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Heritage Pub

Highbury Vaults, Bristol

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Listed in CAMRA's heritage guide to historic pub interiors and under the same management for many years, this popular local combines a traditional wood-panelled feel with its own brand of quirky charm. Seating areas range from a tiny snug at the front of the pub to a spacious garden with heating and covered sections at the rear. Talking points include the model railway which runs from room to room, and the 'Lemon Challenge' on the main bar. Although a Young's pub, two guest beers are stocked, often from local breweries. Meals are no longer served, but filled rolls and sausage rolls are available, along with the usual range of bar snacks. There's a bar billiards table and an impressive range of board games. Dogs are welcome on a lead. Toilets are down steep and narrow stairs in the original vaults.

Historic Interest

On CAMRA's regional inventory.

Information for this venue is provided by the Bristol & District Branch of CAMRA
Previous Names
Local Authority
City of Bristol (B)
Last updated
02/03/2024
Last surveyed
21/02/2024
Pub ID
AVN/160
Asset of Community Value

Two star - A pub interior of very special national historic interest

Listed status: Not listed

A mid-19th-century pub with a narrow frontage. At the front is a lovely, tiny snug with a Victorian counter and mirrored bar-back plus dado panelling and bench seating painted dark green and a fine set of 1936 handpumps. Inner doors lead into a passage with a split door (which perhaps served as an off-sales), panelled dado and wall benches. The rear bar has an inter-war counter, old bar-back fitting and panelled dado. In the early 1980s, a sympathetic extension added another two rooms. Rumour has it that prisoners would have their last meal here before meeting their maker on the gallows at the top of St Michael’s Hill.

General information about historic pub interiors

Mid 19th century pub that retains two little altered bars despite being extended back in the early 1980s (by Bristol United Breweries?).

There is an excellent tiny snug at the front with a bare wood floor, old, possibly Victorian bar counter with elaborate brackets in gold on the dark green painted front, the bar top looks to be more modern and has a fine set of 5 Gaskell & Chambers hand pumps with a date of 1936 on them. The dado panelling and wall bench seating on the front and right hand side are also painted dark green. In recent times the render has been taken off the right hand wall to reveal bare brick. The very old bar back fitting is of two bays with three narrow mirrored panels and a gilded decoration in relief - a third bay is a doorway for staff. There is a further section of mirrored back fitting on the right hand wall which is of a different design and added at a letter date.

Inner doors lead into a passage that runs down the left side of the pub and on the right is a split door that may have been the off sales. This area has been enlarged by removing the wall between what was probably a private passage to the left and has an old looking panelled dado and wall bench. The private passage would have run all the way down to the rear so the other rooms are now much larger than originally.

Doorway leads into the bare wood floor rear bar with an old counter but with much plainer brackets than the front one so maybe from the inter-war period? The bar back fitting is old with the top part held up by brackets and covered in tat. The panelled dado painted dark brown looks old.

The rear bar was the extent of the original pub but in the early 1980s a sympathetic extension saw the creation of another bare boarded room with fixed benches - the left hand side being an alcove created by a partition wall. There is a good long narrow table on the right hand side. Up two steps is another bare boarded room with a panelled dado painted dark brown and beyond this a patio area.

General information about historic pub interiors
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Monday
11:00am - 11:00pm
Tuesday
11:00am - 11:00pm
Wednesday
11:00am - 11:00pm
Thursday
11:00am - 11:30pm
Friday
11:00am - 11:30pm
Saturday
11:00am - 11:30pm
Sunday
Noon - 10:00pm
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Current beers

This Pub serves 2 changing beers and 3 regular beers.

Regular and recently seen

Highbury Vaults, Bristol

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Changing

Changing beers typically include: Goff's (varies) , Teignworthy (varies) , Young's (varies)

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Facilities
Garden Garden
Heated walled garden to the rear
Dog Friendly Dog Friendly
In front snug and the first room of the main area
Games Games
Bar billiards
Smoking Smoking
Wi Fi Wi Fi
Features
Real Ale Real Ale
Real Heritage Pub Real Heritage Pub
Quiet Quiet
Transport
Close to bus routes (100m)
72
Nearby Station (650m)
Clifton Down
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Nearby

May 2016. (Pub, External, Key). Published on 13-05-2016
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Beerd Bristol
Pub
157-159 St Michael's Hill, Kingsdown, Bristol, BS2 8DB
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0.0 miles
May 2016. (Pub, External, Sign, Key). Published on 13-05-2016
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White Bear
Pub
133 St Michael's Hill, Kingsdown, Bristol, BS2 8BS
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0.1 miles
March 2020 - Provided By The Landlord. (Pub, External, Key). Published on 27-03-2020
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Green Man
Pub
Real Ale Available | Real Cider Available
21 Alfred Place, Kingsdown, Bristol, BS2 8HD
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May 2016. (Pub, External, Key). Published on 13-05-2016
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Cotham Porter Stores
Pub
Real Ale Available | Real Cider Available
15 Cotham Road South, Kingsdown, Bristol, BS6 5TZ
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May 2016. (Pub, External). Published on 13-05-2016
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Robin Hood
Pub
Real Ale Available | Real Cider Available
56 St Michael's Hill, Kingsdown, Bristol, BS2 8DX
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0.2 miles
(Pub, External, Key). Published on 08-09-2015
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Kingsdown Vaults
Pub
Real Ale Available
31 Kingsdown Parade, Kingsdown, Bristol, BS6 5UE
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0.3 miles
(Pub, External, Key). Published on 10-12-2017
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Convivio
Pub
50 Cotham Hill, Cotham, Bristol, BS6 6JX
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0.3 miles
(Pub, External). Published on 26-02-2014
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Brace & Browns
Pub
43 Whiteladies Rd, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2LS
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0.3 miles
Pictured in February 2014. (Pub, External, Key). Published on 18-02-2014
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Vittoria
Pub
Real Ale Available
57 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2LY
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0.3 miles
Uploaded Oct 2013. (Pub, External, Sign, Key). Published on 29-10-2013
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W. G. Grace
Pub
Real Ale Available
71-73 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2NT
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0.3 miles

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