitter. Children welcome. Award-winning garden, too. Help available for wheelchair users. Food served 12noon-2pm & 7-10pm, all day at weekends. Smoking area has umbrellas.
Surrounded by the Cotswold Water Park, with 80 lakes providing fishing, swimming, sailing, water and jet skiing.
THE WOODMAN
Park End, GL15 4JF. Tel: 01594 563273, web: www.woodman-parkend.co.uk
• Forest of Dean pub with very good menu and excellent beers including Old Speckled Hen and London Pride. Courtyard and beer garden. B&B available, with double ensuites from £55pn.
The Forest of Dean Male Voice Choir refresh their vocal chords after practice on Fri and Mon, and have been known to ‘perform’ ad hoc.
WOOLPACK INN
Slad Rd, Slad, nr Stroud. Tel: 01452 813429, web: www.woolpackslad.com
• ‘Lovely and fair’ lasses are called to the Woolpack to enter its inaugural ‘Rose of Slad’ competition. Based on the Rose of Tralee competition, women will compete by singing self-penned songs, creating something in craft, modeling a dress they’ve made – that kind of thing – in celebration of the wealth of local womanhood. Winners can be cheered with some fine local ales, like Uley’s Old Spot or Pigs Ear beside guests like Spingo from Helston and Westons or Stowford Press ciders. Locally sourced ingredients going into English grub served lunchtimes and Tue-Sat night. Popular with ramblers and scrumpy drinkers, this historic old inn has been the centre of village life for centuries. Live music Sat or bring along your own instrument for a jam on Wed. New patio is covered.
Made famous by Laurie Lee, author of ‘Cider with Rosie’, who was a regular here.
Somerset
ANCHOR
Ham Green, near Pill, N. Somerset, BS20 0HB. Tel: 01275 372253
• Picturesquely situated with panoramic views across the valley out back. A vast range of reliable, hearty, traditional pub fare at honest prices, served all day. Good veggie options and selection of baguettes, and Courage Best and Bass on tap. While the kids enjoy the play area in the garden which seats 54 - just the right number for a coach party - you get to play pool, skittles or darts.
Overlooks the village cricket ground.
ANGEL INN
172 Long Ashton Rd, Long Ashton, BS41 9LT. Tel: 01275 392244
• Traditional country hostelry with cobbled courtyard, only a mile or so from Bristol city centre. This old-fashioned pub boasts four real ales - Bass, Butcombe, Courage Best and a guest - three premium lagers and up to six ciders at any one time - four bottles, a draught and a barrel. Extensive wine list. Restaurant seats 24, with lots of outside seating in the sunny courtyard. Heated and covered smoking area.
The Angel has been an inn since at least 1597.
APPLE TREE
Shoscombe, BA2 8LS. Tel: 01761 432263
• Set in the centre of a beautiful rural hamlet, this is a friendly place serving the best of traditional English fare and three real ales on tap. This historic 250-year-old pub is better than ever, having been extensively refurbed in recent years, and now features good wheelchair access to all facilities and a pretty family garden. The menu boasts an extensive fresh fish selection direct from Cornwall, and booking is essential.
Expect the unexpected: eclectic offerings ensure there’s always something like ostrich, kangaroo or bison on.
BAR ONE NINE
19 High St, Keynsham, BS31 1DP. Tel: 0117 986 1974, web: www.baronenine.com
• Not a country pub as such, but DOW would be poorer for its absence so it’s going in here. When your humble author wanted to impress his wonderful Cheshire mates and their even more wonderful nippers Olivia and Alex when in town, they hit Bar One Nine, and an excellent time was had by all. Awarded top pub for customer service in the South West in 2005, with emphasis on local sourcing keeping things on a West Country tip. Reassuringly rowdy-free, the bar and restaurant holds appeal if you’re just dropping in for a coffee, a beer or a three-course meal. Choose from an impressive wine list, well-kept real ales, and a fair selection of lagers. The food is terrific and very affordable, with evening dinner mains starting at around £9, and booking is highly recommended. Monthly live music offers funk, jazz and Latin rhythms. Eat your heart out, Cheadle.
As swish as Cheshire without the prices.
BEAR AND SWAN
South Parade, Chew Magna, BS40 8SL. Tel: 01275 331100, web: www.bearandswan.co.uk
• A gorgeous Victorian pub in the middle of Chew Magna, six miles from Bristol. A roomy, airy bar with reclaimed floorboards, big bay windows, log fire and candles, all adding to the atmospheric feel of the place. On the beer front, there’s several real ales and a good selection of keg favourites. Cider-wise, there’s Brothers pear and Magners within a five-strong range. With a top-notch restaurant and a menu to match, it’s definitely worth a visit. Umbrellas and heaters on the terrace.
Two ensuite letting rooms, kitchen, breakfast bar and lounge room.
BIRD IN HAND
17 Weston Rd, Long Ashton, BS41 9LA. Tel: 01275 392329
• Three-room pub a very short spin from Bristol’s bustle. There’s a bistro feel to the dining, where dishes like a rack of ribs, Gatcombe Farm steak, marinated lamb chops, homemade steak and kidney pie and burgers line up alongside bargain Sunday roasts - £6.95 or a fiver for OAPs - worth a much longer drive. Outdoor area for smoking.
Ask yourself one question: do I feel lucky? Try the Monday pool nights.
BLACK HORSE
Clevedon Lane, Clapton in Gordano, BS20 7RH. Tel: 01275 842105
• A fabulously old-fashioned pub complete with snug, flagstones, settles, shuttered windows and an immense hearth - all the components of a true country pub. Indeed, it’s been known for horsy gels to tie up their steed outside. Real ale is big in these parts, with around six available from jacketed casks, including Butcombe and Spitfire, plus a small wine selection. Great garden, strewn with multi-coloured hanging baskets in the summer months. Food available Mon-Sat lunchtime. Heated and covered smoking area.
The 14th-century building was formerly a jail.
BLUE BOWL
West Harptree, nr Bristol, BS40 6HJ. Tel: 01761 221269, web: www.thebluebowl.co.uk
• Beautiful 18th-century Cask Marque Trust-rated pub just half a mile from Chew Valley Lake. Large beer garden, big children’s playground, and massive menus that include Chew Lake trout (seasonal), with licensee Tracy going out of her way to cater for those with special dietary requirements. Extensive range of excellent pub grub, from pies to veggie options, regular blackboard specials and an excellent kids’ menu. A choice of roasts on Sun, all excellent. Superb real ales (Bass, Bombardier and guests) and an extensive wine list complete the supping scenario. Food served 12noon-9pm daily. Four well-appointed letting rooms..
Kids welcome till 9pm. Good disabled access and facilities.
BLUE FLAME
West End, Nailsea, BS48 4DE. Tel: 01275 856910
• Extraordinary boozer run by the redoubtable Mick Davidson, comprising several rooms in an old stone-built house. Some wonderful inter-generational harmony sees toddlers engage with random oldies and aunties turning a blind eye to nieces’ back room snogging (because they were young once) within an increasingly rare, all-inclusive atmosphere. Usually three real ales plus guest, including London Pride and Butcombe, and there’s local cider (including Thatchers Traditional and Mendip Magic plus Blackthorn) all served straight out of the wood. Mick’s happy to let you burn your own burgers on his barbecue and make use of his covered garden area free of charge, but book in advance as the facilities are very popular with two local cricket teams and, indeed, all who’ve discovered this hidden gem. Covered pergola area plus chimenea to keep you warm while you smoke. It may not be easy to find, but by God is it worth it. Table skittles.
First and third Tue monthly expect to find marching banjos, accordions and singing indoors or outdoors – it’s that kind of place.
BOARS HEAD
Main Rd, Aust, BS35 4AX. Tel: 01454 632278
• Olde worlde traditional 16th-century building. Its convenient location to Bristol and Bath and the huge beer garden make it a popular spot for afternoons when it’s too nice to stay in the office. Brimming with beams, fireplaces and an extensive, impressive menu. Beers include Pedigree, Bath Ales’s Gem and changing guest, and there’s a terrific wine list too. For lunchtime snacks, one of the many daily specials or indulging in the a la carte menu - the homemade steak and ale pie is excellent - food is available both lunch and dinner times. Separate kids’ options. Open seven days a week, 12noon-3pm & 6-11pm. Smoking area.
Check the genuine boar’s head mounted on the wall.
BOAT HOUSE
Newbridge, nr Bath, BA1 3NB. Tel: 01225 482584
• This vast pub and restaurant concentrates on good, fresh food, featuring traditional favourites and a salad bar. A family-orientated atmosphere, providing entertainment for kids while the grown-ups enjoy a selection of real ales from owners Brains like SA Gold and Reverend James. Stowford Press cider also on draught. Umbrellas in the garden.
Garden runs alongside the river, offering a beautiful location with seating for up to 400 – know anyone needing to stage a wedding reception?
BOWL INN
Church Rd, Lower Almondsbury, nr Bristol, BS32 4DT. Tel: 01454 612757, web: www.thebowlinn.co.uk
• Popular 16th-century inn in a quintessential English village, only minutes from the Almondsbury interchange. An excellent selection of food, from freshly baked baguettes to salads, and more hearty main meals to enjoy in the traditional bar area, with a full a la carte selection available in the Lillies restaurant. Children’s meals available too. Six or seven cask ales always available, and a good range of wines.
Parts of the inn were originally three cottages erected in 1146 to house monks building the adjacent church.
BRASS MILL
Avon Mill Lane, Keynsham, BS31 2UG. Tel: 0117 986 7280
• Sizeable pub with a really inviting, warm feel. Beers include Butcombe, Tribute and Youngs, plus all the usual suspects lager and cider wise. Menu served Mon-Sat 12noon-10pm and Sun 12noon-9.30pm offers up traditional faves like beef pie, fish and chips and scampi beside specials. Beer garden.
Being near a weir brings that ace cool air and background babble.
BULL TERRIER
Croscombe, Somerset, BA5 3QJ. Tel: 01749 343658, web: www.bullterrierpub.co.uk
• Historic, three-bar 15th-century inn with great beers, Bull Terrier Bitter and Butcombe always on tap, plus revolving guest ales. Homecooked meals are served daily, ranging from homemade pasta and meaty pies to tasty veggie options. Children are welcome in the family room and garden.
Overnight accommodation available. Wheelchair access.
CAREW ARMS
Crowcombe, nr Taunton, TA4 4AD. Tel: 01984 618631, web: www.thecarewarms.co.uk
• New management took over last year at this multi-award-winning inn. A new sage green and cream colour scheme has freshened the look, with local photos and pictures dotted around lending plenty over which to pore. The food’s top notch, with fantastic Sunday roasts, impeccable speciality classics like confit-style belly pork with mustard mash and red wine gravy and locally sourced steaks standing beside pheasant from nearby shoots (in winter) on an impressive menu. Good range of real ale, spirits and ciders, and suitably unspoilt interior - massive fireplace, beautiful south-facing gardens filled with well-established shrubs, fruit and herbs. The stunning views beyond the large perimeter are an open invitation to walkers. Accommodation in the main building. There’s jazz on the last Sunday afternoon of every month. Private dining room caters for parties of up to 20.
Beer and blues fest 15-17 August has six bands and 12 brews.
CARPENTERS ARMS
Stanton Wick, nr Pensford, Somerset, BS39 4BX. Tel: 01761 490202, web: www.the-carpenters-arms.co.uk
• Created from a terrace of ivy-clad stone-fronted miners’ cottages in the heart of Chew Valley, this charming pub boasts big fireplaces, plush leather furniture and solid wooden tables inside. The menu changes regularly to ensure that only the best produce in season is used, be it fish directly from Cornwall or, when in season, local game. Both restaurants serve lunch and dinner daily (starters from under a fiver, mains from around £12), with an extensive wine list, dedicated children’s menu, terrace garden and a range of real ales (Butcombe, 6X and at least one guest on tap), all within easy reach of Bristol.
Twelve letting bedrooms, all recently refurbished and all ensuite.
CASTLE OF COMFORT
East Harptree, TA5 1LE. Tel: 01761 221321, web: www.castle-of-comfort.co.uk Directions: On A4134 between Burrington Combe & Wells
• A 17th-century pub with an incredible history. They specialise in steaks, but also offer great fish dishes, veggie alternatives and kids’ meals. Admirable booze options, with four real ales, lagers, wines and single malts. Large, well-managed beer garden with decked area, and an even larger car park.
They used to serve the last pint to condemned men on their way from Wells nick to meet their maker at Gibbets Brow.
CEDRIC’S AT THE WHITE SWAN
Misterton, nr Crewkerne, TA18 8NR. Tel: 01460 72592
• Genial free house with big garden and two traditional hand-drawn guest ales every week. Also one of the few pubs in this guide to stock Westons Bounds Brand Cider. Extensive range of dishes, from jacket potatoes to steaks, taking in fresh fish (sourced seasonally, so you might find rarer treats like john dory when it’s in), plaice, duck and chicken en route. Sensibly priced food and a cracking two-course Sunday roast. Outside tables.
The proprietors have been here since 1978, so must know what their customers want by now.
CHURCHILL INN
Bristol Rd, Churchill, BS25 5NL. Tel: 01934 852251
• Two real ales (Butcombe bitter plus changing guest), both served straight from the cask. The Churchill has two distinct areas, the main bar and separate restaurant - although you can eat or drink in either. The food is exceptional, offering a full à la carte menu as well as simpler and cheaper options. The beef and ale pie is delicious.
Open from 7-11am for breakfast weekdays.
COMPTON INN
Court Hill, Compton Dando, BS39 4JZ. Tel: 01761 490 321
• The Compton Inn is a quintessential English country pub in the idyllic village of Compton Dando – a short trip from Bristol. Head down the leafy lane, cross the Chew and you’re there. At the heart of village life for two centuries, it now offers a warm welcome to all thanks to a fantastic combination of excellent drink, food, hospitality and real log fires. Four real ales and three ciders are on draught, with impressive wine choices starting from a very reasonable £1.75 per glass, £11.50 per bottle. Traditional food includes sausages handmade locally, Pieminister’s wonderful offerings plus some decidedly scrummy baguettes from the Real Artisan Bread Company people. Soups and salad lunches popular with walkers. Beer gardens to front and rear plus two petanqué pistes.
The perfect destination on a sunny summer evening or a chilly winter one.
THE CROWN
500 Bath Rd, Saltford, BS31 3HJ. Tel: 01225 872117
• This 17th-century pub has a lovely beer garden and offers a range of good food served daily, 12noon-9.30pm. Two real ales: Courage Best plus a guest. Skittle alley, free to hire at weekends, and child-friendly. The weekly quiz on Wed pulls a huge crowd, and there’s monthly entertainment, with comedians and karaoke the order of the day. Heated and covered smoking area.Bouncy castle in garden all summer for kids.
CROWN INN
The Batch, Skinners Lane, Churchill, BS25 5PP. Tel: 01934 852995
• Exceptionally well-kept beer served from barrels behind the bar, CAMRA awards left, right and centre and great quality, substantial pub food with no frills. Throw in its secluded but accessible location, gloriously rustic interior with beams, flagstones and settles, the Provence-style patio (perfect for the Gitanes) and you have a destination worthy of its reputation. The casseroles change regularly while the pies, ploughman’s and cauliflower cheese make a humble lunchtime seem like the noblest dinner. If you’ve worked up a hunger cycling, walking or skiing (Avon Ski & Action Centre is nearby), the fare tastes even better.
Around a dozen real ales on tap, including RCH Brewery’s PG Steam, Cotleigh Batch, Palmer’s IPA and Cheddar Best, and three Thatchers ciders too.
THE DOVECOTE
Ashton Rd, Long Ashton, BS41 9LX. Tel: 01275 392245
• Traditional country inn with offering a warm welcome via open fires, freshly prepared food and regularly changing guest ales. Expect to find tipples like London Pride, Tribute and Butcombe when dropping in. Originally a farm cottage, parts date from the 1650s and it was once called the Coach and Horses.
Renamed the Smyth Arms after that ace family (lords of the manor and all that) back in 1749.
DRUIDS ARMS
Bromley Rd, Stanton Drew, BS39 4EJ. Tel: 01275 332230
• Hosts boules and occasional barbecues and serves enormous portions of faggots with chips or a spicy chilli from their vast menu, cooked by a new chef. Good a la carte and vegetarian selection available. Serves Butcombe, 6X and Doom Bar and locally brewed guest ales on weekly rotation. Located near a prehistoric stone circle, this spooky pub boasts some standing stones of its own in the beer garden. Children welcome, though not in the main bar area. Summer solstice features visits from local druids and morris men.
Regular quiz nights and charity mouse racing events, raising money for the local school.
DRUM AND MONKEY
Kenn Rd, Kenn, BS21 6TJ. Tel: 01275 873433
• A small, old-fashioned pub popular with locals and families. Serves Bass and traditional West Country cider alongside the usual lagers. Full a la carte is competitively priced, served daily 12noon-9pm. Midweek special menus cost £7.25 for two courses, Mon-Thur lunch and eves & Fri lunchtimes. Lovely Sunday roasts 12noon-8.30pm, and lovely garden, too. Five minutes from the M5 in the centre of Kenn. Monthly tribute band, quiz night Wed. Quiz run on Mon or Tue.
All-you-can-eat buffets on Mon night: could be Chinese, Indian or even African.
FAILAND INN
Clevedon Rd, Failand, BS8 3TU. Tel: 01275 392220
• This Victorian coaching inn oozes out-of-town charm, yet it’s just 15 mins from Bristol city centre. Enticing menu boasts plenty of wholesome homecooked food - curries, chillis, lasagnes. Daily changing specials board. In 1871 a former police constable hanged himself in the barn in a state of temporary insanity. Garden in which to spark up.
Extension added since last year’s guide.
FOX & BADGER
Wellow, nr Bath, BA2 8QG. Tel: 01225 832293, web: www.foxandbadger.co.uk
• This intimate 16th-century pub is a popular destination for country ramblers, with footpaths running through the hills and valleys around. The dining room hosts a full and varied menu, with steaks, lamb, game, fish and plenty of veggie fare on offer. Great puds include British classics - a very satisfying spotted dick - and the Sunday lunches are excellent.
Specialises in ploughman’s lunches, with a fine choice of cheeses selected by landlord Eric Hobbs, himself a master cheesemaker.
FOX AND GOOSE
Bridgwater Rd, Barrow Gurney, BS48 3SL. Tel: 01275 472202, web: www.thefoxandgoose.com • Pretty, family-friendly pub with big restaurant and bar, serving substantial portions of traditional pub grub favourites throughout at easygoing prices. Light bites and a specials board. Marstons Pedigree on draught. Nine rooms available, from £55 for a single (from £75 for a double). This includes car parking and they can sort you out a taxi which will leave you plenty for your holiday spends. Could this be the perfect way to ensure that you start and finish your holiday on a good note? Shelter and heaters for smokers.
Beer garden with a great view over the reservoir.
FOX AND HOUNDS
Farleigh Wick, BA15 2PU. Tel: 01225 863122
• This Bath-stone structure is a traditional roadside inn, providing two or three alternating real ales - currently Gem and Butcombe - and a full selection at the bar, including a fine range of new world wines. Licensees Brendan and Michelle Watkins took over in 2006 and have been busy refurbishing the grade II-listed building, as well as seriously upping the ante food-wise. Cuisine covers Mediterranean flavours and traditional touches, with plenty for the veggies. The place is usually packed with happy diners. Covered smoking area.
Great stop-off point for walkers.
THE FULL QUART
Hewish, nr Weston-super-Mare, BS24 6RT. Tel: 01934 833077
• Traditional real ale country inn serving a wide selection of ales, including London Pride and 6X. Homemade snacks, main meals and carvery dishes, plus homemade soups, paté and puds. Bar open daily 12noon-11pm, food served all day every day, with Sun lunch from noon. Large outdoor kids’ play area with grandstand view of the Great Western Railway.
Awarded Best Bar Team for the South West by the Morning Advertiser for 2006.
GARDENERS ARMS
35 Silver St, Cheddar, BS27 3LE. Tel: 01934 742235, web: www.gardeners-arms.net
• With fantastic views of Cheddar Gorge, the Gardeners Arms was originally built at some time around 1560 as four farm workers’ cottages for the local estate, converted into one building to become a licensed premises in 1926. Excellent menu, offering food cooked to perfection, and Courage Best, Butcombe and Bob plus Becks, Kronie and Thatchers Gold. Covered and enclosed smoking area may get heaters nearer winter.
Rear garden with kids’ play equipment and decking.
THE GEORGE
High St, Norton St. Philip, BA2 7LH. Tel: 01373 834224, web: www.thegeorgeinn-nsp.co.uk
• Reputed to be one of the oldest continuously licensed houses in England, this grade 1-listed building has offered its hospitality for nearly 700 years, with a long, complex history combining inn-keeping with the wool trade and a rebellion against the crown. There are two bars, two well-appointed dining rooms, a guest lounge and eight luxurious guest rooms which all have ensuite bathrooms. Food is hearty, well-sourced fare, including individual beef wellingtons, venison steaks, game casseroles as well as favourites such as ham, egg and chips. Smoke on the enclosed cobbles and take in the history.
The bench in the main bar is made from a 700-year-old writing table for a monk.
GEORGE
Manor Rd, Abbots Leigh, nr Bristol, BS8 3RP. Tel: 01275 372467, web: www.thegeorgeinn.uk.com
• An 18th-century pub that’s particularly popular on Sundays, due to the excellent roasts. The menu changes frequently - and there are plenty of daily specials to choose from - but the quality and value doesn’t. The George serves up traditional English food with a twist, all sourced from local, seasonal ingredients. With a good range of wines, beers and spirits at the bar, and four different real ales.
Lovely garden at the back, children welcome.
GEORGE & DRAGON
High St, Pensford, BS39 4BH. Tel: 01761 490516
• Handsome, historic (over 400 years old) former coaching inn with ties to the infamous Judge Jeffries, roaring open fires, exposed brickwork and original beams a-plenty. Beer garden, pool and bar billiards tables, its own skittle alley and function room. Food, served lunch and evening (except Sun eve) is traditional pub fare, but done with flair and from a menu containing the odd surprise: sausage and mash, ploughman’s, curries, steaks, lasagne, lamb’s liver and so on.
Family- and dog-friendly.
THE GLOBE INN
Newton St Lowe, nr Bath, BA2 9BB. Tel: 01225 872891
• Guess how many covers they can serve here during a busy week. Three thousand! Just be grateful it’s not you doing the washing-up. Big, warm, traditional inn with open log fires serving above-average pub food all day from 12noon. The menu includes all the pub grub faves plus some more substantial dishes, and children are welcome. Seating enough for 217 indoors and 110 in the garden. Beers include Butcombe, Tribute and London Pride.
The pub used to host talent contests in the 70s - Swindon’s finest export, XTC, came last at one of them.
NEW
HOLCOMBE INN
Stratton Rd, Holcombe, BA3 5EB. Tel: 01761 232478, web: www.holcombeinn.co.uk
• The ‘new’ designation above is slightly misleading because this pub originally cropped up in the Domesday Book as the Holcombe Inn. The Black Death wiped the village out, so in recognition it was called the Ring O’ Roses - in references to the markings on a sufferer’s skin - from 1970 until September last year. A paint job has spruced up the place but apart from that it’s business as you were on the food side. Menu changes seasonally, and has a European/English flavour, with as many of the ingredients as possible sourced locally. Fish is a speciality (try the roast cod with chorizo, Mediterranean veg and herb mash), while other mains might include crispy duck leg and venison sausage with cannellini bean cassoulet. Beautiful view of Downside Abbey from the garden. Splendid hotel rooms.
Double-sided wood-burning stove ensures a warm welcome.
HUNTER’S LODGE
Priddy, BA5 3AR. Tel: 01749 672275
• Restful rural pub with a garden popular with cavers, walkers, cyclists and locals. Beers are Butcombe Bitter and Blindman Mine with one guest, Wedmore cider plus Kronenbourg on tap. Wholesome, hearty food includes homemade soups, faggots and peas and cauliflower cheese. Open 11.30am-2.30pm and 6.30-11pm daily.
Landlord Roger Dors celebrated 61 years on site last year, having arrived at the Hunter’s as a wee six-year-old.
HUNTER’S REST
Clutton, BS39 5QL. Tel: 01761 452303, web: www.huntersrest.co.uk
• Family-friendly, privately owned free house featuring a beer garden with a miniature train that chugs around the grounds. The imaginative menu in the restaurant includes lots of eclectic and exotic delights as well as standard favourites. A room complete with toy chest means that families can relax in comfort. Beers are Bass, Otter and Butcombe and a weekly-changing guest. Smoking area sounds good and comprehensive, with a front, side and roof .
Accommodation available for those who can’t bring themselves to leave.
NEW
JACK’S BRASSERIE
Spinnaker, Harbour Rd, Portishead, BS20 7AW. Web: www.jacksbrasserie.co.uk
• Set to open around the time DOW hits the shops. Admittedly a country mile from being a country pub, this brasserie is set to follow the formula making its older sibling back in Bristol such a success. Admirable though it is, we couldn’t create a ‘country brasseries’ section for one establishment. Capeesh?
JOLLY SAILOR
Mead Lane, Saltford, BS31 3ER. Tel: 01225 873002
• You can get here by the winding narrow road but why not take the bike along the Bristol-Bath Cycleway, or even arrive by boat at this peaceful setting with its own river island and lock? There’s an enormous selection of quality bar snacks and more substantial meals which you can enjoy on the lovely heated patio or in the conservatory. Food is served Monday to Thursday from noon until 9pm, on Friday and Saturday from noon until 9.30pm and on Sundays from noon until 6pm throughout the year. The menu changes seasonally. Four real ales and a decent wine list. Barbecues on the cards for the summer, possible bank holiday partying.
Facilities now in place for pizzas cooked outside, which is where Friday’s live music will end up if it’s warm.
KINGS ARMS
Litton, BA3 4PW. Tel: 01761 241301, web: www.the-kings-arms.co.uk
• Quintessential 15th-century country pub with fireplaces, old beams and flagstone floors, rightly recognised by the Good Pub Guide. A huge menu offers everything from baguettes and lunchtime snacks to ham hock terrine, slow-baked pork belly, line-caught cod with garlic mash and chorizo and market fish pie and kale and grilled goat’s cheese. Those of a sweet-toothed disposition will be tempted irresistibly by King’s trifle, sticky toffee pudding or bramley apple tart tatin with Mendip vanilla ice-cream. The majority of the food is locally sourced, too. Open plan kitchen brings culinary theatre, a separate room is perfect for party dining, while redevelopment has brought a recent extension. The Chew Valley River running outside completes this fantastic venue’s appeal. Food served Mon-Fri 12noon-3pm, Sat 10am-3pm, Mon-Sat 6-10pm, Sun 12noon-5pm. Fine ales plus some amazing drops selected by the pub’s own master of wine.
They make a right pig’s ear of the cooking here – because they’re braised, cut into strips, breaded and served with caper mayonnaise.
KINGS HEAD
High St, Wells, BA5 2SG. Tel: 01749 672141
• Landlord Steve Wilson and manager Nikki McKinlay took over in October and set about sprucing up this medieval fortified house with Tudor extensions, with a cocktail lounge part of a new incarnation bringing comedy and, possibly, accommodation. The couple are full of clever innovations, with thoughts of shirt ironing offered on Sunday nights. Thankfully, the refurb enhanced, rather than removed, with the back bar’s stunning ceiling worthy of the journey alone. Grub is traditional yet modern, with whitebait salad, a cheeseboard, cod and chips, faggots, chicken and bacon stack, bangers and mash and ploughman’s going down a treat. Five-to-eight local ales always on, Merlin’s Magic a likely permanent fixture. Quiz first Wed monthly, live music Thurs, resident DJ Sat.
This pub dates from 1308 – happy 700th anniversary!
LANGFORD INN & RESTAURANT
Lower Langford, Langford, nr Churchill, BS40 5BL. Tel: 01934 863059
• An excellent reputation for quality food and drink attracts families and foodies alike. Bar snacks are available daily until 6pm (including prawns by the half pint), or choose from an extensive a la carte menu, with especially good fish and steak dishes, and regularly changing specials. Excellent traditional roast on Sundays, and a great range of Cask Marque-rated beers and guest ales.
Delightful courtyard at the back, play area in the garden.
LIVE AND LET LIVE
Clyde Rd, Frampton Cotterell, BS36 2EF. Tel: 01454 772254
• A typical 19th-century country pub in the middle of an attractive village, taken over last year by those marvellous folk at Bath Ales (so it has their marvellous look and feel too). Drop in, then, for the full range of those fabulous beers and a hearty menu. There’s a suntrap garden too, and ample parking space. Smoking area has a shelter and may be kitted out with heater.
Great Sunday roast for just £7.95.
LOCK KEEPER
Bitton Rd, Keynsham, nr Bristol, BS31 2DD. Tel: 0117 986 2383
• Fantastic location, five minutes from both the cycle path and train station, so whether you’re arriving by barge, bike or more conventional forms of transport, this pub will warmly welcome you. An excellent get-away-from-it-all spot within easy reach of both Bristol and Bath. Fresh fish features prominently on a specials board, which changes daily, with vegetarian options and a good selection of real ales, including Bombardier and Waggle Dance.
Fabulous location on its own island between the river and canal at Keynsham Locks.
LORD NELSON
Cleeve, BS49 4NR. Tel: 01934 832170
• While the eponymous hero was lacking in the arm and eye department, this pub sells a full range of beers, including the usual chain range of Foster’s, Carling, etc, Greene King IPA and Old Speckled Hen, plus many more. The large, colourful garden is good for families. Pool and skittles teams, too. Restaurant serves sturdy homecooked food with a Sunday roast worthy of the great man himself. Smoking area is covered.
Big, well-equipped outdoor children’s play area with climbing frames.
MILL AT RODE
Rode, BA11 6AG. Tel: 01373 831100, web: www.themillatrode.co.uk
• In the historic village of Rode on the river Frome, The Mill’s surrounded by landscaped gardens. Once a prosperous grist mill, it retains much of the character of its past, including the original waterwheel. Relaxed bar and dining area with seasonally changing menus. Food served all day - the 7 ‘til 7 menu offers two courses for £7.77 from 12noon-7pm, and the two-course set dinner will set you back just £14.95. The wine list offers lots of taste tips to guide the inexperienced, and the nippers are well catered for with a selection of organic kids’ meals.
If you’ve got kids, the play den is an absolute godsend.
MINER’S REST
Providence Lane, Long Ashton, BS41 9DJ. Tel: 01275 393449
• Charming and unpretentious 18th-century inn high above Long Ashton - a genuine country pub just a few mins’ drive from the city. Wholesome, homely food served lunchtimes includes ploughman’s, jackets and a meat and cheese combo called a squire’s platter, while your author remembers fondly an admirable double egg and chips. Super Sunday roasts too. This is a great little haven, a real reminder of what a good pub should be. The beer is always in superb condition - fabulous pints drawn straight from the wood - as is the Thatchers cider. Heated and covered smoking area.
Large garden, suntrap patio and lovely views across to Dundry.
MOOREND SPOUT
Union St, Nailsea, BS48 4BB. Tel: 01275 855336
• Lovely old pub with just about everything you could ever want. A decent range of excellent beers and ales - Bass, Butcombe and Speckled Hen, plus Thatchers ciders - and genuine homemade kitchen treats like cottage pie within greater specialisation in food. Heaters and shelter for smokers. Once hailed as ‘Nailsea’s undiscovered secret’ by the CAMRA folks (but presumably no longer undiscovered). Heater and shelter for the smokers.
A supposedly haunted former jailhouse, Judge Jeffries hung ‘em high here, apparently.
NEW INN
Dowlish Wake, TA19 0NZ. Tel: 01460 52413, web: www.newinn-somerset.co.uk
• Just south-east of Ilminster, this quaint 17th-century inn is very near Perry’s Cider Mill Museum, and set in some classic rolling countryside that’s offset by quaint little villages full of beauteous stone cottages. Local cider on tap, and beers include Butcombe, Otter and one guest. Extensive bar and a la carte menu, with weekday specials from around £8 and snacks served 3-5pm. Particularly good fish dishes. Wheelchair access. Four ensuite rooms.
Monthly fish, steak and quiz nights.
NEW INN
86 West Town Rd, Backwell, nr Bristol, BS48 3BE. Tel: 01275 462694, web: www.newinnbackwell.co.uk
• Never has a name been more misleading. With 450 years under its belt, The New Inn is still going strong. Food-wise, as well as more casual dining you can also enjoy the full a la carte experience. Dishes include homemade lasagne, moussaka and steak, with fresh fish always on. Food served lunch and dinner, and the traditional Sunday roasts are especially good. More ale drinkers have been dropping in to savour drops like St Austell Tribute, Webster’s Green Label and Courage Best, with at least two real ales always on. Decent wine list and nice garden area.
Getting a bit of a name for its music festivals.
OLD BARN
Bristol Rd, Wraxall, BS48 1BU. Tel: 01275 819011
• Quite a transformation has taken place here over recent years, with a newly designed bar, reclaimed timber in abundance, all manner of miscellany on the walls, and a welcoming, friendly ambience to boot. This busy little pub - literally housed in a barn - has no kitchen but a great barbecue set up in the excellent garden, and landlord Tony is more than happy for people to bring their own meat along. Superb selection of drinks, with four real ales served straight from the casks, and at least three ciders. Heated and covered smoking area.
Possibly the best-appointed pub within 15 mins of Bristol city centre.
OLD CROWN INN
Kelston, nr Bath, BA1 9AQ Tel: 01225 423032
• Lovely, quiet, olde worlde Butcombe pub with a large, mature garden, open fires and flagstone floors, plus plenty of outside seating and a sunny beer garden to boot. So old that no-one knows when it was built, with three old bars (one called the mortuary as coffins used to be kept there awaiting burial). There are five real ales, including Butcombe Bitter, and an excellent range of pub food. An adjacent barn has been converted into four ensuite bedrooms. Lunch, dinner and an extensive range of bar snacks are available. Heated and covered smoking area.
You know Americans call the khazi the ‘john’? There’s a local explanation.
OLD INN
18 Paul’s Causeway, Congresbury, BS49 9DH. Tel: 01934 832270
• The open log fires give the pub a warm and inviting atmosphere, and conversation is always lively in this real locals’ pub in the heart of the village. Once three different buildings: one end was a butcher’s and the meat hooks are still in evidence. Very attractive garden at the rear. Plenty of real ale on tap such as Pedigree, Youngs and Bombardier, Thatchers Traditional for the cider drinkers and a small but perfectly formed wine list.
Look for the leather straps hanging from the ceiling, bus-style, to steady you when it’s standing room only.
OLD STATION INN
Hallatrow, nr Bath, BS39 6EN. Tel: 01761 452228
• An established jewel in the pub-scene crown. With an a la carte restaurant in an old railway carriage, this is one dining experience you won’t forget. Food is served seven days a week, with baguettes, salads, jacket potatoes and old faves like scampi making it a lunchtime hotspot as well as a dinnertime treat. Ever-changing specials board, huge beer garden, real ales and five letting bedrooms, plus a weekly quiz on Sunday.
Available for private hire and wedding receptions.
PACKHORSE INN
Southstoke, Bath, BA2 7DU. Tel: 01225 832060, web: www.packhorseinn.com
• On winter nights, warm yourself by the roaring log fire in this wonderfully historic inn: the Bath stone inglenook fireplace is said to conceal an even larger hearth of medieval origin. From a door within the inglenook, there is the entrance to an old tunnel that once linked the hostelry with the church. The Packhorse Inn has a reputation for good food (very reasonably priced too, and a notch above your standard pub fare), real ales, and traditional cider, with a warm and friendly greeting to regulars and visitors alike. The garden offers magnificent views over the rolling Somerset countryside, whether or not you’re rolling your own.
Rumoured to be haunted by a monk’s ghost.
PLOUGH
High St, Wrington, BS40 5QA. Tel: 01934 862686
• Well-kept real ales stand beside a solid regular menu with stalwarts like lamb shank, cottage pie and fish and chips joined by touches like haddock and spring onion fishcake, Quorn curry and spinach and mascarpone lasagne. A monthly specials menu conjures dishes like Somerset pork chops, peppercorn steak, chicken and bacon pasta strips with lighter options and a kids’ menu. Sizeable garden, seating 200, plus its massive covered gazebo with patio heaters seating up to 70 due to host hog roasts, a kids’ fun day and more come summer.
Open mic every other Sunday with plans for lazy Sunday afternoon jazz.
PLUME OF FEATHERS
Rickford, nr Blagdon, BS40 7AH. Tel: 01761 462682
• A fantastic stream-side location plays host to a 300-year-old brewhouse and an annual duck race lasting around ten minutes (see below). Good quality homecooked food, with a menu that changes daily, all prepared from local produce, with bargain lunch and evening meals available. Serves a selection of real ales, including Butcombe and Doom Bar plus Thatchers Traditional. Children and dogs welcome, monthly quiz nights. Covered smoking area in small beer garden out back.
Barmaid Kay’s duck came second in last year’s race, nabbing her £50. This year’s is on 12 July.
PONY & TRAP
Newtown, nr Chew Magna, BS40 8TQ. Tel: 01275 332627
• This 300-year-old low-beamed beauty may be tricky to find but we promise it’s well worth the effort. Once inside, the olde world pub gives way to a fabulous contemporary restaurant. Whether dining casually at the bar or in the restaurant, there’s an emphasis on quality evident in dishes such as 8oz rib-eye steak with slow-roasted tomatoes and field mushrooms, pan-fried fillet of salmon, corn-fed chicken breast and homemade lasagne. Great Sunday roasts and a large range of desserts that are sure to tempt. Real ales include a monthly guest. Food served lunch and dinner. Closed Monday.
Fantastic views across the valley from the equally fantastic garden.
PRINCE OF WATERLOO
Winford, BS40 8AR. Tel: 01275 474930
• Everything you’d expect of a top rural pub, all blazing fires in the winter and well-tended beer gardens in the summer. Impressive and varied menu, with substantial portions of fish & chips - a ‘giant’ piece of haddock - steaks, Butcombe pie and chicken curry plus daily specials and Sunday roasts, and several real ales - including Butcombe and Courage Best - on tap. Hopes are for summer barbecues.
Refurb before Christmas saw the sports bar become a restaurant and the creation of a lounge area with leather sofas.
PRINCE’S MOTTO
Barrow Gurney, BS48 3RY. Tel: 01275 472282
• Three little bars make this a fairly cosy, very friendly little pub. Four real ales include Butcombe, IPA and 6X, plus cider and Guinness. Relax in the table-festooned garden. Good selection of traditional pub fare available at lunchtimes Mon-Fri 12noon-2.30pm, plus Sunday roasts and fresh rolls and sandwiches to fill the gaps at other times. Heated and covered smoking area.
Regular charity quizzes.
QUEEN’S ARMS
Celtic Way, Bleadon, nr Weston-super-Mare, BS24 0NF. Tel: 01934 812080, web: www.butcombe.com/queen.htm
• The original section of this traditional inn is a Mendip cottage dating from the 16th century, but inside is the real treat, with three rooms, and much chat and laughter permeating throughout. Butcombe-owned, a traditional atmosphere pervades, aided by all of the brewery’s favourites and several guest ales. Tasty, homecooked food, with good veggie options, available lunchtimes and evenings - they’re particularly proud of their steaks and fish dishes. Quiz nights some Sundays during the winter. Occasional live music.
Sunny patio and garden.
RING O’BELLS
Compton Martin, nr Bristol, BS40 6JE. Tel: 01761 221284, web: www.ringobellscompton-butcombe.com
• Just 10 miles from both Bristol and Bath, this Butcombe old-timer at the foot of the Mendips boasts a gorgeous beer garden with play area for the kids. Provided it’s not used as an overflow room, there’s also some space for parents and toddlers. Massive car park and lots of clubs - classic cars, fishing, arts, etc. It’s a CAMRA fave, serving up to four cask beers on tap, three ciders and loads of different wines by the glass. Good pub grub served Mon-Fri 12noon-2.30pm and 6-9pm, Sat-Sun 12noon-9pm. Separate heated and covered smoking area.
Folk music Thursday 8.30pm weekly.
RIVERSIDE INN
The Shallows, Saltford, nr Bristol, BS31 3EZ. Tel: 01225 873862
• A relaxing ambience awaits here, along with a menu showcasing wholesome, traditional homecooked food. Old favourites abound - traditional pub food is very much the order of the day - and there’s a sumptuous Sunday carvery. They’re not averse to the new here, though, with a ‘Black Rock Grill’ innovation introduced in January allowing you to cook your dish - steak, fish, veggie option - to your liking at your table. There’s also been a refurb since last year. Have we mentioned the picturesque riverside location and gorgeous views out over the lock? This is the ideal place to recharge those batteries and idle the day away. Marmel’s restaurant also on site open Mon-Sat.
Sat night live music, country and western last Wednesday of each month, cabaret last Friday of every month.
ROSE AND CROWN
44 High St, Wick, BS30 5QH. Tel: 0117 937 2198
• Go through Warmley towards Kingswood and past Bridge Yate, carry on straight over roundabout by the Griffin, over hill, past the Carpenter’s Arms, and look on the right for the Rose and Crown, set back off the road. Big on the eating front, this beautiful old pub boasts fresh fish on the menu every day, and the choice is extensive. Courage Best, Old Speckled Hen and 6X on tap, with around 15 monthly guests. Food served all day, every day, from 12noon-9.45pm, with specials, mains and a cracking roast available on Sundays too. Heated and covered smoking area.
Pleasant gardens and big car parks.
ROSE & CROWN
Parkfield Rd, Pucklechurch, BS16 9PS. Tel: 0117 937 2351
• Sweet little pub with a homely front bar pumping out a particularly well-kept pint of 6X. Food covers everything from basic baps and baguettes through to huge mains, with the emphasis on quality ingredients. OAP offers and dozens of daily specials: this is no gastropub, just an unpretentious one that happens to serve up good-value food. Admirably offers smaller portions for children and adults who’d rather have a choice. Doubtless you can get takers if you can’t manage to finish the brie, crispy king prawns, garlic bread and potato wedges comprising the Rose & Crown sharing plate.
The garden’s play area makes it perfect for kids.
RUDGLEIGH INN
Martcombe Rd, Easton-in-Gordano, BS20 0QB. Tel: 01275 373959
• Historic, cosy, characterful pub in a superb location, offering wide-ranging pub grub menu and an all-day carvery on Sunday with beers including Bath Ales’s Gem, Sharp’s Doom Bar or Courage Best. Easy location from the motorway. Lots of space for the young ones.
Sizable beer garden overlooks the cricket pitch.
SEYMOURS ARMS
Bath Rd, Blagdon, BS40 7TH. Tel: 01761 462279
• ‘Expect to find fishermen lamenting the one that got away or celebrating the one that didn’t with a pint and meal before turning in – accommodation’s available,’ wrote our chap. New management arrived here fairly recently, bringing with them a menu offering scampi, fish and chips, steak and ale pie, mixed grills and lasagne. Fresh trout in season – so not all of them get away. The back dartboard has been removed to create a fine dining restaurant. Butcombe always on plus two guests. Quiz last Thursday monthly, summer beer festival planned. Food served Mon-Sat 12noon-2.30pm & 6-9.30pm, Sun 12noon-9pm.
Live music at the start of each month.
SHIP AND CASTLE
Congresbury, BS49 5JA. Tel: 01934 832794
• Very child-friendly pub situated on the busy A370 to the side of the River Yeo. A local lady and her chap have just taken over, keen to realise this beautiful boozer’s undoubted potential. Hopes are for live music monthly, with karaoke on Friday already here. Good range of beers, including Abbot Ale, Old Speckled Hen and IPA. Homecooked grub available daily 12noon-9pm. Large, safe garden out the back with covers for smokers.
Blokes in the bar, ladies in the lounge, eaters in the restaurant.
STOKE INN
Bristol Rd, Chew Stoke, Somerset, BS40 8XE. Tel: 01275 332120
• Picturesque country pub close to Chew Valley Lake. Usually features something a bit special on a varied and extensive menu, accompanied by a pint of Butcombe or Smiles. Monthly theme nights offer curries and mussels, with Italian flavours and barbecues also making welcome appearances. Good vegetarian selection and Sunday roasts.
Fish and chip bar lets you eat in or take away, open Tue-Sat 5-10pm.
THE SWAN
Bath Rd, Swineford, BS30 6LN. Tel: 0117 932 3101
• Lovely little mid-19th-century country pub (converted from three cottages in a row of six) in Swineford, a tiny hamlet in the parish of Bitton. Chef/manager Matt Bales arrived here toward the end of 2007 after spending a year at another Bath Ales boozer - Horfield’s Wellington. By the time he did, last summer’s garden refurbishment had been completed. Cold weather fave slow-braised lamb shank with dauphinoise potatoes in Cumberland gravy will be back for the winter. Before then, a lobster and crab cannelloni using ingredients from Wing of St Mawes may be lining up beside a sun-blushed tomato and rosemary risotto topped with crottin, with lunch slates perfect for chatting, nibbling couples. Family day later in summer likely. House brews include Spa and Gem plus Butcombe.
Look out for heron and deer in the gorgeous meadow across the road.
THE SWAN
Rowberrow, BS25 1QL. Tel: 01934 852371
• One for the historical societies. Over 450 years old and made from three knocked-through miners’ cottages, this charming, traditional pub overlooks the heather-strewn beauty of the Beacon Batch. Most food is homemade and reasonably priced, and the choice is wide. The huge beef & ale pie with over a pound of meat in every one is very popular, while curries, steaks, lamb casserole and so on satisfy any appetite. Vegetarian options. Choose from Butcombe, Bass, Butcombe Gold, chilled Butcombe Blond for the summer, with regular guest ales. Do a very cheap pint of Thatchers (£1.85) as well. Food served lunch and dinner all week. Heated and covered smoking area.
Pub has been around since the late 1700s, and started life as a cider house.
TALBOT INN
Mells, nr Frome, BA11 3PN. Tel: 01373 812254, web: www.talbotinn.com
• With recommendations from Egon Ronay, the Good Beer Guide, the AA and Les Routiers, you can’t go wrong. This beautiful oak-beamed inn offers contemporary and traditional English and French cuisine courtesy of head chef Mark Jones, who previously worked at the internationally renowned Gidleigh Park Hotel. Lunches mean homemade soups, individual cottage pies and Devon mussels, and the evening a la carte features traditional steak, Guinness and mushroom pies, pan-fried calves’ liver with garlic mash and an excellent fish and seafood selection, all delivered daily from Brixham. Function room due to be constructed. Heated and covered smoking area.
You have to visit the stunning Tythe Barn bar, with beer served straight out of the wood, and a fantastic mural painted by local artists.
TUCKERS GRAVE
Faukland, BA3 5XF. Tel: 01373 834230
• An absolute one-off, well worth seeking out. Nicknamed ‘The Pub That Time Forgot’, this enchanting inn doesn’t even have a bar. Beers such as Butcombe, Bass and Cheddar Valley cider are served straight from barrels piled up in the window. The pub, rooted to tradition, doesn’t serve hot food, though they seem quite happy to rustle you up a sandwich if you ask nicely. Otherwise, it’s shelves of chocolate (in the cooler weather), crisps and nuts next to the barrels. Skittles and shove ha’penny round off the truly traditional feel.
Large garden at the back coming into flower as we go to press and a very friendly atmosphere.
WHEATSHEAF
Combe Hay, nr Bath, BA2 7EG. Tel: 01225 833504
• ‘Even I, the Princess of Prattle, was moved to quit the inane babble for a moment in favour of a bit of quiet contemplation as the sun set on one of the most divine visions of pastoral paradise in the West Country,’ wrote Venue’s Princess of Poetry when wafting into the Wheat. Nestled in gorgeous countryside, this beautifully preserved inn - now a contemporary gastropub - started life as a private house in 1576. Real ales, an outstanding wine list and a huge, frequently changing menu that ranges from a small but great-value bar food selection (including their famous ploughman’s) to a delicious a la carte menu specialising in game (in season) and fresh fish. The attention given to the mains carries through to the imaginative dessert menu and its cheese counterpart, upon which you’ll find French fromage and its English cousin. It’s the perfect place for a Sunday roast and, if you can’t bear to tear yourself away, there’s accommodation too. Large summer beer garden with 30 tables. Open lunch and dinner (occasionally extending to all day during the summer), with lovely locally brewed ales and ciders. Beautiful terraced garden.
Some hard-to-find Japanese lager on tap.
WHEELWRIGHT’S ARMS
Church Lane, Monkton Combe, Bath, BA2 7HB. Tel: 01225 722287, web: www.wheelwrightsarms.co.uk
• Nestled in the peaceful village of Monkton Combe, the buildings were originally constructed by William Harold, a carpenter, who built a house and workshop here around 1750. In 1871, William Harold III converted the house into a public house and in 1981 the workshops were converted into bed and breakfast accommodation. Ostensibly a pub with real ales, fine wines and great food, menus are changed regularly and include bar snacks, light lunches and a full a la carte. All dishes are prepared and cooked on the premises from local ingredients where possible, although there are no sea bass in the river or canals nearby! Sound ale and wine choice. Food served 12noon-3pm and 6pm-close daily.
The stunning view across the valley will take your breath away!
WHITE HART
Wrington Rd, Congresbury, BS49 5AR. Tel: 01934 833303
• You might have spotted this lovely pub awash with character on the local news before Christmas when a tree with 10,000 light bulbs helped raise funds for the Wallace and Gromit appeal. There are plenty of highlights in the simple, honest, regularly changing menu, too, with steak and Badger ale pie, liver and bacon, calves’ livers, roast avocado and a delicious spinach and feta cheese dish among the veggie options. Boss Murat has arrived since last year’s guide and now stages monthly Turkish nights. Special dietary requirements catered for. Three real ales, including Badger and Tanglefoot.
May Day saw a marquee and plenty of fun and games.
WHITE HART
Cross, BS26 2EE. Tel: 01934 732260
• Warm, friendly pub just off A38 along from Crook’s Peak. The food’s seriously tasty and reasonably priced for the quality, putting many an expensive restaurant to shame. Extensive bar with real ales (St Austell Tribute, Butcombe, Doom Bar, Courage Best plus occasional guest). Open noon daily, closes midnight Mon-Thur, 1am Fri-Sat and 11.30pm Sun. If the Hanging Judge’s victim’s ghost (see below) wants a last smoke, he can do it under heaters and covers.
Reputed to have a resident ghost, a victim of Judge Jeffreys’s 17th-century bloody assizes.
WHITE HART
The Folly, Cold Ashton, SN14 8JR. Tel: 01225 891233
• On the main A420 Chippenham Road, this former 16th-century coaching inn is a real Cotswold charmer. The menu changes regularly but the Sunday roasts coming with a choice of five meats is a constant feature. Real ale, great atmosphere and food to die for: the duck and bacon pie is outstanding and food is served both lunch and dinner time.
The Wurzels memorably gigged here in 2005.
WINFORD ARMS
Bridgwater Rd, Dundry, BS41 8JP. Tel: 01275 392178, web: www.winfordarms.co.uk
• Great mock-Tudor country pub, built in the 1800s. Well-deserved reputation for good-quality, reasonably priced food, served from 12noon-10pm daily, 8pm Sun. The extensive menu features something for everyone. Massive beer garden with safe area for kids, and a selection of real ales including Courage Best and Bass. Heated and covered smoking area.
Voted Pub of the Year 2004 by Bristol Evening Post readers.
WOOKEY HOLE INN
Wookey Hole, Wells, Somerset, BA5 1BP. Tel: 01749 676677, web: www.wookeyholeinn.com
• A fab, funky interior hides behind the traditional frontage of this historic inn in the beautiful Mendips. Four guest ales, extensive wine list and delicious dishes. Menu changes daily, always including a great vegetarian choice, and all food’s locally sourced and free-range. Try the oven-roasted lamb rump served with sautéed spinach and courgette, or the cheese and chervil mashed potato and leek tart with a sloe berry and red onion jus. The walled sculpture garden seats over 100, with a sunken area and boat deck for truly decadent afternoons. Five ensuite individually designed rooms boast Japanese king-style beds complete with cult video libraries. Excellent live jazz on the last Sunday of each month - phone ahead for details.
Boasts the widest selection of Belgian beer on draught in England.
WOOLPACK INN
Beckington, nr Bath/Frome, BA11 6SP. Tel: 01373 831244
• Traditional 16th-century coaching inn steeped in history and serving traditional Greene King real ales. The main area on the ground floor is divided into the bar, with its stone floor and open log fire, and a separate dining area which, together with the Oak Room and Garden Room, makes it an ideal place for a quick snack or that special meal. The dinner menu features everything from homemade pizzas and soups through to dishes using game from the local shoot and fresh fish delivered daily from Brixham.
Beckington achieved prosperity in the middle ages as a result of the wool trade, hence the name.
South Wales
ANCHOR
Opposite the Abbey, Tintern, Monmouthshire, NP16 6TH. Tel: 01291 689207
• You’ve got to hand it to them Cistercian builders, who knocked up Tintern Abbey way back in 1131. Did a fine job, they did; the roof’s gone but pretty much everything else looks as new as the day they put it up. Check for yourself while visiting this historic boozer, parts of which date back as far as the abbey. Ponder all this extraordinary engineering over a pint of Doom Bar, Old Speckled Hen, or Brains ales, with Thatchers Gold and Cheddar Valley ciders also done. Bar meals include fish and chips, steaks etc. Large garden.
Pre- or post-refreshment, stroll across the bridge and along the path the other side, a walk which greatly impressed your author’s Parisian mates.
THE BLACK BEAR
Bettws Newydd, Usk, NP15 1JN. Tel: 01873 880701
• Characterful 16th-century inn with a change of management and new patio and garden since last year’s guide. Two or three ales on include Wye Valley’s Butty Bach, accompanied by a local cider. Wonderfully off the beaten track and equally wonderfully tiny, you’re doing well to get 30 people in. Open Tue-Sat lunch, Wed-Sat night. Two basic but comfortable letting rooms.
The archetypal ‘real’ pub – drop in and all becomes clear.
THE BOAT
Lone Lane, Penallt, Monmouth, NP25 4AJ. Tel: 01600 712615
• The Boat Inn is one of those places you can’t forget, reached by crossing an iron bridge which takes the traveller from England into Wales across the River Wye. Nice, old-fashioned pub with few frills but bags of charm. Tiered beer garden with lots of seating and good pub grub-style food which has improved vastly in recent years. Up to eight real ales available in summer (expect a figure nearer four when it’s chillier) plus a couple of local ciders and the obligatory real fire for the colder days. Tuesday sees a gentler groove brought by solo guitarists, duos and folk performers while things are (relatively) cranked in the direction of 11 when rock gets played on Thursday. Hopes for a beer festival in September.
Unusually, built against a solid rock face. Look out, too, for the raft race on September’s first Sunday.
CLYTHA ARMS
Clytha, nr Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 9BW. Tel: 01873 840206, web: www.clytha-arms.com
• There’s dates for your diary and plenty more besides at this multi-award-winning pub, three miles from Raglan with its famous 15th-century castle. August’s bank holiday will see a beer and cheese night, with around 28 beers and 20 cheeses on offer. You think those figures are high? They serve up around 350 beers annually here. Whitsun saw them stage the Welsh Cider Society’s perry and cider festival, and the whole shindig happens again in 2009. Ales on as we go to press include Felinfoel Double Dragon and a fine brew from the Evans-Evans line-up, with Westons Old Rosie among the two ciders. Welsh specialities mix with a truly pan-global selection in the restaurant. Veranda for the smokers, who may get a heater in the autumn. Oh yeah, and two acres of grounds. Well worth the bridge fare.
Hungry? The leek and laverbread rissoles, served with beetroot chutney, are rather good.
FOUNTAIN INN
Aberkenfig, nr Bridgend, CF32 0EW. Tel: 01656 721392
• The Fountain is a well-kept secret. The restaurant, just off the main bar, serves above-average pub food with a little bit of flair, and the Sunday lunches are always fully booked. Good family atmosphere and a quiet bar to retreat to afterwards. All real ales served are Welsh.
Very popular with both locals and day trippers.
GWAELOD Y GARTH INN
Main Rd, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, CF4 8HH. Tel: 0292 081 0408
• Highly rated by both locals and visitors for good food, great beer and friendly staff. A proper pub with real characters, where landlady Barbara Evans and her team have put a lot of effort into getting the mix just right. Umbrellas and heaters under which you can enjoy your tobacco.
Try the Welsh cider, Gwynt y Ddraig Gold Medal.
VINE TREE INN
Legar Rd, Llangattock, Crickhowell, Powys, NP8 1HG. Tel: 01873 810514
• The Vine Tree has an old stone cottage feel and a pleasant, friendly atmosphere. Doing things very much traditionally, this pub places its emphasis on good beer, good conversation and good food; the extensive menus include locally caught trout. Benches outside but not heaters or covers.
Great place to stop after a hike around the Beacons.
Wiltshire
AT THE SIGN OF THE ANGEL
Church St, Lacock, nr Chippenham, SN15 2LB. Tel: 01249 730230
• Elegant, traditional 16th-century inn with original oak panelling, antique furniture and low ceilings. The restaurant, candlelit on evenings, is renowned for its traditional English cooking. Daily-changing range of specialities include Lacock beef, fish direct from Cornwall, veggie choices plus a full a la carte. Great choice of liquid refreshments.
Perfect place for a weekend break or romantic evening.
BATH ARMS
Crockerton, nr Warminster, BA12 8AJ. Tel: 01985 212262
• This sleepy little village houses one of the finest gastropubs you’re likely to encounter. A beautifully restored country inn in a pretty Wiltshire village, with two fantastic suites, the Bath Arms offers romantic weekending or comfortable executive overnighting. The restaurant offers Great British food in a light and airy dining room: baked mushroom Welsh rarebit, loin of pork chop with black pudding and parsnip puree, and Bath Arms fishcake with Cornish crab and broad beans are just a few of the delights that await you. Bar food and teas also available. Three real ales always on tap, including two from local brewer Hobdens Wessex. Children welcome in restaurant and beer garden.
Occasional jazz.
BECKFORD ARMS
Hindon Lane, Fonthill Gifford, SP3 6PX. Tel: 01747 870385, web: www.thebeckfordarms.co.uk
• Delightful 18th-century country inn with real ale, log fires and a lovely garden. The excellent restaurant features local produce, and the whole place is set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Described by one regular as “a really nice country pub with wicked food”.
THE BEEHIVE
Trowbridge Rd, Widbrook, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1UA. Tel: 01225 863620, web: www.beehivepub.com
• Great country pub next to the Kennet and Avon Canal, with a good range of real ales, usually five, served straight from the barrel, with over 300 brews sampled in the last two years. Food, served 12noon-2pm and 6-9pm, is very good, with huge portions. Seating inside is limited and there’s often a short queue for a table, so booking is advised. Two brollies in the smoking area.
A long-standing rumour has it that the building used to be a brothel.
THE BELL INN
High St, Wylye, Warminster, BA12 0QP. Tel: 01985 248338, web: www.thebellatwylye.com
• Owned by The Hidden Brewery, this quintessential country pub is situated five minutes away from the brewery in the Wiltshire countryside, and is easily accessible from A303 and A36. The Bell serves delicious, locally sourced food, a wide range of beers, including The Hidden Brewery’s award-winning real ale, and a selection of wines.
Perfect for a pie and a pint, a full evening meal or a weekend in the country.
BUNCH OF GRAPES
14 Silver St, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1JY. Tel: 01225 863877
• Centrally located in picturesque Bradford on Avon, this is one of the town’s most prized hostelries. Complete with beams, fireplaces, candles and a fabulously warm, cosy ambience, this is a truly great pub. Excellent menu, monthly changing guest ales and good wine selection. The Sunday carvery is fantastic: two meats to choose from, alternating between beef or chicken and lamb or pork, at just £7.95. The puds are pretty wonderful too.
No pool or darts, just great beer and good conversation.
CASTLE
10 Mount Pleasant, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1SJ. Tel: 01225 865657
• A three-month refurbishment has brought in reclaimed furniture and fittings, quirky black and white photographs, and a range of board games - lovers of the Lounge chain won’t be surprised to find one of its ranks with a stake in proceedings here. A family feel and daytime café/bar function sees mums in for coffee after dropping the kids off. Our man was accompanied by big sis Rache. ‘Her pork pie and piccalilli (got) a thumbs-up, while his Kasteel Cru, a lager made with champagne yeast, is in keeping with the elegant yet easygoing air.’ Proper pub food includes stew with dumplings, 8oz sirloin and chips, smoked haddock on bubble and squeak, fish and chips, ploughman’s, sweet potato and leek cakes and specials. Excellent range of Flatcapper beers.
Four beautifully stylish bedrooms upstairs, some of which overlook Westbury’s White Horse.
CASTLE INN
Castle Combe, Chippenham, SN14 7HN. Tel: 01249 783030, web: www.castle-inn.info
• A 12th-century inn in the beautiful village of Castle Combe. Originally five cottages, all knocked together, it provides fine food for an appreciative and growing clientele. Menu changes frequently to reflect the freshest, seasonal, handpicked ingredients. Expect delicious food, a relaxed and stylish restaurant and welcoming bar. Regularly changing guest ales, with two on at any one time, plus a large selection of French and new world wines.
With 11 ensuite rooms, there’s no reason to leave.
CROSS GUNS
Avoncliff, BA15 2HB.Tel: 01225 862335/867613, web: www.crossguns.net
• The view here is as beautiful as anything you’ll see in this world or the next, and the food is worthy of the setting. Available lunch and dinner, with lighter snacks served all day, the Cross Guns mushrooms, cooked with lashings of creamy garlic and brandy sauce, the chef’s fiery black pudding or the chicken satay sticks with peanut sauce, are good places to start, but leave room for the awesome steaks: prime Welsh beef ranging from an 8oz fillet upwards. The bar’s range is enormous, with real ales, a great wine list, over 100 malt whiskies and mulled wine and winter Pimms for when there’s crispness in the air. Reservations for the busy, popular restaurant are essential at weekends. You have to try a pint of the Millworker’s Token Ale when it’s on: one former landlord also owned one of the mills, and wages were partially paid in his own tokens, which had to be spent in the pub. If you fancy a rural pub crawl, the wonderful Inn at Freshford is only a couple of miles away. Barbecues for summer.
Red Barkley wannabes should see if they can finish the 32oz steak.
GEORGE & DRAGON
High St, Rowde. Tel: 01380 723053
• Award-winning gastropub that deserves every accolade it receives – and it gets its fair share. Proprietors Phillip and Michelle Hale and Christopher Day have forged a formidable reputation that’s largely down to what they do with fish - the starter of scallops with black pudding, for example, is a firm favourite, as is the whole cracked crab straight from Cornwall. The vegetables are locally grown. Regarded as a restaurant that also serves beer, rather than the other way around, and food is served lunch and dinner Mon-Sat, plus the traditional Sunday roasts. They also have a great summer garden to enjoy your fabulous food in, and three letting rooms. Excellent value for money, with a three-course dinner around £60 for two. Party catering offered on the aforementioned garden or at weddings etc for up to 150 down to dinner parties of ten.
Awarded a star in Egon Ronay’s Gastro Pub 2006/2007 Guide.
HOP POLE
Limpley Stoke, nr Bath, BA2 7FS. Tel: 01225 723134
• It may have been the pub’s 400-year-plus history, log fires, great garden or impressive menu that persuaded the makers of ‘The Remains of the Day’ to take advantage of this gorgeous old watering hole and shoot the film’s pub scene here. More likely, it was all four. Excellent menu includes homebaked pies, fresh local trout and homemade specials. Giant filled baps and other light bites, and three regular and one or two guest ales always on tap.
Large, attractive garden holds up to 120.
HOPE & ANCHOR
Midford Rd, Bath, BA2 7DD. Tel: 01225 832296, web: www.hopeandanchormidford.co.uk
• Set in the lovely Cam Valley and listed by both the AA and Which? pub guides, the Hope and Anchor is as renowned for its food as it is for its excellent beer - with Bass and Butcombe on tap - and its friendly staff. Choose from the more formal, 17th-century oak-beamed restaurant or dine in the bar, where the dishes are robust rather than fussy. Plenty of fish on the menu, plus homemade pies and rather good paella.
Great in winter, with its roaring fire, and the tiered garden is a godsend for soaking up the sun in summer.
HUNGERFORD ARMS
Farleigh Hungerford, BA2 7RX. Tel: 01225 752411
• Beautifully situated, with views out over the river and valley, including the semi-ruined Farleigh Castle. This old, pretty inn always has four ales on, including Wadsworth 6X and Otter Bitter from Devon. A solid pub grub menu includes steaks, fish and veggie choices. Hosts Hamish and Emma make everyone feel at home. Close to Iford Manor, site of some wonderful outdoor classical concerts. Sun is open mic Irish night. Covered smoking area.
Want to hear the fifth most important US song of the 20th century? Don McLean headlines the Trowbridge Pump Festival just down the road (24-27 July). We’re guessing he’ll do that one. Other bands gigging on the patio here.
INN AT FRESHFORD
The Hill, Freshford, BA2 7WG. Tel: 01225 722250, web: www.theinnatfreshford.co.uk
• This Grade II-listed building dates from 1745, and was once a wealthy family‘s summerhouse. Classy but cheerful, smart but relaxed, spend time here and the day-to-day is quickly forgotten. Box Steam Brewery beers, stylish yet substantial food (the sautéed sweet pepper impressed our chap immensely) and efficient, attentive and smiley staff. The garden is a beauty and can sit 100 alfresco diners who cop for summer barbecues. The bistro-esque menu takes lunches away from typical pub offerings, the food in general experimenting with flavours to create cuisine best savoured slowly. Kid- and dog-friendly. Easily accessible by train - a couple of mins’ walk from the Freshford request stop.
If you fancy a pub crawl with a difference, stroll over to Avoncliff’s Cross Guns – the helpful people here will point you in the right direction.
NORTHEY
Bath Rd, Box, nr Corsham, SN13 8AE. Tel: 01225 742333
• Updated and upmarket describes the Northey’s image, a mix of old and new which sits comfortably together: a gracious, discreetly glamorous but cosy bar and restaurant. Sublime starters like whole tempura soft shell crab with vine tomato salsa and mango sorbet and mains of pan-fried calves’ liver with apple mash and creamed leaks are helping maintain a deserved reputation for their big, unfussy plates of food with a respect for good ingredients. The desserts are a dream. Live jazz every other Wednesday.
Noel Coward used to work behind the bar here.
PEAR TREE
Top Lane, Whitley, nr Bath, SN12 8QX. Tel: 01225 709131
• Award-winning pub that boasts a stunning menu, mixing a multitude of influences from around the world, and culminating in an overall style that could be called the very best of modern European. They’re passionate about food, as is evident from the seasonal, daily-changing menu, which is largely locally sourced and often includes local venison and game. Puddings are fantastic, and so is the selection of drinks on offer at the bar, with three real ales and a top-quality wine list.
Eight ensuite bedrooms, so you may never want to leave.
RATTLEBONE INN
Church St, Sherston, SN16 0LR. Tel: 01666 840871
• The Rattlebone Inn dates back to the 16th century, but there’s been a hostelry on site since medieval times and its name has origins almost 1,000 years old. It comes from John Rattlebone, a Saxon warrior who fought in the Battle of Sherston in 1016. During the battle he was mortally wounded in the stomach, but - and here’s where it gets sketchy - got a stone from the local quarry to staunch the flow of blood and resume fighting. The expansive and imaginative menu, with most ingredients sourced locally, can be best described as classic country cooking. Our chap spotted duck breast salad, spring lamb, sea trout and 10oz rump steak within a solid offering. Boules pitch out back. Children are very welcome - just keep them away from the dozen or so malt whiskies on offer.
Quatorze Juillet was pretty spectacular last year.
RED LION
High St, Lacock, Chippenham, SN15 2LQ. Tel: 01249 730456
• A beauty of a boozer within a village owned by the National Trust. The pub itself was converted into a hardware shop for the BBC’s ‘Cranford’ period drama and provided accommodation to the Harry Potter security staff when filming took place. Here to stay for a good deal longer are recently arrived couple Jade Warmington and John Whitfield, who had earlier held a pub in the New Forest’s Linwood before time at the Clifton Wine Bar. Pleasingly wonky floors, characterful furniture and a fireplace dating from the early 1700s confirm the pub’s historical authenticity. Chef Linda, here 15 years, is famed for her pies and casseroles - “Like grandma used to make!” - while stalwart Joan has served loyally for 35 years. Food is homecooked comfort faves: expect to find dishes like 10oz Wiltshire rib-eye steak, 8oz venison steak, sausages and mash (vegetarian option available) and pork pie/vegetarian ploughman’s.
August bank holiday shindig.
RED LION
Wolverton, nr Rode, BA2 7QS. Tel: 01373 830350
• Set to reopen at June’s end following a major refurb. Last year’s guide described ‘a sprawling pub in an old building with church pew-type seats and very large tables’, so visit once the work’s done and see what’s what.
RISING SUN
Bowden Hill, Lacock, SN15 2PP. Tel: 01249 730363
• Staggering views over Salisbury Plain - apparently you can see up to 40 miles away on a clear day. The food is good-quality, imaginative bar fare, and on Sunday there’s a very popular roast. A minimum of four real ales are always top notch, and you’re guaranteed a warm, lively atmosphere. Child-tolerant, with a garden to die for. Live music every Wed.
Last summer saw a beer festival likely to be repeated this year.
RIVERSIDE INN
49 St Margaret’s St, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1DE. Tel: 01225 863526, web: www.riversideboa.co.uk • A unique find, this gorgeous listed pub on the riverbanks of Bradford on Avon offers a pleasing array of real ales, with Bob, 6X and Butcombe all making a welcome appearance, and fabulous food that’s easy on the wallet (mains around the £7 mark) is served lunch and dinner times Mon-Sat. They specialise in rather fine Sunday roasts, with vegetarian options. Large beer garden for balmy summer evenings.
Look out for offers and promotions on their website.
ROYAL OAK
72 High St, Corsham, SN13 0HF. Tel: 01249 713607
• Traditional two-bar Wadworth’s pub offering some seriously filling grub coming in good, healthy portions which includes Wiltshire ham, egg and chips, omelettes and vegetarian options. Alas, the Saturday morning breakfasts are no longer done but lunch is served Monday to Saturday lunchtimes and the pub also has a comedy club.
Landlord Nick Taylor “doesn’t let anyone go home hungry!”.
SPREAD EAGLE INN
Stourhead Estate, Stourton, nr Warminster, BA12 6QE. Tel: 01747 840587, web: www.spreadeagleinn.com
• Historic heritage pub overlooking Stourhead’s magnificent gardens. English cooking using magnificent local food, five charming bedrooms, beers like Butcombe, Kilmington and Potholer. Food ranges from sarnies, pies and specials for lunch to a dinner menu. Double rooms £110 per night. Covered smoking area.
Beautiful location with stunning courtyard.
SWAN HOTEL
1 Church St, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1LN. Tel: 01225 868686
• Attractive venue boasting a modern atmosphere in the heart of this bustling, historic town. The cellar bar is open on Friday and Saturday nights while the ground floor bar is open all the time and is rightly busy of a weekend. Food is classic English, well worthy of the spin from Bristol or Bath, with lighter dishes and a highly recommended fish pie for two to share. The restaurant has an a la carte menu plus set two- or three-course lunch menus.
Live music in cellar monthly.
SWAN INN
Kingsdown, nr Corsham and Bathford, SN13 8BP. Tel: 01225 742269
• Three hundred-year-old quarryman’s pub, chained to the quarry opposite to keep it attached to the hill. Excellent, homecooked food is on offer daily (both lunch and dinner) and the ales have been highlighted in the Good Beer Guide for several years now.
Accommodation is all ensuite and offers modern facilities, with real log fires ensuring a warm welcome. Commanding views down the Bybrook valley to Bath.
A real country pub with real food and real beer.
TOLLGATE INN
Ham Green, Holt, nr Trowbridge, BA14 6PX. Tel: 01225 782326, fax: 01225 782805, web: www.tollgateholt.co.uk
• This gorgeous gastropub draws plenty from Bristol and Bath, but also has admirers from much further afield. Its visitors’ book records praise from guests from Bordeaux, Texas and Durban, with the Harrisons from Oklahoma promising they’ll be back and the Sunday Times’s Michael Winner calling the Tollgate ‘a quintessential English country inn’. Owner Alexander Venables’s culinary excellence helped recreate the meal served on the Titanic’s last evening, a gourmet night remembered fondly by joint owner Alison Ward-Baptiste. Check the website for future events. The classic English with modern twist menu changes daily but expect lunch dishes like Valley Smokehouse smoked kipper, omelette Arnold Bennett and fish pie and dinner dishes like the signature beef wellington, veal holstein and vegetarian suet pudding. Varied game offerings include mallard, pheasant (“by the bucketload”), rabbit, pigeon, homemade goose sausages and a must-try squirrel pie. Add abundant hanging baskets, three wood fires, refurbished accommodation and ever-changing beer options, and you’re compelled to agree with Mr Winner.
The Observer noted that ‘chef Alex Venables’s pedigree shines through’.
WAGGON AND HORSES
Beckhampton, SN8 1QJ. Tel: 01672 539418
• This 16th-century thatched pub was given a plug by Dickens in ‘The Pickwick Papers’, and we’re happy to do likewise. Children welcome in the family room. Beers include hand-drawn Wadworth’s 6X, IPA and guest ales. Range of homecooked food with veggie options, with snack menu and separate restaurant.
Once the meeting place for Britain’s premier crop circle society.
WHITE HART
Ford, SN14 8RP. Tel: 01249 782213, web: www.roomattheinn.info
• Old wooden-beamed pub with outdoor seating by a stream, with loads of nooks and crannies and a great alfresco dining area. The food is excellent, with full a la carte in the restaurant or substantial bar snacks available, separate kids’ menu and loads of daily specials. Advance booking recommended, although they don’t take reservations for Sunday lunches, so start your pilgrimage early to get a table. Traditional beers are changed on a regular basis, and there’s an excellent wine selection. Has 11 ensuite rooms, from £79.95 a night – same price if you’re a double or with dozing nipper. Like everything else about this place, the smoking facilities are second to none, with down lighting, down heating and overhead covers. You can’t fail to be impressed.
The restaurant is built over a brook.
WHITE HORSE INN
Compton Bassett, Calne, SN11 8RJ.
Tel: 01249 813118, web: www.comptonbassett.com/whitehorse
• Tara and Danny have cantered from Canterbury to the 18th-century White Horse Inn and have set about upping what was already an impressive food ante with everything made on site from ingredients frequently locally sourced. Even bangers and mash here is a triumphant Gloucester Old Spot, traditional Wiltshire and wild boar triumvirate. Never mind five-a-day, their Sunday roast comes with five vegetables. Tara confesses to having put on two stone since arriving, but is keen to hit the hills to work it all off. Human accommodation is equally comfortable, with eight bedrooms for B&B. The skittle alley here hosts a crop circle group in the summer. Food served Tue-Sun lunch and Mon-Sat evenings. Ales include Old Legover, 6X, Piddler on the Roof and Fossil Fuel.
Two sheep, two pot-bellied pigs and five geese live in the pub’s two acres.
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