The Great Bath Pub Crawl
Eating and Drinking in Bath's Pubs and Inns
There is much debate about which is the oldest pub in Bath. The answer is inconclusive but pubs are as much a feature of life in Bath and the surrounding area today as they were hundreds of years ago. The Old Green Tree in Green Street built around 1716 and the Star dating from 1760's are both listed in the Campaign for Real Ale's (CAMRA) guide of the 250 pubs in the UK with interiors of outstanding heritage interest.
The story of brewing and beer in Bath is so beguiling that Kisten Elliot and Andrew Swift established "the Great Bath Pub Crawl". This is not necessarily a chance to imbibe vast quantities of alcohol but more an opportunity for a nostalgic look back at the fascinating history of Bath pubs. As the organisers point out "the insignia over the Pump Room may read 'Water is Best' but for centuries beer was safer to drink than water. As a result, genteel Georgian Bath would have been dominated by the smell of malt eminating from the ale houses each of which brewed their own ales. The Great Bath Pub Crawl runs every evening throughout the summer. Booking advisable by e-mail info@greatbathpubcrawl.com or Tel : 01225 310364.
The public houses of Bath have had a chequered history and declined dramatically in the early eighteenth century at a time when another branch of the trade, the coaching inn, was in the ascendancy. In their book "Awash with Ale, 2000 years of imbibing in Bath", Swift and Elliot chronicle the history of Bath pubs. They describe how "in 1765, less than a century after the first regular coach service from London turned up at the White Lion after a journey of three days, the journey time was reduced to a single day. "By 1784 the mail coach took a mere 13 hours. The business of of these inns was coaching rather than hospitality. Visitors to Bath typically only stayed overnight before they finding suitable lodgings which they would take for the remainder of their visit to the city.
The history of brewing in Bath dates back to the time of Ralph Allen, one of the founding fathers of the Georgian city, who owned the Bath stone quarries at Combe Down. He established a large brewery at Widcombe in 1736. A number of other large breweries grew up in Bath during the course of the eighteenth century. Up until that point most of the beer consumed in the inns and alehouses came from small brewhouses in their backyards.
The Museum of Bath at Work tells the story of Bath in its industrial heyday. By the end of the Victorian era, Bath had become heavily industrialised and beer was brewed on an industrial scale. The Northgate Brewery (located where Waitrose is today in the Podium) was the largest in the West of England by 1850 and other smaller breweries mushroomed, often attached to public houses.
www.bath-at-work.org.uk
Abbey Ales is Bath's very own brewery founded in 1997 by Alan Morgan. Many of the finest pubs in the region stock Bellringer Bitter, their award-winning flagship beer which sells more than any other real ale in Bath. Bellringer was among the finalists for the CAMRA "Champion Beer of Britain" in 2001. The brewery owns the Star in the Vineyards regarded by some as a national treasure, built around 1760 by Daniel Aust who constructed many of the houses in the Paragon, one of Bath's finest terraces.
Bath Ales moved to its current new brewery premises at Warmley in 2004 but was founded eight years earlier. Their first beer was called Barnstormer after the former Bath and Bristol rugby player, Stuart Barnes. The beers are popular with real ale fans and their winter ale won a Gold Award in the "Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) Winter Beer of Britain". Simon Cooper, Marketing Director for Bath Ales says "CAMRA has helped to make younger people aware of real ales. We use local producers for our ingredients and we put hops into the barrels to act as a preservative instead of chemicals like the big national producers". Bath Ales operates two very successful pubs in Bath, The Hop Pole on the Upper Bristol Road opposite Victoria Park and the Salamander in John Street both have which have developed a strong reputation for the quality of their food.
Somerset is famous for its cider and many pubs serve speciality ciders. In a quest to keep their brands current, there are now attractive bottled designer ciders. Gaymers Orchard Reserve is made from apples from a single orchard in Stewley, Somerset and has a delicate light flavour. Locally brewed ciders like Black Rat are available at the Volunteer Rifleman's Arms. Broadlands fruit farm between Bath and Box produces draft cider from their own apples which can be purchased in the farm shop.
Bath has a number of pubs with a strong reputation for the quality of their food. Their owners may shun the label but "the gastropub" has become synonymous with outstanding cooking using seasonal ingredients in a relaxed pub setting.
The King William pub on the London Road has seen a dramatic transformation in the past eighteen months. Drawn to Bath by the prospect of West Country produce, chef publican Charlie Digney has not been disappointed. He changes his menu to reflect what is available on the day and has sourced great local suppliers. "My greengrocer in Larkhall grows all their own fruit and vegetables and the Larkhall butcher has excellent local Swainswick beef which is well hung. The cheese is from Bath's Fine Cheese Company which is superb " says Digley. He hates the term "gastropub" and says " just because a pub does good food it has to be labelled something else." He says in former times a good pub was expected to serve great food. In Charlie's view the elements of a good pub are "real ale, a good atmosphere, good service and great food". He has won praise from many food writers but follows a simple formula " today people are not looking for fomality, they come here to relax, not to be intimidated by fancy food" he continued.
Charlie Dingley has also taken a lease on the Garrick's Head, once the home of Bath's famous Master of Ceremonies, Beau Nash. The pub is named after David Garrick who was at the height of his fame in the 1770's and frequently performed at theTheatre Royal next to the pub.
King William IV Tel: 01225 428096
Other gastropubs in Bath inlcude the White Hart and Ring O'Bells in Widcobe, the Chequers on Rivers Street and the Richmond Arms on Richmond Place.
The Wheelrights Arms in Monkton Combe re-opened in April 2006 after a total transformation. Owner David Munn wants his guests to feel relaxed and welcome and says " we are not a gastropub just a pub with really good food and drink". Chef Winston Hilderling has wroked at Rules and Hush and cooks English specialities like steak and kidney pie and liver and bacon as well as daily specials drawing on whatever is in season. Beers on tap include Butcombe Gold and Wild Hare by Bath Ales and there is an interesting wine list including wines from Moldova, imported by David Munn. As the pub has seven rooms to let, it is also open for breakfast. It is geared towards families with a large beer garden with spectacular views across the Limpley Stoke Valley. Children are welcome to eat anything on the menu in a smaller potion for half the listed price.
Wheelrights Arms Tel: 01225 722287
The Wheelrights Arms recommends walks in the vicinity. Pub walks are a great way to explore the glorious ountryside around Bath. Nigel Vile describes thirty circular walks in his book "Pub Walks near Bath and Bristol" which feature village pubs like the Hope and Anchor at Midford and the George at Nunney. Walking out of Bath along the pituresque Kennet and Avon Canal takes you to the George Inn at Bathampton, dating from the twelfth century. Steeped in history the pub has exposed beams, open fires and cosy nooks and crannies.
For further information on things to do and see and where to stay in Bath please call Bath Tourist Information Centre on 0906 7112000 (calls charged at 50p per minute) or log on to www.visitbath.co.uk.
Notes to Editors:
1. For further information please contact Nicky Hancock on 01225 332299 or by e-mail at nicky@hancockcomm.com or Debbie Ponting at Bath Tourism Plus on 01225 477441 or by email on: debbie_ponting@bathtourism.co.uk
2. Bath Tourism Plus
Bath's destination marketing organisation, Bath Tourism Plus, began trading on 1st October 2003, taking over the management of tourism promotion from Bath & North East Somerset Council and in the process, establishing a ground-breaking partnership between the public and private sector.
Working with the public and private sectors Bath Tourism Plus takes full responsibility for co-coordinating the work of a busy tourist information centre, the marketing of Bath and the surrounding area to leisure and business travellers, PR activity to attract the nation's top travel writers, a conference office, and development of Bath's official tourism internet site www.visitbath.co.uk. Its primary objective is to optimise the value of tourism for members.
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