Pubs along the Kennet and Avon canal
The Barge Inn
Seend Cleeve
The Somerset Arms
Semington
The Barge inn sits between a lock and a swing bridge. You can moor up outside the pub, jump off your boat and pop in for a pint. It's a quintessentially old English pub with beams and lots of wood. I wouldn't say it was cosy. Inside it's a massive space and gets very busy.
The pub is best known for it's food and attracts the local "Sunday Lunch" folk. Outside there is a beautiful garden filled with tables over looking the canal and the outdoor space attracts walkers, cyclists, dog walkers and canal visitors. They do a BBQ outside in the summer serving burgers and hot dogs to order. It's a lovely spot to sit and watch the world go by. But be prepared to share your table on a busy afternoon.
You'll find the Somerset Arms in the village of Semington. It's a couple of minutes walk from the canal, so it's not exactly canal side. It's a warm and welcoming pub with good service and a friendly welcome. An old fashioned English pub with a gastro-type makeover.
It's retained it's traditionalness, yet feels very stylish inside. The menu is good pub grub, at a good price and well presented. We thought the food was really good. Tasty and homemade. Outside the front of the pub there's benches and tables. It is roadside and not in a garden. There may be a garden at the back but we didn't have a chance to explore it.
We’ve pottered along the canal and discovered what the wayside pubs have on offer
The Lock Inn
Bradford-on-Avon
Now this is a real treat. It's not really a pub, it's a café with a license. Known locally for it's incredible Boatman's Breakfast. People travel to Bradford to experience it. if you can eat it all, you've done well; it's massive. The Lock Inn is a quirky spot with a café built in the old dock decorated with vintage paraphenalia and tables and chairs set up inside a narrowboat and a series of Summer houses.
The food is reasonably priced, home cooked, tasty and plentiful with an extensive menu ranging from all day breakfasts to waffles with chocolate sauce. Outside seating overlooks the canal; you can sit down, wind down and watch the boats passing by.
The Canal Tavern
Bradford-on-Avon
The Canal Tavern is a good sized pub by the side of the canal. The front of the pub, which is on the road side is cozy and traditional, the rear is bigger and filled with tables for eating. It has big tvs and shows sport. It also has a pool table and darts. The food is typical pub fare. There is an outside area on concrete filled with tables and chairs.
The Cross Guns
Avoncliff
The Cross Guns sits in an idyllic location between the river and the canal by the viaduct. The pub is very old, dating back to 1490s and full of charm and beams. Several cozy rooms interlink creating a warm environment. Famous for its 120 differnet whiskies and real ales. The extensive gardens sweeps down to the river and is a perfect spot for a relaxing afternoon pint - somewhere to watch the world pass by.
The Hop Pole Inn
Limpley Stoke
The Hop Pole is a short walk from the canal, but worth it. The pub is a cosy traditional one with a great garden. Set in the heart of the village, it's a friendly atmospheric spot with good food.
The Boathouse
Bath
One minute's walk from our mooring is the Bath Boathouse. It's a relatively new pub but in the last 18 months has undergone a refurb. It's now one of the better gastropubs in the area.
It's a big pub with a rustic bar, a couple of elegant restaurants and a wonderful garden meandering down to the river. There are visitor's moorings on the river so you can pull up and stop off, but if you're on our mooring you wouldn't need to. An easy walk along the towpath and you're there. Now Mark had another pie, it was the best he'd ever had - he says. It was my turn to covet his food. it was a good pie. And I had the lasagne. It was a good lasagne. The portions were big and tasty.
Great to know we've this great pub on our doorstep. And it was dog friendly. Charlie was welcomed and enjoyed his lunchtime visit.
The Jolly Sailor
Saltford
The Jolly Sailor at Saltford. It's sat on the side of the river with a lock directly outside. It attracts all of the gongoozlers as people stand around watching the boats go by.
We went on a sunny day to try out the food and soak up the atmosphere. The pub was busy. A very old classic pub with a big interior and a superb garden at the back.
The menu was varied with lots of pub favourites. I thought it was important to try their special, Mark opted for a pie. He said he enjoyed the pie but was watching me with envy as my seafood broth arrived. It was full of fish, more fish than I could manage. Red mullet, cod, smoked haddock, giant prawns, giant mussels and cockles, in a white wine and cream sauce serviced with crusty bread and butter.
Other pubs and restaraunts
The Three Magpies
Sells Green
The George Inn
Bathampton
Ring O' Bells
Widcombe
The White Hart
Widcombe
The Dophin Inn
Bath
The Riverside Inn
Saltford
The Bird in Hand
Saltford
The Swan
Swineford
The Lock Keeper
Keynsham
The Old Lock & Weir
Hanham Mills
The Chequers
Hanham Mills
The Brewery Inn
Seend
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