Swan Inn, Wotton-Under-Edge

A good sized pub in a pleasant location opposite the village church, it has recently been refurbished and re-opened after a spell of closure but has been done in a sympathetic manner and still manages to retain something of a traditional feel alongside the renovation work, as well as having a skittle alley out the back which is becoming increasingly unusual these days. The main bar is quite a long room running along the front of the pub and they seem to have aimed for something of a rustic look with sanded wooden boards on the floor and smooth cream plasterwork on the walls. There were a few quite old beams in evidence, especially around the windows and a few on the ceiling and these had been painted a very pale green which I’m not normally a fan of, but somehow the overall effect here was not unpleasant. Large stone fireplaces were at either end, one with a wood burning stove and the other with an open grate and a pile of logs stacked up ready for the colder weather. Lighting was provided by exposed filament bulbs which are of course de rigour in any pub renovation these days, and there were a few pictures of swans on the wall as well as a couples of old black and white photographs of the locale. A smaller room at the rear was broadly similar in terms of décor although with carpet on the floor and a selection of old wine bottles on the window sill. An old mangle and upright gramophone were displayed in the entrance hallway and elsewhere was an old sewing machine, although whether there was any relevance to these random objects I’m not sure. The food menu offered a decent enough selection of pub grub dishes with options such as fish & chips, pie of the day, lasagne, ham egg & chips, and so on as well as a number of burgers and steaks. Main courses were mostly around the £11 - £12 mark, so a step or two up from your more run of the mill pub food. The faggots with mash and gravy were pretty good, a generous portion, tasty gravy and a lovely creamy mash. The penne pasta with fresh basil pesto and sun blushed tomatoes fared less well though, the sauce being very runny so that is just ran straight off the pasta, and by the time I’d added the optional chicken it came in at £13.45 which was far too expensive for what we got. Despite six pumps on the bar, only two were in use dispensing Butcombe and Wickwar Bob. Two more hand their clips reversed (one of which was London Pride) and the two others appeared unused. Ciders meanwhile were a slightly disappointing Symonds Founders Reserve and Strongbow Cloudy Apple. Overall, I’ve mixed feelings about this. It’s obviously good to see it open again, they’ve done a decent job of the refurbishment, and the staff were, on the whole, friendly and helpful, if a little distracted at times. But the food was a bit of mixed bag and very overpriced, beer range limited and they seemed to have a bit of an issue with flies with dozens of them buzzing around which was rather unpleasant.

Smart Gastro pub set up for dining. Immaculate inside and out. Surprisingly high real ale count - Butcombe Original, Gem, London Pride and at least on other. Butcombe looked perfect but served as an anti-mekon. No head to speak of.

Official site of Swan Inn - www.theswantytherington.co.uk

Official site of Swan Inn - www.theswantytherington.co.uk