The Bell, Bath

Large bar with open plan, split level area. Traditional with hops on the ceiling. The emphasis is on live music and lively background music, its probably a little basic for it.

Situated in Bath’s bohemian area, the Bell is a former 18th Century Coaching inn with an eclectic feel that attracts a wide range of potential punters of all ages and persuasions. Beer tourists, intellectuals, students, musicians and artists all seem to be happy in each others company. The smallish bar area can be a bit cramped whislt the larger side bar is a bit more spacious. A recess at the rear contains 2 table football games and there is also a bar billiard table and range of traditional board games. The walls are cluttered with posters and live music adverts and at the rear is a decent size patio with plenty of cover and host to live music sessions, even in the February cold. I didn’t get a chance to note the 7 ales that were available due to the pub being at the business end of a lengthy crawl and the bar area being fairly congested at the time suffice to say I had a pretty decent pint of Dorset Durdle Door. Overall the pub left a strange impression on me in that I wasn’t too enamoured with it at the time (probably had too much by then anyway) but I feel a necessity to go back and give it another good shot and could probably end up sitting there all evening if there was a decent band playing.

A short walk away outside the centre of the city is The Bell, a large single room pub with something of a hippy, bohemian feel to it. It’s a rock music orientated bar with a stage on the left, a raised seating area, a lino floor and a bar billiards table. Reflecting the music emphasis, the walls are covered in posters advertising forthcoming bands. A commitment to real ale manifests itself in hops suspended from the ceiling. On my recent visit, beers on included Abbey Ales Bellringer, Bath Ales Gem, Summer Lightning, RCH Pitchfork, Keystone Cornerstone plus beers from Palmers, Otter and Butcombe. Both the Otter and the Butcombe were in good form. The pub is listed in the 2011 CAMRA Good Beer Guide. This pub had the widest selection of real ale that I came across during my recent mini-visit to Bath, but this is not a particularly attractive or welcoming pub and I’m minded to give it a miss next time.

A pleasant and welcoming old pub. The main bar area had a good fire going and with the hops around the beams and the window seats has the feel of a country pub. It's a bit different to the left where the room extends along quite some way. This area felt rather basic and characterless in comparison to the bar despite the potted plants on the tables. There are a few pew style banches and settles here, and the raised area has an unguarded drop of about two feet, so I'm sure a few unwary punters have lost their dignity on occasion. The pub has regular live music, so I'm guessing the raised section would form the stage. A board displays posters and flyers for pub and other local events. A recess behind the bar houses a bar billiards table, and much more unusually there is a coin operated launderette inside, £4.40 for a wash and dry. Certainly odd but if you have to use a launderette, how nice to have a couple of pints while you wait. A decent beer selection here, Bath Ales Gem, Hop Back Summer Lightning, Butcombe Bitter, Box Steam Derail Ale, Abbey Ales Bellringer, Stonehenge Danish Dynamite and Otter Ale was due to go on. The Bath Ales Organic Lager is worth a mention too. Another essential stop I'd say on a Bath visit.

A pleasant and surprisingly spacious pub. It’s a little scruffy around the edges, but that just adds to the atmosphere. I particularly liked all the bunches of hops hanging from every rafter. Music seems to be a big thing here with bands on three nights a week, and a large DJ console, although this was not in use on our visit. There’s a small and cosy bar area up near the bar, with a real fire (real flames that is, it was gas, but still creates a pleasant ambience and gave off a good bit of warmth). The pub then stretches down someway, and beyond this is a good sized courtyard garden with a couple of table football games in an outbuilding. You get a few characters in here by the looks of things, but they all seemed pleasant enough and the place had a good vibe. They do a range of local organic sandwiches apparently, although we didn’t eat on this occasion. There was a friendly dog curled up by the fire, who looked very much at home, so we initially concluded it was the pub dog. He subsequently left with a punter though, but it’s obviously a regular spot for him. Good choice of beers on tap all chalked up on a board above the bar – Otter Ale, Summer Lightning, Old Buzzard, Bellringer, Pitchfork, Durdle Door, Jem, Butcombe and Danish Dynamite. Similarly good choice of ciders with Ashton Press, Stowford Press and Bath Cyder’s Rough Diamond.