The Boathouse, Newton St. Loe, Bath

Official site of the Boathouse - www.boathousebath.com

Official site of the Boathouse - www.boathousebath.com

A good sized Banks’ pub in a great location on the River Avon just outside of Bath. To make the most of it’s surroundings there is a beer garden off to one side as well as a terrace at the front of the pub, and it’s possible to wander right down to the water. Inside it’s got a contemporary feel to it and has clearly had a recent refurbishment. It is perhaps lacking much in the way of any real character, but it’s a pleasant enough space and is obviously intended to appeal to families as much as dedicated drinkers. On a recent midweek lunchtime visit there were a couple of mums with their toddlers on the comfy sofa’s in front the fireplace, but fortunately these were well behaved and no trouble at all. The flooring is all wood, a mixture of parquet and larger, polished dark boards. The main part of the pub offers good views across the river with large windows along one side, and has cream paintwork on the walls with dark wood panelling below. A number of black and white pictures are dotted around, many showing old scenes from the river. Besides the wood panelling on the walls, a number of pillars were clad in pale beige painted wood. There was a slightly odd looking extension jutting out on to the terrace, and this shares a dual aspect fireplace with the main bar. This housed a wood burning stove, and the barman struggled back in with a fresh basket of logs whilst we were there. In one corner is floor to ceiling shelving filled with books, and a few high tables and chairs along one wall. There was a basket full of bags of crisps, and a few jars of nuts on the end of the bar. Elsewhere is a smaller room having a slightly more formal feel with pale, patterned wallpaper and this too had another fireplace and wood burning stove. The food menu was a mixture of your more traditional pub dishes such as gammon, fish & chips, burgers, etc., as well as several more adventurous dishes. Prices started at around the £8 for mains and went up to about £15 depending on what you had. We chose from the cheaper end of the menu and found food to be decent enough and generous portions. Staff all seemed pleasant and helpful, even noticing that our table was wobbly and wedging some beer mats underneath. Beers on tap were Rev. James, Skinner’s Best, Butcombe and Gem. Ciders were Stowford Press and Addlestones.