HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY COUNTY. No. 15 – HEREFORDSHIRE.

Let’s attempt Herefordshire again, shall we (the first post went out blank last night, causing riots in Weobley).

Lovely county, some decent unspoilt pubs, but a few you probably think of as classics that have changed a fair bit over the decades (Leintwardine, Kington).

The first one is still a classic,

Ledbury – Prince of Wales (last visited 2016)

in a gorgeous town,

with one of the best approaches to a pub anywhere,

though I miss the simpler times when it just sold Banks’s,

though those times may never have existed.

Next up a Top 20 anywhere house, one of the best drinkers pubs in the UK.

Hereford – Barrels (last visited in 2018)

“To be honest, it was never a good idea to finish at Barrels, after two pints and a cider/Gin & Tonic, but at least Mrs RM didn’t attempt to ride the bull this time as we wobbled serenely there via the town centre“

Fantastic cobbled courtyard,

but the action was indoors where a dad was Skyping his children. At 10:30pm.

Unwisely, I finished with a pint of Robinsons cider here. NEVER mix cider and bitter, folks.

There’s probably Robinsons cider in Leominster, but the lively drinking houses of 25 years ago have gone (2007 and all that), and this lovely/scruffy town lacked a Guide pub till the next one came along.

Leominster – Chequers (last visited in 2019)

A rare refurbishment success, the Chequers welcomes gentlefolk and professional drinkers alike.

“There were probably ten customers dotted around the three rooms, a mature trade nodding along to Roxy Music’s “Avalon” in the public, and jigging (?) about to Scissor Sister’s murder of Pink Floyd in the lounge.”

Best pint of Wye Valley Stout you’ll ever have.

The countryside gets more gorgeous approaching the Welsh border, and the villages even quieter.

Almeley – Bells (last visited in 2018)

In Almeley the only traffic was the tractor delivering the Welsh cakes to the farm shop in the pub.

“An Old Boy brought his pork pie and Sun (“That’s one of yer English punds“) into the bar. I let him order first, to see which of the two ales he’d go for.   Always order the beer that’s just been pulled folks. He had a pint of keg Ansells Mild.”

And finally from me, the obligatory slightly upmarket dining pub between Ross and the county town.

Hoarwithy – New Harp (last visited in 2016)

Good beer, great walks, but of course I’m only including this to annoy those folk who’ll be horrified by this Ploughman’s lunch.

It was great.

So what’s my significant omission ?

You choose.

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

11 thoughts on “HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY COUNTY. No. 15 – HEREFORDSHIRE.”

  1. My Hereford town suggestion would be the Golden Lion, a pub which was a recent suggestion in a ‘Seven Herefordshire pubs you said is great to enjoy a Christmas drink’ article in Hereford Times. Glad it’s still open, though it won’t be troubling the GBG any time soon.

    Out of towners might try the Yew Tree at Peterstow, home to Ross Cider amongst other attractions.

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  3. I’ve not often been to Hereford since the Midline Day Rover ticket was £6 but spent most of my time in Barrels which was still as good a few years ago. Peter Amor knows what he’s doing with pubs as well as beer.
    That circular AA road sign apparently shows “Franco W1” but by fifty years ago Road Signs Franco had moved to Wolverhampton, the town where most British postage stamps are now printed, and many respected beer brands are now brewed.
    I didn’t know of Leintwardine until a few days walking in October 1988 when the Sun came as a lovely surprise.

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  5. My office is very close to the Barrels but I don’t go in there much these days. Although it’s undoubtedly still a great pub.

    Which is the other GBG pub?

    Other Herefordshire suggestions:

    Hereford – Hereford Beer House (no cask)
    Hereford – Beer in Hand
    Bringsty Common – Live and Let Live
    Bishops Frome – Green Dragon

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  6. Agreed on the Barrels. When I was there in 2011, it was very noticeable how, on a dry Summer evening, post smoking ban, all the life of the pub effectively migrated out into the courtyard.

    The Prince of Wales is a lovely pub, but I had a memorably bad Ploughman’s there once. Pubs seem to find an endless number of ways to mess up this supposedly simply dish. It was Whitbread back in the day.

    I’ve found the Grape Vaults in Leominster reliably good on several occasions over the years.

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  7. Another vote for the Yew Tree at Peterstow here. Great cider, reliable Hobson’s Bitter plus an interesting guest, a fab beer garden in the sunshine, and burgers or pizza from the kitchen depending on the night. An architectural gem it is not, but we’ve lost many happy hours here!

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