|
ANCHOR
Church Rd, Oldbury-on-Severn, BS35 1QA Tel: 01454 413331, web: www.anchorinnoldbury.co.uk
• Drop into the Anchor on 21 June this year and you’ll find it at the heart of the village’s annual fun run. Last year saw it and its large rear garden home to around 14 boules pistes used for registration, fancy dress comps, fairground fun, live music, a skittles final, raffle and tug-of-war. Draughts include Bass, Butcombe and weekly changing guest, with traditional English homecooked food like sirloin steak, lamb shank, belly of pork, lamb’s liver, lasagne, fish pie, ploughman’s and ham, egg & chips, made 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.
ANCHOR
Ham Green, nr Pill, N Somerset, BS20 0HB Tel: 01275 372253
• Picturesquely situated, overlooking the village cricket ground from the front, with panoramic views across the valley out back. Vast range of reliable, hearty, traditional pub fare at honest prices, plus sizable garden.
APPLE TREE
Shoscombe, nr Bath, BA2 8LS Tel: 01761 432263
• ‘The steaks, from Terry’s of Bath, are so good that one regular won’t eat steak anywhere else, while the fish from Wing of St Mawes gets here in no time at all,’ wrote our chap of this homely boozer in a beautiful hamlet. Mark and Mandy preside over a 250-year-old hostelry with a handsome flagstone floor, wheelchair-friendly toilets, impressive smoking area and slider in a sizable garden. Dining takes in baguettes, jackets, steaks, venison, kangaroo, sea bass, five-bean chilli and child-sized meals. Bath Ales Gem plus Wadworth’s 6X on draught, lagers are Stella and Foster’s, and there’s Cheddar Valley, Thatchers Dry, Thatchers Gold, Weston’s Traditional and a good wine selection.
APPLE TREE INN
West Pennard, Glastonbury, BA6 8ND Tel: 01749 890060, web: www.appletreeglastonbury.co.uk
• Taken over earlier in 2011 by renowned local chef Lee Evans and wife Ally. Find modern British dining at this pub dating back to 1680, where fireplaces and rustic tables create a warm welcome. Fresh fish and shellfish figure prominently amid quality food options. Perfect for a stroll – Glastonbury Tor is less than two miles away – with ensuite guestrooms, too.
REOPENED BATTLEAXES
Bristol Rd, Wraxall, BS48 1LQ Tel: 01275 857473, web: www.flatcappers.co.uk
• ‘Sprawling over several areas, shiny floorboards lend a stately home air aided by tasteful paintings and taxidermy – you half expect Bertie Wooster (or a ghost carrying its head) to appear. Look closer, though, and you’ll find furniture and menu items echoing the Lounge chain’s style. This may be Deco and Tinto’s posh country cousin, but their manner is relaxed, welcoming and similarly quirky,’ wrote our man. Find steak, chicken breast, burgers, pies, chops, fish & chips and fish among the mains and grazing dishes (sticky lemon chilli chicken wings, stuffed vine leaves, chorizo, crayfish, patatas bravas). Extensive wine list, too. Rear lawn/terrace area, downstairs cider bar and upstairs accommodation in the pipeline. The men’s toilets already have their charm, according to our fellow.
BEAR & SWAN
13 South Parade, Chew Magna, BS40 8SL Tel: 01275 331100, web: www.fullers.co.uk
• ‘I’m in a shirazy mood and the fantastically bodied beauty they serve here checks out wonderfully,’ wrote our man. Thirty-strong wine list accompanies a new menu bringing dishes like mussels, rabbit & foie gras terrine, fish & chips and local steaks, with desserts pf passionfruit panna cotta and chocolate fudge brownies. Draughts include London Pride, Butcombe, Grolsch, Ashton Press, Symonds Reserve and Aspalls. August 2010 saw a cider festival – a repeat in 2011 could be enjoyed in the sunny garden, which was awaiting floral and seating enhancements as we went to press.
BECKFORD ARMS
Hindon Lane, Fonthill Gifford, SP3 6PX Tel: 01747 870385, web: www.thebeckfordarms.com
• Bad and good news here: an extensive fire in July 2010 damaged much of the building (fortunately, nobody was injured), with rebuilding continuing as we went to press. Good news is that reopening is scheduled for July 2011, with bookings being taken for August 1 onwards. Expect great interest - the pub had just won Wiltshire Pub of the Year award before the fire, and had to cancel over 500 bookings in the six months following it. Praised by the likes of Times Online, food (to be served all day) will change constantly, but expect dishes like Middle White pork terrine, smoked Lincolnshire eel, sauteed chicken livers and grilled mackerel, as well as braised breast of lamb. Popular sitting-room film screenings are also due to return. Food Daily 12noon-3pm & 6-9.30pm
BELL
The Green, Frampton-on-Severn, Glos, GL2 7EP Tel: 01452 740346, web: www.thebellatframpton.co.uk
• Standing beside the 22 acres of what’s reputedly England’s largest village green, this is a quintessentially English spot, where the thwack of leather on willow resounds through the summer months. Indeed, Sir Richard Hadlee (first cricketer to 400 Test wickets) is an honorary member of the club that has the green as its home wicket. Main menu changes every three months (currently pork loin, lamb shank) with specials changing every other day. Said our chap: ‘The pork chops would have Homer drooling, while the free-range chicken is four epic lumps of bird that lived happily in gravy that’s a meal in itself. Railway sleeper-sized chips join my flavoursome spinach & mushroom lasagne.’ Friendly animals in adjoining barn and paddock.
REOPENED BELL
13 Frome Rd, Rode, Somerset, BA11 6PW Tel: 01373 830356, web: www.flatcappers.co.uk
• “We’d have blokes in tweed smoking pipes all day if it was still legal!” said the Bell’s GM Chris Gillam of his destination pub’s debonair demographic when our chap dropped in with dear mum ahead of Mothering Sunday this year. Wilfully quirkily decorated pub echoing touches of the Lounge chain and its rural cousins Bradford on Avon’s Castle Inn and Wraxall’s Battleaxes. Mum tucked into a marvellously meaty chicken & ham pie with ‘just right’ pastry amid a homecooked pub food menu also offering burgers, chops, sausage & mash, fish & chips and more. Three-to-five real ales include Flatcapper, with eight wines by the glass, and bottles bringing higher-end offerings. Village cat Dave’s rounds include the attractive rear patio; the taxidermy here isn’t going anywhere in a hurry. Our man concluded: ‘Come leaving time, Rode’s campanologists’ joyous pealing drifts across on the mild evening air - a ringing endorsement for the most appealing Bell.’
BELL AT SAPPERTON
Sapperton, nr Cirencester, Glos, GL7 6LE Tel: 01285 760298, web: www.foodatthebell.co.uk
• Over the years, this pub - near the source of the Thames - has acquired much recognition: Gloucestershire Dining Pub of the Year, and the Good Pub Guide decreeing it one of the UK’s top 10 pubs.
BLUE BOWL
West Harptree, nr Bristol, BS40 6HJ Tel: 01761 221269, web: www.thebluebowl.co.uk
• Helping out with the Chew Valley Bed Race on 9 July 2011 (entry deadline is 18 June), Eating Out West salutes that spirit and hopes it’s not too late to get the event into the Olympics. Beautiful 18th-century Cask Marque Trust-rated pub boasting large beer garden, big children’s playground, and massive menus that include Chew Lake trout (seasonal), excellent pub grub (pies, pasta, steak, burgers, veggie options, regular blackboard specials) and kids’ menu. Choice of roasts on Sun. Superb real ales – London Pride and guests - and an extensive wine list complete the supping scenario. Four well-appointed letting rooms, kids welcome till 9pm, disabled access to both bars, and disabled toilet. Food Daily 12noon-9pm
BOARS HEAD
Main Rd, Aust, South Glos, BS35 4AX Tel: 01454 632278, web: www.boarsheadpub.co.uk
• Olde-worlde traditional 16th-century building just off the M48 and near the site of the former Aust Ferry, if you’re after recreating the Bob Dylan ‘No Direction Home’ soundtrack cover photo. Huge beer garden outside; brimming with beams, fireplaces and eye-catching wall stuff within. Food is sandwiches, ploughman’s platters, fish & chips, pie of the day, lasagne, liver & onions and plenty more, including Sun roasts. Separate kids’ options. Pedigree and Ringwood Best always on, plus guest, with Foster’s, Carlsberg and Kronenbourg draught lager and Strongbow on tap. Open Mon-Sat 12noon-3.30pm & 6-11pm, Sun 11.30am-10.30pm
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, minutes from the Almondsbury interchange. Bar fare includes lasagne, steak, whitebait, mussels and sea bass, while themed evenings have taken in steak, fish, Spanish and Mexican flavours. Children’s meals available, too. Six ales on draught, Foster’s, Amstel and Stowford Press also on tap, and a good range of wines. Parts of this picturesque, whitewashed stone inn were originally the three cottages erected in 1146 to house the monks building the adjacent church. Onsite accommodation and alfresco seating. Food Mon-Thur 12noon-2.30pm, Fri-Sat 12noon-9.30pm, Sun 12noon-7.30pm
BULL INN AT HINTON
Hinton, nr Dyrham, SN14 8HG Tel: 0117 937 2332, web: www.thebullathinton.co.uk
• Located in a converted dairy with 500 years of history and two huge fires. Menu changes regularly and there’s a fresh fish specials board. Expect mains like steak & ale pie, fish & chips, burgers, lamb’s liver and bacon, ham, egg & chips, and stilton, leek & mushroom crumble. Permanent ales are 6X, IPA and Summersault, with Wadworth's St George & the Dragon current guest. Huge lawn with outdoor seating.
BULL TERRIER
Croscombe, Somerset, BA5 3QJ Tel: 01749 343658, web: www.bullterrierpub.co.uk
• The building in which this pub stands was first given a licence to sell ale in 1612. Boasts great beers: four always on, with Gorge Best ever present and the eponymous Bull Terrier Bitter appearing every couple of months. Homecooked meals served daily, from homemade pasta and meaty pies to tasty veggie options. Kids welcome, overnight accommodation (suitable for over-16s - located up steep stairs), and wheelchair access to pub.
CAREW ARMS
Crowcombe, nr Taunton, Somerset, TA4 4AD Tel: 01984 618631, web: www.thecarewarms.co.uk
• Annual beer and blues fest scheduled for August, and open mic nights on the last Fri of the month. Drop in to this multi-award-winning inn for destination dining - in the restaurant with views over the well-established garden or the flagstone bar with inglenook. Wed is curry night, monthly themed dining brought live flamenco guitar and food on Spanish night, and Moroccan evening brings belly dancing. Exmoor Ale always on, with two guests for summer. Accommodation in the main building and private dining room.
CARPENTER’S ARMS
Stanton Wick, nr Pensford, Somerset, BS39 4BX Tel: 01761 490202, web: www.the-carpenters-arms.co.uk
• In 2011’s Good Hotel Guide, this charming pub created from a terrace of ivy-clad stone-fronted miners’ cottages boasts big fireplaces, plush leather furniture and solid wooden tables. Regularly changing menu uses only the best seasonal produce in Thai chicken curry, fillet of sea bass, and belly of pork. Fish lovers get an annual festival, vegetarian dishes include linguini or mushroom, roasted red pepper & spinach risotto, with special diets catered for, given prior notice. Dedicated children’s menu, terrace garden and real ales Butcombe, Courage Best and Doom Bar currently on. Twelve ensuite bedrooms.
CASTLE INN
10 Mount Pleasant, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1SJ Tel: 01225 865657, web: www.flatcappers.co.uk
• With reclaimed furniture and fittings and quirky black and white photographs, Lounge chain lovers won’t be surprised to find one of its ranks with a stake in proceedings here. Expect dishes like steak, burgers, pork chop with butterbean & leek cassoulet, crab linguine, and portobello mushroom & chestnut pie. For grazers, there are pork & thyme meatballs, crayfish, hummus, devilled whitebait and stuffed vine leaves. Draughts include Flatcapper amid five real ales always on, plus Estrella Damm, Stella 4, Stowford Press and Lilleys Apples & Pears. Four accommodation rooms.
CATHERINE WHEEL
High St, Marshfield, nr Bath, SN14 8LR Tel: 01225 892220, web: www.thecatherinewheel.co.uk
• ‘Clean, smart and orderly, this is a rural pub with more than a hint of Pall Mall refinement. A chandelier hangs in the high-ceilinged dining room. It’s all a far cry from the day when a soot-covered monkey was mistaken for the devil - you had to be there…’ wrote our chap, who wishes he had been. This is an impressive building, with much of it dating back to the 15th century. Highly regarded for its homecooked food: pies, steaks, game stew, chicken tarragon and gnocchi, with Heston Blumenthal, Hugh Grant and Stuart Pearce among former diners. Using local produce when available, all food is freshly prepared. Eating areas include an elegant dining room and small sunny patio. Several real ales on plus an excellent wine list and comfortable ensuite rooms.
CROSS GUNS
Avoncliff, nr Bradford on Avon, BA15 2HB Tel: 01225 862335/867613, web: www.crossguns.net
• Popular? They served 500 people daily over Easter this year. Star-studded? Gary Oldman visited twice in August 2009, writing: ‘Thank you for the fantastic grub!’ Kevin Spacey and Ross Kemp have also been in. Food worthy of the setting ranges from starters like crab & avocado homard and Mexican garlic bread through 12 fish dishes and on to the prime Welsh beef cuts weighing 8-32oz. Five Box Steam Brewery beers (including award-winning Derail and Tunnel Vision) always on, plus ciders, fine wines (plus Gale’s fruit wines) and around 20 malt whiskies. Reservations for the busy, popular restaurant are essential at weekends. Onsite accommodation includes a four-poster bed.
CROSS HOUSE
High St, Doynton, South Glos, BS30 5TF Tel: 0117 937 2261
• Parts of this pub, which stands on an expansive crossroads, date back 300 years. Signature pies include chicken, mushroom & bacon, steak & ale and steak & kidney, with lamb shanks and hunter’s chicken also on. Owner Andre Large’s fondness for a good wine saw him give our chap a sample of a foxy shiraz when visiting on Pub of the Issue duty. A beauty!
CROSS KEYS
Midford Rd, Bath, BA2 5RZ Tel: 01225 849180, web: www.crosskeysbath.co.uk
• Traditional, historic, picturesque, family-friendly (kids get their own menu) country pub. Fifteen ales featured in a Royal Beer Festival staged here last April, while the second week of September sees a family shindig incorporating stalls, face painting and bouncy castle at this coaching inn built in the early 18th century, where original open fires remain in the wood-panelled bars. Everything is cooked to order, wherever possible using fresh produce from local suppliers. Meat, fish (delivered fresh daily from Cornwall) and vegetarian specials change frequently; a new tapas menu was set to arrive as we went to press. Doom Bar, Butcombe and Otter on tap. Extensive garden (one of the prettiest hangouts for smokers), dogs and walkers welcomed, and the no-jukebox/fruit-machine rule makes indoors peaceful even when it’s crowded with ramblers.
THE CROWN
Tolldown, Dyrham, nr Bath, SN14 8HZ Tel: 01225 891166, web: www.ohhcompany.co.uk
• Traditional country inn infused with sublime contemporary flourishes, from decor to menus. Food is Medi/modern British (including an impressive range of fresh fish), while roaring log fires, low beams and artful use of Cotswold stone add to the easygoing, good-time atmospherics. See website for foodie events. Food Mon-Thur 10am-9.30pm, Fri-Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 12noon-9.30pm
CROWN INN
The Batch, Skinners Lane, Churchill, BS25 5PP Tel: 01934 852995
• Wonderfully unspoilt and unchanging, boasting a gloriously rustic interior, 450 years of history and regulars by whom you could set your watch. Our man sampled some gorgeously flavoursome cauliflower cheese from a menu using locally sourced ingredients; the cattle in the field across the way star in the rare beef sandwiches. Other dishes include casseroles, ploughman’s lunches, chilli, lasagne and salads. Look out for annual carrot-growing and sloe-gin comps later in 2011. The terrace here is an absolute beaut; back indoors, the fireplace burns 10 months of the year. Numerous Camra awards for well-kept beer served from barrels behind the bar.
DOG INN
Badminton Rd, Old Sodbury, BS37 6LZ Tel: 01454 312006
• Characterful boozer on the Cotswold Way. Large menu includes fresh fish and veggie options, with mains from around a fiver. Cosy indoors; small courtyard and large garden outside. Children get their own extensive menu. Roasts and quiz on Sun; three real ales usually on. Letting rooms, too. Food Daily, lunch & dinner
DRUIDS ARMS
Bromley Rd, Stanton Drew, BS39 4EJ Tel: 01275 332230
• ‘USPs don’t come more spectacular than the car-sized stones in the Druids Arms’ beer garden. Possibly here 5,000 years, they’re an arresting sight for the least spiritually inclined, let alone the druids dropping in regularly,’ reported our chap, whose visit coincided with a druid wedding reception. Expect the unexpected whenever you drop in – Morris men should be back for the solstice, three ghosts allegedly reside here, and regular charity mouse-racing eves (the next at summer’s end) raise over £1,000. There are even unprintable goings-on behind Stanton Drew’s curtains if the stories that barmaid Julie’s daughters Lauren and Hailey told our man are true. Traditional, homemade, country fare includes ‘Full Monty’ omelette, casserole, curry, liver & onions, fish & chips, etc, with Butcombe, Doom Bar, Courage Best, Ashton Press, Thatchers Gold and Stella among the draughts. ‘The pub isn’t merely at the heart of its village; it is its village, but newcomers are welcomed with open arms – druid or otherwise,’ said our man.
DUNDRY INN
Church Rd, Dundry, nr Bristol, BS41 8LH Tel: 0117 964 1722, web: www.dundryinn.co.uk
• Fantastic view of Bristol offered nearby. As we go to press the licensees are in the process of selling, so food details are unconfirmed. Previous offerings have included seafood smokie, lamb’s liver, hunter’s chicken, beef chilli and veggie lasagne.
FAILAND INN
Clevedon Rd, Failand, nr Bristol, BS8 3TU Tel: 01275 392220
• Victorian coaching inn close to the gothic revival estate of Tyntesfield. Enticing menu boasts plenty of wholesome homecooked food - curries, chillies, lasagnes – plus lunchtime specials Mon-Thur. Five real ales on at any time currently include Butcombe Mendip Spring along with Butcombe, Doom Bar and Courage Best with Sagres and Butcombe Blonde. The pub has a dubious claim to fame: in 1871 a former police constable hanged himself in the barn ‘during a state of temporary insanity’.
FLEECE INN
Chapel Lane, Hillesley, Wotton-under-Edge, GL12 7RQ Tel: 01453 842072, web: www.thefleeceinnhillesley.com
• ‘Arrive via the A46 and there’s a stunning view to behold as you descend to the achingly quaint village of Hillesley, which makes the setting for Miss Marple’s murder mysteries look like the Bronx,’ wrote our chap. The interior here is more like that of a boutique hotel, with eye-catching wallpaper and smart carpets bringing the highlife to Hillesley. New management have added South African flavours to the food, with springbok salad and bobotie representing tempting departures from the rural-pub norm. Draughts Butcombe, London Pride, Amstel and Symonds quench thirsts. Live acts set to feature in a small music festival on August’s bank holiday.
FOX & BADGER
Wellow, nr Bath, BA2 8QG Tel: 01225 832293, web: www.foxandbadger.co.uk
• Last year’s guide mentioned the forthcoming book by author Michael Robotham, wherein murder in Wellow was afoot. ‘Bleed for Me’ has since been published, with readers dropping into this intimate 16th-century pub – one of the book’s locations. The ploughman’s here are something else - landlord Eric is a master cheeseman. You’ll find steak & ale pie, lasagne, bangers & mash, faggots, ALC options and fish on the specials board. Skittle alley, quiz first Thur monthly, and West Highland Terrier Hamish, now 12, is an enduring attraction. Four real ales - currently Doom Bar, Butcombe, London Pride and Gloucestershire’s Glory.
FULL QUART
Hewish, nr Weston-super-Mare, BS24 6RT Tel: 01934 833077, web: www.thefullquart.co.uk
• Very nipper-friendly, with steam trains passing here twice daily in summer, an adventure playground and a garden seating hundreds. Dog-friendly, too. Helen and Lee, who arrived a couple of years ago, have added some neat touches, not least the takeaway fish & chips (till 11pm Fri-Sat). What else’s new, pussycat? Tribute acts like Tom Jones bringing entertainment, that’s what. A 2-4-£10 offer includes gammon, pies, fishcakes and lasagne. Tue brings salsa, Sunday the carvery. Find beers like RCH Steam and Butcombe on draught, with one summer guest and two winter ones. Food Sun-Thur 12noon-9pm, Fri-Sat 12noon-10pm
GEORGE
High St, Norton St Philip, BA2 7LH Tel: 01373 834224, web: www.georgeinnnsp.co.uk
• January saw new manager Eddie, originally from Holland, arrive at what’s reputedly one of England’s oldest continuously licensed public houses. This grade I listed building has offered hospitality for nearly 700 years and stages medieval buffets for groups of up to 50. Two bars, two well-appointed dining rooms, a guest lounge and seven luxurious ensuite rooms. Even the courtyard’s ancient cobbles are worth contemplating - little wonder that numerous film/TV productions have been staged here. Seasonally changing food (served in bar and restaurant) is hearty and homecooked: beef wellington, venison steak, game casserole, ham, bubble & squeak. Beers include 6X, Henry’s IPA, Bishop’s Tipple and George & Dragon.
REOPENED GEORGE
Manor Rd, Abbots Leigh, nr Bristol, BS8 3RP Tel: 01275 372467, web: www.thegeorgeinn.uk.com
• Closed for last year’s guide, this 18th-century inn, popular with walkers, reopened in December 2010, with food offerings heading in a gastropub direction. Offerings range from pub-made pork scratchings to whole partridge with thyme-roasted parsnips, potato and bacon ballotine.
GEORGE & DRAGON
High St, Pensford, BS39 4BH Tel: 01761 490516
• New landlady Lauren arrived in January to serve light bites, jackets, hot baguettes and homemade soups and stews daily 12noon-5pm, with breakfasts on Sat mornings. This handsome, historic (over 400 years old) former coaching inn has ties to the infamous Judge Jeffries and boasts roaring open fires, exposed brickwork and original beams aplenty, with a pool table and skittle alley plus a function room. Bass plus two guests always on. Entertainment Fri and Sat.
GEORGE & DRAGON
High St, Rowde, SN10 2PN Tel: 01380 723053, web: www.thegeorgeanddragonrowde.co.uk
• Award-winning gastropub where fish is particularly renowned; the starter of scallops with black pudding is a firm favourite, as is the whole cracked crab straight from Cornwall. Veg is locally grown. Regarded as a restaurant that also serves beer, rather than the other way round, it serves lunch and dinner Mon-Sat, plus traditional Sun roasts. A great summer garden in which to enjoy your fabulous food (BBQs also planned) and three letting rooms - two ensuite, one with a private bathroom. Excellent value for money, with a three-course dinner around £60 for two. Party catering for anything from dinner parties of 10 to weddings for 150.
GEORGE INN
West St, Lacock, nr Chippenham, Wilts, SN15 2LH Tel: 01249 730263, web: www.wadworth.co.uk/lacock/george_inn
• BBC4’s ‘If Walls Could Talk’ (shown in May 2011) was the latest TV show or film to feature a pub dating back to 1361. Concentrating on labour-saving kitchen devices, the George’s dogwheel - a spit formerly turned by a specially bred dog called a turnspit - made for compulsive viewing. Lacock is tourist central, so you might not get a table immediately but there’s plenty to occupy any wait. Expect steak (cooked on a lava hot stone), pan-fried duck, venison, grilled sea bass and surf’n’turf noodles, plus specials like steak & ale pie. Our chap enjoyed a flavoursome goat’s cheese tart while his guest Auria swapped bacon for cranberry sauce to accompany the brie in her panini.
HOLCOMBE INN
Stratton Rd, Holcombe, BA3 5EB Tel: 01761 232478, web: www.holcombeinn.co.uk
• New management arrived in February at this pub which featured in the Domesday book. Originally known as the Holcombe Inn, it was the Ring O’ Roses from 1970 until the mid noughties. The food ante was been upped substantially, with starters including fillet of beef carpaccio, confit tomatoes, crispy quail’s eggs and truffle mayonnaise. Mains include the ‘Pig Plate’: slow-cooked fillet, honey roast belly, Bath chaps, black pudding with apple and vanilla, pea puree and red onion marmalade. Entertainment is similarly exalted - Tim Pitman, who has sung with the RPO, performed here on Good Friday. Double-sided wood-burning stove ensures a warm welcome, and there’s a beautiful view of Downside Abbey from the garden. Eight refurbished rooms, and Otter among the draughts.
HOP POLE
Limpley Stoke, nr Bath, BA2 7FS Tel: 01225 723134
• A star of the silver screen, with a scene from ‘Creation’ (based on the life of Charles Darwin) and the pub scene from ‘The Remains of the Day’ both filmed here. Hang around long enough and you might get a part as an extra. Over 400 years of history, a great garden, an impressive menu and finely kept ales.
HOPE & ANCHOR
Midford Rd, Bath, BA2 7DD Tel: 01225 832296, web: www.hopeandanchormidford.co.uk
• Freshly prepared traditional dishes, plus more modern counterparts, take in sausage & mash, fishcakes, fish and local venison. Great in winter, with its roaring fire, and the tiered garden is a godsend for soaking up summer’s sun. Butcombe, Bath Ales and Sharps examples of the three draughts.
HORSE & GROOM INN
The Street, Charlton, nr Malmesbury, Wilts, SN16 9DL Tel: 01666 823904, web: www.bespokehotels.com
• Bagger of four out of a possible five stars from the Daily Mail in July 2010, this gorgeous 16th-century Cotswold stone coaching inn has traditional flagstone floors, roaring fires, a stunning walled garden and separate children’s play area. Pop in for a pint and a quick bite or linger with family and friends - and Fido (the Horse & Groom is particularly pet-friendly). Expect quality food at sensible prices via seasonally changing, locally sourced menus full of imaginative modern British cuisine. Beers are 6X and Moles. Check website for events and offers. Food Mon-Fri 12noon-2pm & 6.30-9pm, Sat 12noon-2.30pm & 6.30-9.30pm, Sun 12noon-3pm & 6.30-8.30pm
HUNTER’S LODGE
Priddy, Somerset, BA5 3AR Tel: 01749 672275
• Turn your mobile off, step through the door, then choose from an array of beers kept in casks resting in a line like cannons aboard HMS Victory. Landlord Roger Dors has been here 64 years (licensee for 41 of them), having arrived as a six-year-old, and it’s likely that little has changed since then. Locals, cavers, walkers and cyclists enjoy three to four real ales supped in the homely surrounds indoors or the garden. Also stocks Roger Wilkins’ award-winning cider. Wholesome, hearty food includes homemade soups, faggots & peas, cauliflower cheese, pasta and chilli.
INN AT FRESHFORD
The Hill, Freshford, BA2 7WG Tel: 01225 722250, web: www.theinnatfreshford.co.uk
• This grade II listed building, convenient for the local station, dates from 1745 and was once a wealthy family’s summerhouse. Boasts a sizable garden. New menu was being put together as we went to press - contact the pub for details.
JOLLY SAILOR
Mead Lane, Saltford, BS31 3ER Tel: 01225 873002, web: www.jollysailorpub.com
• Arrive via the winding narrow road, by bike along the cycle path or even by boat at this peaceful setting with its own river island and lock. Selection of quality bar snacks and more substantial meals to enjoy on the lovely heated patio or in the conservatory. Menu changes seasonally. BBQs planned for summer. Food Mon-Thur 12noon-9pm, Fri-Sat 12noon-9.30pm, Sun 12noon-6pm
KINGS ARMS
The Street, Didmarton, nr Badminton, Glos, GL9 1DT Tel: 01454 238245, web: www.kingsarmsdidmarton.co.uk
• Built in 1652 and grade II listed. Expect three real ales such as Uley, Otter and guest Timothy Taylor’s Landlord. Fresh game is a speciality, and the seasonal menu, complemented by fresh daily blackboard specials and a creative selection of lighter snacks and hearty meals, uses the freshest ingredients and best local produce.
KINGS ARMS
Litton, Somerset, BA3 4PW Tel: 01761 241301, web: www.kingsarmslitton.co.uk
• Quintessential country pub with fireplaces, old beams and flagstone floors, dating back to the 15th century. New management (Louis, originally from Portugal) arrived in February 2011, and it reopened in April following a brief closure. Modern British food, served daily, all day from 12noon, includes pies, steak, fish and meaty mains to accompany IPA, Abbot, Butcombe, San Miguel, Beck’s and Aspall’s. Chew Valley River runs outside.
KINGS ARMS
Monkton Farleigh, nr Bath, BA15 2QH Tel: 01225 858705, web: www.kingsarms-bath.co.uk
• ‘Indoors, an L-shaped room boasts fat leather sofas, perfect for chilling with cocktails, and a classy dining area leading on to the county’s largest inglenook,’ wrote our man. ‘Outdoors, the extensive ivy covering this beautiful building’s Bath stone hints at its 11th-century priory origins.’ Food is English, seasonal and locally sourced: Scotch egg, crackling with apple sauce, crispy Devon whitebait, slow-roasted belly pork, herb-crusted rump of lamb. Around 20 wines available by the glass, with lots more by the bottle. This place is also known for its spirits - and not just its drinkable ones. ‘Waitress Emma asks about dessert before she in turn is asked about the building’s ghosts, telling of three kindly presences meaning no harm but moving things around when bored.’
KINGS HEAD
36 High St, Wells, Somerset, BA5 2SG Tel: 01749 672141, web: www.kingsheadwells.co.uk
• The building has been around for 700 years, though it only became a hotel/bar as recently as 1604 - the back bar’s stunning medieval ceiling is worthy of the journey alone. Grub is traditional yet contemporary: whitebait salad, cheeseboard, cod & chips, faggots, chicken & bacon stack, bangers & mash, ploughman’s. Three local ales: Merlin’s Magic, Potholer and guest. Function room, quiz, live music and karaoke
LANGFORD INN & RESTAURANT
Lower Langford, nr Churchill, BS40 5BL Tel: 01934 863059, web: www.langfordinnbristol.co.uk
• Award-winning rural pub enjoying an excellent reputation for quality food and drink, attracting families and foodies alike.
LIVE & LET LIVE
Clyde Rd, Frampton Cotterell, BS36 2EF Tel: 01454 772254, web: www.bathales.com
• ‘Four years to the day after the best party at a brewery ever, Bath Ales are again Venue’s hosts for a congenial evening,’ wrote our man. Freshly made, homecooked food takes in pie of the day, home-battered cod & chips, slow-roasted belly of pork and rump steak. The regulars are a witty bunch, with the formerly bookkeeping-studying barmaid Sheena - now assistant manager (congrats!) - offered books to keep by one wise guy when our chap was in. Doubtless there’ll be many smiles come Frampton Cotterell’s beer fest (15-17 July 2011) when 20 ales and ciders will be up for downing. Sunday quiz.
LOCK KEEPER
Bitton Rd, Keynsham, nr Bristol, BS31 2DD Tel: 0117 986 2383, web: www.lockkeeperbristol.com
• ‘Samir and Azenora Hadzigrahic spent three years running establishments south of the Thames before winding up here, and it feels like they’ve brought a pinch of Putney with them,’ wrote our man. ‘Indoors hangs an oar relating to the 1898 Boat Race, while in the fridge you’ll find a Young’s ale made with ingredients grown in Kew Gardens.’ British classics include ham, eggs & chips, fish pie, and sausage & mash, with around 10 mains on a daily changing specials board. All-day music on 21 Aug 2011.
MAJOR’S RETREAT AT THE PORTCULLIS INN
Tormarton, South Glos, GL9 1HZ Tel: 01454 218263
• Creeper-clad treasure where food includes homemade steak & kidney pie, curries and steak. Splendid oak-panelled dining room/restaurant seats up to 40. Pig’s Ear amid around four ales always on, with Wadworth’s St George & the Dragon slaying thirsts recently. Well-maintained garden features a fascinating mixture of trees and inviting clumps of greenery in which nippers can play hide and seek.
NEW MARCO PIERRE WHITE’S PEAR TREE INN
Top Lane, Whitley, nr Bath, SN12 8QX Tel: 01225 709131
• As we go to press, word reaches us of Marco Pierre White having bought this award-winning pub with its stunning modern European menu. A relaunch was due shortly after you read this.
MILL AT RODE
Rode, Frome, Somerset, BA11 6AG Tel: 01373 831100, web: www.themillatrode.co.uk
• ‘I had a Thai massage once, and the bliss it brought is brought to mind when dusk gathers at the Mill at Rode,’ wrote our chap when watching baby bunnies frolic here. Kids’ fun includes an Xbox, PS3 sandpit and the aforementioned cottontails in the landscaped gardens. There’s even a waterwheel contained within the pub, which has its own fishing rights. Seasonally changing menus feature pan-fried cutlet of Somerset pork, roasted barbary duck breast, locally reared sirloin, roasted root vegetable & puy lentil hotpot. Fixed weekday menu (2 £9.09, except bank hols) and set dinner (2 £14.95). Three real ales include Butcombe and Pedigree. ‘The feel is of country club class mixed with a bar’s informality,’ said our chap. Food Sun-Thur 12noon-9.30pm, Fri-Sat 12noon-10pm
MINERS REST
Providence Lane, Long Ashton, nr Bristol, BS41 9DJ Tel: 01275 393449
• Charming and unpretentious 18th-century inn high above Long Ashton. Mining paraphernalia from the area’s past adorns the walls. Wholesome, homely food served lunchtimes includes ploughman’s, jackets and squire’s platter (meat & cheese combo). Super Sunday roasts, large garden, suntrap patio and lovely views. Draughts include Butcombe, London Pride, Thatchers, Ashton Press, Black Rat and Blackthorn.
NEW INN
Waterley Bottom, Dursley, Glos, GL11 6EF Tel: 01453 543659
• What was a 19th-century farm cottage, then cider house, morphed eventually into a pub-with-garden that The Times judged to be among the nation’s top 10, with a terrace enhancing the alfresco facilities. Traditional homecooked food changes every two to three months: lamb cutlets with creamy mash in orange & mint sauce, pork tenderloin in wholegrain mustard sauce, fine cod fillet topped with tiger prawns. Five draughts and nine bottled ciders bagged a Gloucester Cider Pub of the Year award. Cotley, Wye Valley, plus guest real ales.
NEW INN
86 West Town Rd, Backwell, nr Bristol, BS48 3BE Tel: 01275 462199, web: www.newinn-backwell.co.uk
• Steak and lobster barbecues on the first Sun monthly and cream teas every afternoon evince the elevation in food conjured up in this 450-year-old charmer since head chef Nathan Muir’s arrival. Expect West Country game, caramelised veal sweetbreads and fish broth en persillade among the starters, with mains including Nailsea lamb, Gloucester Old Spot pork and smoked fillet of whiting.
NEW INN
Badminton Rd, Mayshill, nr Frampton Cotterell, BS36 2NT Tel: 01454 773161, web: www.newinn-mayshill.co.uk
• ‘Something catches your eye – although, hopefully, not literally. A gnarly metal hook hangs from a beam above the fireplace, from which a cradle was originally hung to give the infant within the snuggest possible snooze. The owners have been told that the only other one in the country is in Anne Hathaway’s Cottage - a story infinitely too good to check,’ wrote our chap. Former Camra Bristol District pub of the year, serving top ales. Said our man: ‘A host of diners arrive shortly after me - confirmation of the New Inn’s honest food, well-prepared and served with a smile.’
NORTHEY ARMS
Bath Rd, Box, nr Corsham, SN13 8AE Tel: 01225 742333, web: www.ohhcompany.co.uk
• This pub would have originally served customers using the nearby railway. Visit today and you’ll find an updated, upmarket incarnation, where old and new sit comfortably together by way of a gracious and discreetly glamorous but cosy bar and restaurant.
OAKHILL INN
Fosse Rd, Oakhill, Wilts, BA3 5HU Tel: 01749 840442, web: www.theoakhillinn.com
• It’s not just our man! ‘The uber-gorgeous chocolate pot can only have been created by turning Angelina Jolie into a cubic inch of dessert,’ he wrote. And whenever chef Neil Creese considers removing it from the menu, he’s overruled by chocolate lovers demanding that it stays. Smart rural inn where Charlie and Amanda Digney continue to enhance their place’s appeal. Ingredients for the seasonal British dishes are sourced locally, with some grown by Amanda’s dad and Charlie. The look is smart but relaxed, with the pub extending across several rooms. Expect dishes like pork & rabbit terrine, devilled kidneys, spicy vegetable risotto with poached free-range egg and Lord of the Hundreds cheese, as well as venison steak with dauphinoise potatoes. Live music, accommodation on site.
OLD CROWN INN
Kelston, nr Bath, BA1 9AQ Tel: 01225 423032, www.oldcrown.butcombe.com
• Lovely country pub just a few minutes’ drive from the centre of Bath (or catch the bus - there’s a stop outside), with open fires, bare stone walls, oak settles, five real ales and excellent grub: fish in beer batter with homemade chips, classic BBQ chicken, substantial soups, excellent puds. (Ask the genial staff why one of the rooms is referred to as the mortuary.) Loads of parking opposite and plenty of alfresco seating.
OLD HOUSE AT HOME
Burton, nr Castle Combe, Wilts, SN14 7LT Tel: 01454 218227, web: www.ohhcompany.co.uk
• Characterful, atmospheric freehouse specialising in a warm welcome (and magnificent log fire) and unpretentious, locally sourced, seasonally inspired menus. Fresh fish delivered daily from Cornwall. Sturdy range of local ales, extremely well-considered wine list, accommodation, and glorious Sun roasts.
OLD LOCK & WEIR
7 Ferry Rd, Hanham Mills, BS15 3NU Tel: 0117 967 3793, web: http://www.lockandweir.com/
• An absolute no-brainer when it’s sunny, this riverside wonder with much basking space has become even more attractive since the Thatchers Gold, on ice, arrived, a special machine creating a veritable cider slush. Similarly appealing are the spontaneous jam sessions routinely breaking out here – bring your instrument and join in. Winter brings themed dining (fish, Mexican), while faves served all year include baguettes, ploughman’s, fish & chips, scampi, steak sandwiches and Sun roasts. Plenty of real ale - Gem, 6X, Otter. August bank holiday beer festival looks likely.
OLD SPOT INN
Hill Rd, Dursley, Glos, GL11 4JQ Tel: 01453 542870, web: www.oldspotinn.co.uk
• Steve and Belinda run a pub where pigs are everywhere on a pleasing trot of several connected rooms. Come November 2011, Steve and four regulars will run the New York Marathon for charity - good work, people. There’s clearly a great sense of community at an inn judged Camra’s national best in 2007. Our man was told: “It’s a boozer, a pub as they used to be. The people make it - we had a Mexican night and they were outside smacking the piñata with great gusto.” Up to 10 regularly changing ales are always on, with as many wines accompanying the affordable grub (homemade cottage pie, fresh fish, fajitas). The smoking area is a thing of utter wonder. Quiz Sun. Food Daily 12noon-3pm
OLD STATION INN
Hallatrow, nr Bath, BS39 6EN Tel: 01761 452228, web: www.theoldstationandcarriage.co.uk
• The Old Station Inn was installing a nine-hole crazy golf course a week before we went to press. A 30x18ft polytunnel grows produce for the kitchen here, supplementing that grown in the allotment. Upmarket gastro dining is enjoyed on 40 alfresco seats or in the restaurant housed in an old 30-seater railway carriage. Expect roast breast of duck with port and summer berries. Less grand dishes - jackets, baguettes, salads - are available lunchtimes, with BBQs in summer. Huge beer garden, three real ales, five ensuite bedrooms and facilities for private hire and wedding receptions.
PACKHORSE INN
Southstoke, Bath, BA2 7DU Tel: 01225 832060, web: www.packhorseinn.com
• ‘Oh, to be in England! Patriotism comes easily when visiting this quintessential rural boozer dating from 1652,’ wrote our man. ‘Bumblebees the size of golf balls check bluebells for pollen and a woodpigeon flaps around a towering holly bush as diners empty plates of wholesome, homemade food. One lady particularly enjoys her black pudding and is delighted when helpful waitress Rhianna tells her from whence she can get more.’ Indoors stands an inglenook said to conceal a medieval hearth; outdoors are views evoking Blake’s Jerusalem. Food includes homemade spicy lamb burgers, bacon, black pudding and apple baguette, Exmoor venison steak and Creedy Carver roast duck. Our chap savoured an Eton mess last summer, and cider lovers must try the Midford cider produced seven minutes’ walk away, the first barrels of which were made using a 250-year-old press. ‘Paradise found,’ concluded our man.
PELICAN
10 South Parade, Chew Magna, BS40 8SL Tel: 01275 331777, web: www.pelicanchewmagna.com
• ‘Named after the vessel in which Drake circumnavigated the globe, this is a pub you’ll delight in discovering,’ wrote our intrepid investigator. ‘An open-plan bar boasts Clifton chic, an elegant slate-tiled courtyard leads on to a back garden complete with boules piste and diverse food offerings feature prominently, with the seafood pot special a bellyful of the ocean’s booty enough to make the eponymous seabird smile.’ Classic pub/modern European dining includes club sandwiches, calves’ livers, gammon, free-range double egg & chips, and chicken, mushroom & tarragon tagliatelle. Our man savoured a mixed roast veg Pelly plank - flavoursome, colourful, textural treats on a board resembling a hollowed-out oar tip. Over 30 wines stocked as well as Chalky’s Bite bottled beer. Top spot for smokers, too. “It’s like social life but work!” said boss Andy McClellan of an atmosphere where staff, management and punters interact harmoniously. Friendly waitress Anita recalls one generous local throwing a swell shindig for wife and daughter.’
PLOUGH
High St, Wrington, BS40 5QA Tel: 01934 862871, web: www.theploughatwrington.co.uk
• Expect extensive traditional food offerings in a pub that’s had numerous management changes in recent years, washed down with draughts like Young’s bitter and Bombardier. Open mics staged first Sun monthly. Decent-sized garden seats 200, and massive covered gazebo. Down the years it’s been at the heart of the village’s Dickensian Christmas shindig.
PLOUGH
Pilning St, nr Pilning, BS35 4JJ Tel: 01454 632556, web: www.theploughpilning.co.uk
• As reported last year, June 2010 did indeed see Olympic hero James Cracknell, accompanied by 600 other cyclists, pass through Pilning on a bike ride from John O’Groats to Lands End. Food brings steak, sea bass, chicken kievs, curries and £8.25 Sun roasts, with IPA and 6X on draught. Live music Sat, nippers get an adjoining paddock and orchard, footballers get a six-a-side pitch.
PONY & TRAP
Newtown, nr Chew Magna, BS40 8TQ Tel: 01275 332627, web: www.theponyandtrap.co.uk
• This 200-year-old low-beamed beauty with fabulous contemporary restaurant, which bagged the chef/proprietor a Michelin star in January. Whether dining casually at the bar or in the restaurant, there’s an emphasis on quality evident in time-honoured favourites and more adventurous dishes. Offerings change regularly - braised beetroot risotto, guinea fowl with black pudding and braised red cabbage, whole roast sea bream. Fabulous views across the Chew Valley from the equally fabulous garden. Excellently kept real ales. Booking several weeks ahead often necessary on weekends.
PRINCE OF WATERLOO
1 High St, Winford, BS40 8AR Tel: 01275 474930, web: www.princeofwaterloo.com
• The log burner and beer gardens here are rural pub stalwarts – it’s the upstairs sports bar that’s a rarer find. Impressive and varied menu includes baguettes, salads, ploughman’s, jackets, seafood and grills, plus extras, sides, children’s menu and veggie options. Lounge area with leather sofas, children’s play area, pool table.
QUARRYMAN’S ARMS
Box Hill, Corsham, Wilts, SN13 8HN Tel: 01225 743569
• Off-the-beaten-track and featuring a fireplace replicating Box Tunnel’s west portal. Expect the likes of seafood linguini with tiger prawns, or macaroni cheese.
RAGGED COT
Cirencester Rd, Hyde, Glos, GL6 8PE Tel: 01453 884643
• Dating from the 17th century, 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. Dining room serves classic rustic dishes using local suppliers and ingredients grown on site: fresh daily soups, field mushroom & spinach pancakes, pan-fried sea bass, roasted duck breast, Cotswold beefburgers. Accommodation in nine guest rooms, all named after Penguin Classics. Eclectic real ales include Ringwood from Hampshire.
RATTLEBONE INN
Church St, Sherston, Wilts, SN16 0LR Tel: 01666 840871, web: www.therattlebone.co.uk
• You’ve just missed venison, lamb and pork spit-roasts, rotisserie chickens and a gourmet BBQ, to coincide with Badminton Horse Trials (chances are 2012’s trials will induce similar feasting). The good news is that July 2011 brings Sherston’s carnival and boules tournament - doubtless the Rattlebone’s piste will stage much practice in the preceding weeks. The pub dates back to the 16th century, but there’s been a hostelry on site since medieval times. Classic country cooking on the expansive and imaginative menu, with most ingredients sourced locally, has included duck breast salad, spring lamb, sea trout and 10oz rump steak.
RED LION
High St, Lacock, Wilts, SN15 2LQ Tel: 01249 730456, web: www.redlionlacock.co.uk
• Beauty of a boozer, which has featured in BBC period drama ‘Cranford’ and ‘The Wolf Man’ remake, among numerous celluloid outings. Chef Linda, here for 18 years, is famed for her pies and casseroles, while stalwart Joan has served loyally for 37 years. An imminent change of management here, however, means we can’t confirm a repeat of August 2010’s cider festival. Food is homecooked comfort faves: 10oz Wiltshire rib-eye steak, 8oz venison steak, sausages & mash (vegetarian option available), pork pie/vegetarian ploughman’s. Pleasingly wonky floors, characterful furniture and a fireplace from the early 1700s. Beers include Henry’s IPA and 6X.
RISING SUN
Bowden Hill, Lacock, Wilts, SN15 2PP Tel: 01249 730363, web: www.therisingsunlacock.com
• British pub food (ham, egg & chips, pork loin, sausage & mash, duck breast, cod & chips) and staggering views over Salisbury Plain - you can see up to 40 miles away on a clear day. Three or four real ales, child-tolerant, with a garden to die for. Live music every Wed.
RIVERSIDE CAFE
The Shallows, Saltford, nr Bristol, BS31 3EZ Tel: 01225 873862, web: www.riversideinnbristol.co.uk
• Renamed the Riverside Cafe (rather than Inn) since last year’s guide. Relaxing ambience and a menu showcasing wholesome, traditional, homecooked food - old favourites abound, and there’s a popular Sun carvery. Picturesque riverside location with views over the lock.
RIVERSIDE INN
49 St Margaret's St, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1DE Tel: 01225 863526, web: www.riversideboa.co.uk
• Gorgeous listed pub on the riverbanks of Bradford on Avon. They serve fabulous food that’s easy on the wallet (mains around £6-£7), with a Sun carvery also offered on Thur. Accommodation overlooking the river, and music on either Fri or Sat, plus karaoke. Large beer garden. Three ales include Butcombe. Food Mon-Fri 12noon-3pm & 6-9pm, Sat 12noon-9pm, Sun 12noon-4pm
ROSE & CROWN
Parkfield Rd, Pucklechurch, BS16 9PS Tel: 0117 937 2351, web: www.roseandcrownpucklechurch.co.uk
• Pucklechurch stages an annual scarecrow trail wherein people stroll through its streets attempting to guess the names of scarecrows displayed in residents’ gardens, meeting neighbours as they go. As we go to press, the correct nomenclatures are due to be announced. This sweet little pub near the Bristol-Bath cyclepath has a homely front bar and new management for this year’s guide. A newly arrived spring menu features baguettes, chilli, pie of the day, burgers, ham, egg & chips, slow-roast belly of pork. Weekday lunch offer brings two courses for £7.95, Mon-Thur (possibly Fri too).
ROYAL OAK
72 High St, Corsham, Wilts, SN13 0HF Tel: 01249 713607, web: www.corshamroyaloak.co.uk
• Very much a wet pub. Official documentation may show licensee Maggie Evans and husband Dave in charge, but in reality it’s adopted pub cat Henry, here 10 years, who owns the place. Food served Mon-Fri 11am-2pm, with weekend availability on a casual basis. Dishes are simple - Wiltshire ham, egg & chips, baguettes, jackets – but the undoubted menu stars are the Cornish pasties from Warrens Bakery in St Just (a stone’s throw from Lands End), as sold at Harrods and Fortnum & Mason. Folk club on Thur and all-day festival due in Oct (last year’s featured some rather risque poetry, apparently). Expect beers like Wadworth’s 6X, IPA and JCB, with St George & the Dragon a guest as we go to press. Look out for the adjoining Corsham Court’s strutting peacocks patrolling the beer garden.
RUDGLEIGH INN
Martcombe Rd, Easton in Gordano, BS20 0QD Tel: 01275 373959
• Historic pub minutes from the motorway on the dear old A369. All food is homecooked and GM-free, and they make their own steak, mushroom & beer pies as well as the batter for fish & chips. Around nine specials bring good fish and vegetarian options. All-day carvery on Sun. Sizable garden overlooks cricket pitch - celebrate victory or drown sorrows with brews like Gem or Doom Bar.
SALUTATION
Ham, Berkeley, Glos, GL13 9QH Tel: 01453 810284, web: www.thesalutationinn.co.uk
• ‘It’s not so much ‘Cider with Rosie’ as ‘Ale with Sue (and Don)’ at the Salutation, providing, as it does, a delectable dollop of dreamy Gloucestershire life,’ wrote our West Country lad when visiting Ham, a village of less than 100 people, minutes from Berkeley Castle. ‘Punters turn up in medieval gear and on steamrollers over joust and steam fair weekends, while regulars often arrive on tractor, quad bike and horse.’ Judged in Camra’s top four nationally earlier in 2011 - suffice to say that the five ales on tap are always tip-top. ‘My rye malt brew and sturdy cheese & onion roll go together gorgeously,’ our lad added. Said rolls are always on, with steak pie & chips, faggots & mash, ploughman’s, fish & chips and kids’ meals served Tue-Sun lunchtimes, with extended Fri and weekend food service a possibility. There are often horses and cattle nearby to delight the nippers, while an off-sales hatch delights locals who arrive with empty milk containers to fill up.
SEVEN STARS
Winsley, Bradford on Avon, BA15 2LQ Tel: 01225 722204, web: www.sevenstarswinsley.co.uk
• Food-led award-winning public house and restaurant dating back in part to the early 1700s. Locally sourced menu changes constantly, with modern and traditional British food taking in ham, egg & chips, steak & ale pie, Bath chaps and ox cheeks braised in Bath Ales Dark Hare with horseradish mash. Vegetarians choices include potato & spring cabbage rosti with English asparagus and smoked double gloucester rarebit. Children get their own menu and playhouse, and dogs are similarly welcome. Log fires, enclosed courtyard, garden, patio and excellently kept ales.
SEYMOURS ARMS
Bath Rd, Blagdon, BS40 7TH Tel: 01761 462279, web: www.seymourarmsblagdon.co.uk
• A fave for Blagdon Lake fishers staying close to their sport. Food includes sea bass, breaded scampi, lasagne, chicken breast, gammon, steak & ale pie. Fresh trout in season and six fresh vegetables going into the Sun roasts. Well-equipped smoking area. Butcombe always on, plus one guest. Food Mon-Sat 12noon-2pm & 6-9pm, Sun 12noon-3pm
REOPENED SHEPPEY
Lower Godney, nr Wells, Somerset, BA5 1RZ Web: check Facebook page for updates
• Closed and up for sale in last year’s guide, but new owners (ex of Wookey Hole Inn fame) came along in spring 2011. Now the Sheppey (no longer the Sheppey Inn) are gradually extending operations as refurbishment continues. Ultimate plans are to create a ‘cider shed’ look, illuminate the river running out back, serve ‘modern country’ cooking and offer around eight local and guest ciders. Also expect an onsite bakery and deli, bike hire and letting rooms. The Milk Street Brewery’s Funky Monkey and Mermaid ales are on as we go to press, alongside house blend perry, Amstel and Erdinger.
SNOOTY FOX
Market Place, Tetbury, Glos, GL8 8DD Tel: 01666 502436, web: www.snooty-fox.co.uk
• While tickets for London’s 2012 sporting event may be costly, a local manifestation of the Olympian spirit, Tetbury Wool Sack Races, staged every Whitsun, offers a free fun-filled family day. Before then, this grand old coaching inn with even grander resident Great Dane Fred offers an exciting calendar. Jazz Fridays, ‘wines from around the world’ events and free tasting clubs, with jazz Sunday lunches due. A complete ground-floor refurb has enhanced surroundings in which to enjoy varied dining options. Bar menu ranges from sandwiches and baguettes to bubble & squeak, bangers & mash, fish & chips and salmon fishcakes. Dinner options include beef wellington, calves’ livers and pork fillets. Pimm’s jelly and Eton mess are among the sweets; finish off with the cheeseboard, dessert wine, port or a glass of Remy Martin Louis XIII, the world’s finest cognac. A diverse clientele creates a genial mood: “We get everyone from dry stonewallers to blokes parking their Ferrari or Bentley round the back,” GM Marc Gibbons told our man. Not so Snooty a Fox after all, then.
SWAN
Bath Rd, Swineford, BS30 6LN Tel: 0117 932 3101, web: www.bathales.com
• Mid-19th-century pub (converted from three cottages in a row of six) where dishes include steak & ale pie, spring onion fishcakes, faggots and fish & chips. Meadows over the road offer a beautiful walk to the river, or just watch the nippers enjoying themselves in the pub’s play area (there’s a menu for them if they get hungry).
SWAN HOTEL
1 Church St, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1LN Tel: 01225 868686, web: www.theswanbradford.co.uk
• Food is traditional English with a twist across dishes like soup, fishcake, deli boards, sirloin steak, fish & seafood grill, beefsteak pie and pork belly. Separate lunch menu features light bites, sandwiches and baguettes. Weekdays bring 2-4-£10.95 lunches. Old Speckled Hen and IPA on draught. Jazz every Thur, folk club and Weight Watchers gatherings on Tue.
SWAN INN
Kingsdown, Box, nr Bath, SN13 8BP Tel: 01225 742269, web: www.swan-kingsdown.com
• A 300-year-old quarryman’s pub, chained to the quarry opposite to keep it attached to the hill, with amazing views over the Avon valley. Real log fires, traditional homecooked food daily (lunch and dinner), and the ales have made the Good Beer Guide for several years. A real country pub with real food and real beer.
TALBOT INN
Mells, nr Frome, BA11 3PN Tel: 01373 812254, web: www.talbotinn.com
• Arrive at this 15th-century coaching inn after passing through jaw-droppingly beautiful scenery. It stands over a tunnel leading to the nearby churchyard, home to Siegfried Sassoon’s grave. Lots of fish dishes adorn a splendid evening menu. Everything’s cooked fresh to order, with Gidleigh Park-trained head chef Mark Jones, here for 18 years, even making his own paté. Food, served at lunch and dinner, is top-end traditional English: warm Cornish crab, calves’ liver and bacon, confit leg of barbary duck, fish & chips, cottage pie, Somerset lamb. Butcombe on draught plus extensive wine selection. Beautifully converted function room in a restored barn for parties of up to 100.
TOLLGATE INN
Ham Green, Holt, nr Trowbridge, BA14 6PX Tel: 01225 782326, web: www.tollgateholt.co.uk
• ‘Holt! Who goes there? Pretty much everyone, as proven by the Tollgate’s visitors’ book having praise from guests from Bordeaux, Texas and Durban, with the Harrisons from Oklahoma promising they’ll be back. A wall of awards confirms acknowledgement from august food bodies,’ wrote our man. A Taste of the West Gold medal and Wiltshire in Bloom recognition for the beautiful floral display are two triumphs at this gorgeous gastropub where acceptance speeches are made almost as frequently as time is called.
WEIGHBRIDGE
Minchinhampton, nr Nailsworth, Glos, GL6 9AL Tel: 01453 832520, web: www.2in1pub.co.uk
• You want history? The road to the front of this 17th-century Cotswold boozer became a turnpike in 1882, after which time tolls were levied at 1d per horse, 10d per 20 cattle and 3d per 20 pigs. Today, their signature two-in-one pie comes highly recommended. Good range of ales and enormously friendly service.
WHEATSHEAF AT COMBE HAY
Combe Hay, nr Bath, BA2 7EG Tel: 01225 833504, web: www.wheatsheafcombehay.co.uk
• Recent changes at the hob in this stylish, historic inn in the quintessentially English village of Combe Hay have thrust the Wheatsheaf’s former sous chef (and Gordon Ramsay/Michael Caines protégé) Eddy Raines into the spotlight, offering a fresh take on an already winning formula. An absolutely divine garden to the front gives way to squidgy fireside sofas, funky art and artfully laid-up tables within, where proprietors Ian and Adele Barton’s combined passions for game, wine and a genuinely warm welcome provide a strong focus to proceedings. ‘All bases of the flavour, variety and presentation triumvirate were fully covered,’ one Eating Out West ingenue said, of a recent dinner that included potted Blagdon trout, poached breast of guinea fowl with tortellini of the leg and consomme, and rhubarb & ginger beer jelly with gingernut-crumble ice-cream, made from many ingredients sourced within walking distance of her table. Locally brewed real ales and a stupendous wine list (including local wines) complete the experience. Outstanding Sun roasts (2 £19.50, 3 £24.50) and accommodation, too. ‘Chomp at the Bar’ lunch menu starts at around £6.95; otherwise expect to pay about £38pp for three ALC courses, excluding wine. Food Tue-Sun 12noon-2.30pm (last orders), Tue-Sun 6-9.30pm, Fri-Sat 6-10pm
WHEELWRIGHTS ARMS
Church Lane, Monkton Combe, Bath, BA2 7HB Tel: 01225 722287, web: www.wheelwrightsarms.co.uk
• Nestled in the peaceful village of Monkton Combe and surrounded by picturesque hills and valleys, this gastropub serves real ales, fine wines and great food. Menus are changed regularly but expect takes on sausage & mash, chicken breast, shepherd’s pie and fish & chips, along with choice Sun lunches. All dishes prepared and cooked on the premises, from local ingredients where possible. Butcombe on draught. Food Daily 12noon-3pm & 6-10pm
WHITE HART
Littleton on Severn, BS35 1NR Tel: 01454 412275, web: www.whitehartbristol.com
• Ancient whitewashed lovely and former Camra and Bristol Evening Post pub of the year, offering four real ales (two Young’s, two guests) and an extensive wine selection. Menus feature the likes of steak, fish & chips, blade of beef, pork belly and duck breast. Extremely kid-friendly, with family room, high chairs and neat garden out front.
WHITE HART
Wrington Rd, Congresbury, BS49 5AR Tel: 01934 833303
• Traditional, homemade food here includes pies, burgers, bangers & mash, fish & chips and steaks, with Sun roasts 12noon-3pm. Special dietary requirements catered for. Three real ales, including Badger and Tanglefoot.
WHITE HORSE
Biddestone, nr Chippenham, Wilts, SN14 7DG Tel 01249 713305, web: www.thewhitehorsebiddestone.co.uk
• ‘With its green, duck pond, annual fete and agricultural vehicles trundling along its single road, Biddestone is the archetypal English village, and the White Horse the archetypal village pub. Summer here makes for lazy afternoons and balmy evenings, while snow brings picture-postcard prettiness.’ Our man found just such beauty, arriving one deep-and-crisp-and-even December morning. ‘The bar’s open fire – an original feature in a building dating from the 18th century - brings maximum homeliness. My guest Bonnie’s mulled wine warms the cockles, a mince pie hot from the range helping keep out winter’s biting cold. Food is hale, hearty and distinctly affordable, with carnivores copping for a tasty game pie appearing regularly on the specials board and vegetarians enjoying admirably diverse dining.’ Host Tony, here 24 years, was leaving the day after we went to press. It’s to be hoped his replacement doesn’t change a thing at this popular charmer. ‘Punters, allegedly, include the ghosts of an old couple who fell in love with the place and didn’t want to leave. It’s not hard to see why.’
WOOKEY HOLE INN
Wookey Hole, Wells, BA5 1BP Tel: 01749 676677, web: www.wookeyholeinn.com
• A fab, funky interior hides behind the traditional frontage at this pub boasting the widest selection of continental beer on draught in England, as well as four guest ales and an extensive wine list. All food is locally sourced and free-range. Menu changes daily, but expect the like of oven-roasted lamb rump, pan-fried fillet of beef, roast chicken breast. 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 and cult video libraries.
WOOLPACK INN
Beckington, nr Bath, BA11 6SP Tel: 01373 831244, web: www.woolpackhotel.com
• Following the scheduled closure for a few weeks in June 2011 at this 16th-century coaching inn, expect the resumption of traditional English dining of the pork belly strips/duck leg/lamb shank variety. Butcombe served.
|
