This is one of Bath's undiscovered
treasures. We first came in here many years ago, when
we had just completed the second leg of the Cotswold
Way, just for a swift half (which developed into a
couple of pints!) and we have re-visited it since.
It is generally worthy of at least that euphemistic
swift half whenever you are in town.
It is an intimate oak-paneled pub
dating from 1752, with a genuinely unspoilt interior
putting it on the National Inventory of Historic Pub
Interiors. One source of information claims that the
paneling is original, but further research reveals
that this fine woodworking was actually added in 1923,
when the pub was extended. Nevertheless, the carpenters
took great pains to produce a wonderful mellow effect,
and they succeeded!
Prior to the extension, the pub had
its own brewery in the rear of the building. How often
we complain about expansions and 'improvements', only
to find several years later that these improvements
managed to put the establishment on the historically-significant
map.
Each room has its own charm –
and its own brass number plate, designating each separate
room to keep the Customs & Excise people happy
prior to the 1920s. The dark snug room was virtually
filled by our two rucksacks on our first visit; on
this occasion, the three of us went to the long back
room and pretty much filled that up too; alternatively,
we could have sat by the bar, which on one side is
its own room-cum-hallway. All the rooms in some way
back onto the bar, which is central to the whole tiny
complex. Not much room to spare. Even the bathrooms
are way down in the basement.
What a very pleasant place to celebrate
my birthday!
As you can see from the photo above,
you may miss this pub. It is a tiny pub with a narrow
front on a small street, but it is worth finding and
spending some time in. Apparently it gets absolutely
shoulder-to-shoulder on a Friday and Saturday night,
which means there are seventeen people in there.
One this occasion, there were few
people in the bar, which was fine by me, I was having
plenty of fun supping some rather nice beers and enjoying
the surroundings.
It is important to note that this
pub is one of an ever-dwindling number of genuine
Free Houses. The beers that were on for our visit
were Wickwar Broad Oak 4.0%, RCH Pitchfork, Wye Valley
Black Knight and Oakhill Black Magic Stout, which
is an impressive enough line-up. In addition, they
had a pear cider, which was not the success we had
hoped. But all in all, a great pub to visit.
Just up the road from this pub is
the old King Edward's Junior School building, a fine
colonnaded Georgian building with oak floor and high
windows, now sadly fallen into disuse and disrepair.
What a sad end for the building, and a poor face for
a school whose history goes back to 1552. There is
talk of turning it into a restaurant, but I fear it
may be too late for the proud old building, which
is starting to crumble.
King Edward's School has an interesting
history. Edward ensured a lasting legacy when he set
up numerous grammar schools all over England, most
of which are still up-and-running. The school in Bath
was not as well-off as some of the others because
the corporation charged with managing the grant monies
embezzled almost all of it.
The Headmaster of the school thought
it was inappropriate for the students to be bounced
around from building to building, so threatened to
take the corporation to court... and suddenly there
was an offer of putting up a new building in Broad
Street. As this is a pub story, of course we have
to involve another pub at this point. Standing in
the way was the 'Black Swan', a fine coaching inn
run by Ms. Deborah Chambers. In 1744, the corporation
paid her £544 and with typical bureaucratic
promptness, knocked the pub down eight years later.
Up went the building you see today.
By 1954 the fine building was bursting
at the seams, so the older boys moved out to the edge
of Bath, on North Road, and they were followed some
forty years later by the rest of the school.
Pubs come into
play again, as Tadcaster's Samuel Smith Brewery offered
to buy the place in 1997 and turn it into a brewpub.
Planning permission was denied, which is sad because
it would have made a great brewpub. Bristol Crown
Court dismissed the application on the grounds that
there was no need for another pub in the area, and
that another license would be a threat to public order.
Since then of course two 'SuperPubs' have opened in
the immediate neighborhood (the 'Slug & Lettuce'
in George Street and the 'Ha!Ha! Bar in Walcot Street)
which goes to prove that it is not what you know...
