Bristol - Gloucester Road and Stokes Croft

Thanks to Steve Kelly for organising a trail of Bristol pubs along the A38 on Friday 8 March 2019 for Simon, Mike and me. We had Plusbus tickets for economical bus travel for the day.

Simon, Steve and Mike

The Inn on the Green

From Bristol Parkway we caught a 73 bus towards Filton and walked from the Toronto Road stop to the Inn on the Green at 2 Filton Road.

This large pub had 13 handpumps and the Bristol Beer Factory Low Rider was a good half pint to start with.

There was a real fire and the low table with polished pennies was a further example of pennies used as a decorative feature in the pub.

A custom made Pubs of Gloucester Road wall display with objects in boxes to represent the pubs and copper pipework to show the sequence gave us a preview of our route.

 

The Wellington

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We squeezed into a bus to take us to The Wellington, Gloucester Road, just south of Horfield Common. St Austell Tribute, Bath Ales Gem and Prophecy were the three beers available.

My Bath Ales Prophecy 3.8% ABV New World Pale Ale was rather hazier than it should have been.

There is a large dining area behind the bar as well as the spacious front bar area where we sat.

There are some locally relevant graphic prints for decoration.

The Drapers Arms

On the next bus south we spotted the Drapers Arms but as it was closed in the early afternoon we were unable to visit. Thanks to Boak & Bailey for tweeting occasional photos from inside the micropub they frequent which is obviously worthy of inclusion on any evening trail.

The Annexe

We passed the Sportsman on the way to the Annexe which is just beyond.

The Annexe offers a CAMRA discount on pints of ale.

There are eight cask ales from handpumps which are situated on a back counter.

Here I chose a half pint of Hanlon's Citra IPA, one of the two guest ales.

The Golden Lion

After retracing our steps to the bus stop on the Gloucester Road, we were opposite the Golden Lion, an externally decorated pub with regular live music.

The Gloucester Road Ale House & Kitchen

The next bus took us to The Gloucester Road Ale House & Kitchen.

The £3.20 per pint price for ales is reasonable but on this occasion my half of Dawkins Bristol Blonde turned out to be a disappointment.

The interior of the Ale House is smart and contemporary.

An upstairs room provides extra space in a similar style and there are some historic framed drinks-related illustrations on the walls.

The Urban Standard

A short walk south led to the Urban Standard at 35 Gloucester Road.

As there was no cask ale here I opted for coffee while the others had a beer with their meal.
Sadly, the Urban Standard would subsequently close down at the end of April, 2019.

The Gallimaufry

We crossed the Gloucester Road to reach the Gallimaufry (meaning a confused jumble or medley of things) which was not on Steve's itinerary but looked appealing.

At the bar my half pint of Bristol Beer Factory Beam Me Up was pale and deliciously hopped with Melba and Ella hops (£2.20).  Beers from Dark Star and Stroud Brewery were also available on handpump.

This is a bar with regular live music and quirky decor.

It is also spacious with a back room and an upstairs room.

The Cat and Wheel

We walked south along Gloucester Road which turns into Cheltenham Road and under the railway bridge which connects Montpelier and Redland stations.

The Cat and Wheel is the building painted blue just beyond the bridge. It also hosts live music at weekends and was on Steve's itinerary but we were now running late so did not go inside.

The Canteen

The Mild Mild West, a Banksy mural is just outside The Canteen at 80 Stokes Croft.

Inside, the range of cask ales included Moutere another excellent Bristol Beer Factory Beer. Hopped with Monterey, Rakau and Enigma a half pint cost £2 here.

The Canteen is an informal place with plenty of large shared tables. It is another live music venue with free events. The menu includes imaginative vegetarian options. Free publications with details of Bristol events can be found here.

The Hillgrove Porter Stores

It is a steep uphill walk between blocks of flats to reach the Hillgrove Porter Stores by the most direct route. 

The Dawkins pub at 53 Hillgrove Street North is also set on a steep gradient.

Inside, cask ales are listed on the blackboard. The Japanese lanterns are a reminder that Japanese food from the Kansai kitchen is available here.

We liked this pub and stayed for two beers.

My first was the favourite - Tapstone Brewing Co Sea Monster although the Moor Beer Co Espana Hop was also good.

 

The Hare on the Hill

It was only a short walk down Dove Street to reach The Hare on the Hill. The house decorated with cows and farm animals up the hill at 43 Thomas Street North has a blue plaque showing it as The Cow Byre referring to its historic origins. The mural was designed by Sophie Long.

A small Banksy mural 'Rose on a mousetrap' can be viewed across the street and a little way up the hill from the Cow Byre.

There are five cask ales at the Hare on the Hill. It's possible that I drank water here as there is no entry against the pub on untappd and the photographic evidence appears to supports this!

There is a blue theme in this pub which works well. Some good music was playing here including Junk Bond Trader by Elliott Smith.

The tasteful decor includes mirrors and toy cars.

The Crofters Rights

It was all downhill from here as we headed to The Crofters Rights at 117-119 Stokes Croft!

The light was fading as we ventured inside.

A tap wall offered a wide range of keg beers. The central taps include one for still cider (Ashridge) and three for cask ales including Boca from Bristol Beer Factory.

From the poster, it looks like there are gigs / events or clubnights every night of the week at the Crofters Rights.

At the side of the pub there is a counter for Ray's pizza and this was a good opportunity to order a meal.

The Crofters Rights has dim lighting and some unusual artwork on the walls.

 

Croft Ales

Our final visit in the area was to Croft Ales brewery and taproom at 32 Upper York Street. The taproom is open on Fridays from 4pm-9pm and on Saturdays from 3pm-8pm.

It was busy when we arrived so after ordering our beers we visited the brewery space at the back.

The beer I enjoyed here was BS2, a 4% Session IPA showcasing hops from around the world blended with English and German-style malts.

With a train to catch at 20.30 from Bristol Temple Meads we left the taproom at 19.45 to catch a bus to the station, after avoiding the youths on pushbikes hanging around the area.

Thanks again to Steve for keeping us on time and to Simon and Mike for company on this trip.