29 Market Street, Tamworth, B79 7LR
Albion Road, Marden, TN12 9DT
Riviera Centre, Torquay
11-13 April 2025
23 Haltwhistle Road, South Woodham Ferrers, CM3 5ZA
Unit 11, Valley Point Industrial Estate, Beddington Farm Road, Beddington, CR0 4WP
Argyle Place, Love Road, Lowestoft, NR32 2NZ
116, Foregate Street, Chester, Chester, CH1 2HH
Superb 400-year-old country pub caught in a time warp where friendly conversation prevails. Two tiny rooms, only one with a bar in the corner and no bar counter; beer is served over one of the benches. The indentations in the bar shelving shows where a china gin barrel used to sit. Two pub signs grace the outside, one in the distinctive oval shape of the now defunct Stroud Brewery. No food at all. The pub is featured in the CAMRA National Inventory of pub interiors of outstanding heritage interest. Local Cirencester sub-branch Pub of the Year 2007.
A pub closed for several years since long term landlord, John Barnard,s death but has now re-opened (18/05/2023) with limited hours at the moment. Please be patient with the new licensees while they find their feet.
Historic Interest
Grade II listed. An intact and very rare example of the earliest phase of the evolution of the public house, which has been in continuous use as a public house since the 18th century. Research by CAMRA has demonstrated that this is one of only fourteen public houses nationally not to incorporate a bar counter and other later alterations and embellishments. [From Historic England]
Three star - A pub interior of outstanding national historic importance
Listed status: II
UPDATE 2024 After being closed since 2014, the pub reopened in May 2023, albeit with limited opening hours (currently 5.30pm-10.30pm, Thu, Fri & Sat). Fortunately, there have been no changes to the pub's historic core.
One of the great unspoilt rural classics and one of only eight traditional pubs with no bar counter. Happily reopened in 2023 after ten years closure, this remains a must-visit despite its limited opening hours.
The pub occupies two rooms in a 300-year-old stone-built cottage with service in the small public bar to the right but arrangements are not what you would normally expect as there is no bar counter, drinks being served from a small area behind a long bench. The quarry-tiled room has dado panelling, wall bench seating, a window seat - and that's about it. Another room across the corridor is used if the bar is busy - there's a hatch for ordering beer. The little changed interior is due to the remarkable fact that the previous licensee,John Barnard, was only the fourth since 1851.
UPDATE 2024 After being closed since 2014, the pub reopened in May 2023, albeit with limited opening hours (currently 5.30pm-10.30pm, Thu, Fri & Sat). Happily, there have been no changes to the pub's historic core.One of the great unspoilt rural classics. The porch leads to a central corridor. Service is in the small public bar on the right with a ‘2’ on the door but arrangements are not what you would normally expect. This is one of only eight traditional pubs left in the whole of the UK without a bar counter - the others being the Cock, Broom, Bedfordshire; Crooked Billet, Stoke Row, Oxfordshire; North Star, Steventon, Oxfordshire; Tuckers Grave, Faulkland, Somerset; Rose & Crown, Huish Episcopi, Somerset; Kings Head, Laxfield, Suffolk; and Manor Arms, Rushall, West Midlands.
In the bar, you'll find a long bench that creates a narrow area for the licensee to operate in with just a couple of handpumps mounted by the back wall and a stool where they sit..
The last change to the interior of this pub was probably the adding of a red Formica top to one of the shelves in the old cupboards to the left of the narrow area. Note the glass model of the interior of the pub situated on one of the shelves. This quarry tile-floored room has a wooden dado panelling, wall bench seating and a window seat. In the corner is a Minster concrete fireplace, one of 50 added to pubs by Stroud Brewery circa 1950. (There was one in the left hand room but it deteriorated and had to be replaced.) Note the old ring on a piece of string on the wall which operates a bell - this is now only used by customers if glasses are being cleaned in the kitchen.
Across the corridor is another room behind a timber screen forming the left hand wall to the passage. It has simple benches against the wall, a baffle by the door and a brick and wood surround fireplace. In the corridor with its parquet floor is a small sliding hatch through to the ‘servery’ which was the original off sales. It is still used today by customers of the second room when it is too busy in the bar to get served. They slide the hatch and order the beer through it. No new-fangled inside loos here – both the ladies’ and the gents’ are outside on the left.
The pub was bought by Tetbury Brewery Co. in 1851, which was taken over by Stroud Brewery in 1911. The oval inn sign is a thick metal Stroud Brewery one. In the 1950s Stroud Brewery and Cheltenham and Hereford Brewery amalgamated to form West Country Breweries – note the ‘West Country Ales 1760 Best in the West’ ceramic wall sign by the entrance door.
This Pub serves no changing beers and 1 regular beer.
Red Lion, Ampney St. Peter
Garden
Family Friendly
Disabled Access
Parking
Games
Real Fire
Separate Bar
Real Ale
Real Heritage Pub
Quiet
Love Cask Beer?
Join CAMRA to support the campaign to access more features plus access to a range of different benefits.
Become a member
