The Bishop Blaize, Richmond

The Bishop Blaize was our final stop of the night and was also where we had booked to stay for the night. It looks quite imposing from the Market Place, one of several pubs here. Inside is a bit smaller and was much quieter late in the evening than I had earlier anticipated. The main room with the bar is to the right of the entrance. There is a drinkers' area to the front and a dining area to the rear. Food is only served at lunchtimes and with various OAP specials and typical pub grub, it was doing a good trade when we had checked in earlier in the day. However, late in the evening, there were just 4 customers in when we arrived. The ale selection seems to have gone downhill since the pub's last appearance in the Good Beer Guide in 2016. The solitary real ale with a handwritten pumpclip was Timothy Taylor Golden Best. Real cider is no longer stocked. There is a smaller games room to the left of the main entrance hall and a secluded beer garden across the narrow lane at the rear. We stayed in the Family Room on the first floor overlooking the Market Place. We were quoted £85, but charged £95. Either way, it was worth the price, especially as it included a gut busting breakfast that set us up for the next day of crawling very nicely indeed! As a place to stay, I recommend the Bishop Blaize. As a pub, there are several better options in town.

One of the many pubs on the historic Market Place, this one looks quite unobtrusive compared with the more obvious up- and down-market appeal of the remainder. The seemingly little-altered arrangement of different rooms on each side of the central corridor certainly appeals, although some character must have been lost through refurbishments over the years. Also has a beer garden with gravel under foot at the back, right in the shadow of the castle's imposing tower. Now just has a pair of handpumps, offering Doom Bar and Wainwright.