Cheddar Valley Inn, Wells

Basic place that smelt of fags and was mainly lit (and possibly also heated) via the glow from the jukey. Butcombe Original the only cask; I feared the worst but got a surprisingly drinkable half (NBSS 3). Best left to the locals – not that were any in on our 5pm visit.

A traditional town pub focussed primarily on its locals, not part of the Wells tourist trail. The layout is as described below, and there is indeed a good sized lawned garden at the back and a separate paved area to the side with a covered smoking stand. There are a few barstools plus some small tables, and there was a large TV screen which was showing horse racing when we visited, though the sound was turned down to allow the noise from the jukebox to irritate anyone over 25. The décor is firmly rooted in the 1970s. Food was limited to fresh rolls. Two pumps on the bar, one clipped Tribute which was off, the other dispensing Severn Valley Best Bitter, which was in average condition. The keg offerings were Carlsberg, Stella and Guinness. Not at all cheesy, but not really a venue of choice either, so best left to the locals.

A basic, no frills boozer just a short stroll from the town centre, this nonetheless seems a popular local’s pub and there was a decent crowd in on a recent boxing day visit, with the Christmas raffle in full swing. There is apparently a beer garden at the back although we did not investigate this. It’s a single room pub, although divided in to a couple of different areas. The flooring is a pale brown tiling with pine wood cladding on the lower part of the walls and cream plasterwork up above and there is a small stone fire-place with a wood burning stove. To the left is what might loosely be described as the cosier half, with a few black beams on the low ceiling, and an old leather sofa in the window, although with a plasma that was showing the horse racing protruding from the wall just above it I would have thought that anyone sitting there would have been in danger of hitting their head when standing up. Next to this was a darts board and a piano wedged in to the corner and blocked in by a table. To the right is another darts board and a pool table. Beers on tap were slightly disappointing with just Exmoor Ale being available on tap, although there was another pump on the bar so perhaps there is a second option on occasions. Ciders were better represented with Thatcher’s Gold, Blackthorn, and, rather obviously given the pub’s name, Cheddar Valley.