The White Lion, Ross-On-Wye

The village of Wilton is situated just over the bridge on the other side of the River Wye from Ross-on-Wye. The White Lion has wonderful views over the river from the carpeted main bar and also from an outdoor patio to the rear of the pub. I'd imagine the upstairs dining room also has river views too. Although a snug was cosy enough not to have to worry about any views. This is one of those pubs that seems to serve both drinkers and diners well. I didn't see anybody go up to the dining room. So, it seemed all diners were mingling with drinkers in the bar. There was a specials board on one wall. At the bar, the regular cask ales are Wye Valley Bitter & Butty Bach. The guest beer was Tiny Rebel Park Life. I was hoping to get a real cider here, but the only cider options were Thatcher's Gold, Weston's Stowford Press, Redwood Orchard Thieves & Robinson's Flagon, all on keg. The pub hosts events such as a Wednesday Movie Night. Tomorrow's move is Sleepless in Seattle. A festive menu was also being promoted.

The White Lion is situated in a small hamlet just the other side of Wilton Bridge, about 10 minute walk from Ross on Wye town centre. The building dates back to 1650 and was previously used as a police station, the original lock being to the right of the pub as you look at it. The interior is divided into 3 sections with the main bar to the right of the entrance. The bar has a modernish extension to the rear with the remnants of the original outside wall splitting the bar into front and rear sections. The front has a handsome fireplace and a few artifacts on display including an original copy of the lease. The rear is quite plain with an assortment of local pictures and views down to the river behind the pub. The bar itself has a mass of hops covering the canopy and a series of pump clips from the various guest beers that pass through. A few steps up from the bar is the Gaol restaurant which is contained within the aforementioned lock up. This solid stone wall room has another handsome fireplace and is no doubt a lot more cosy than some of its earlier incumbents would have found it. There is another dining room to the left of the main entrance but this was closed on my visit so I didn’t get much of a view of it. Behind the pub is a large attractive patio with several benches and a robust covered area. Beyond is a grassy riverside area which is owned by the pub but is also a public right of way. Basic camping is an option here if the pub’s own accommodation is a little sophisticated for your tastes. There was a hat-trick of Wye Valley beers available - Bitter, Butty Bach and Dave’s Blond which I’ll assume to be a generic personalized rebadging. A 4th pump was unused. There is a decent range of traditional food with main courses ranging from £8-£14 although I didn’t eat here on this visit. There was some piped background musaic but I didn’t note any TV’s. Much of the entertainment seems to be by way of canine mischief (Bailey the pub dog has the run of the place) and a weekly quiz night. The pub was welcoming enough, ticks all the comfort zone boxes and is certainly worth the picturesque riverside walk from town to visit.