Bell & Crown, Salisbury

The Bell & Crown was busy with an afterwork crowd during a recent Friday late afternoon visit. Premium keg was available and the five hand pumps were drawing Dartmoor’s Jail Ale, Hop Back’s Summer Lightening, Rude Giant’s Best, Butcombe’s Original and Wye Valley’s Hereford Pale. Aussie rules football was on the muted televisions throughout while some background music played, I also noted a dartboard in the right rear corner. There’s an open fire with a raised area behind that includes a mix of seating including some sofas. Having spent the day in quiet boozers, it was a bit of a shock to walk into a very busy pub, but they’re doing well so good luck to them. Next time I’m in the area I’ll pop back in for another look, but preferably not after I’ve been sinking Old Rosie chasers.

Can’t really add anything to the reviews below. Thought this was a modern smart pub inside a building that clearly had some history and character. I am also not a fan of handwritten pump clips but forgave them as they had all four pumps going with a reasonable selection and my Dartmoor Jail Ale was very pleasant. And also, very good to find it being well utilised by the Friday evening after work crowd.

Elongated Grade II*-listed building mostly of 14th-century origin, with the newer part at the eastern end in a different style. The dark interior has no doubt been much altered over the years but it certainly retains a fair amount of traditional character in the various seating and dining areas. Five cask ales on handpump, ranging from Butcombe Original (which I take to be the regular beer as it had a proper clip) to the handwritten signs for Dartmoor's Jail Ale, Hop Back Summer Lightning, Rude Giant Best and Wye Valley's HPA.

A large and rambling city centre pub,clearly old but modernised internally.The low beams and struts create seperate spaces with the servery down one side,opposite which is a slightly raised section with an open fire.A front section has sofas,the multiple flatscreens were on mute but a bit off putting,there is a darts board and a mix of high and low seating elsewhere. Up a flight of stairs is the Twisted Barrel Bar for cocktails with table service and a huge array of hanging ephemera and classy furniture,somewhere for the young at heart and no place for a Real Ale Twat ! The ale options were Butcombe Original,Wye Valley Hereford Pale Ale (NBSS 3.5),Rude Giant Best ,Hopback Summer Lightening and Dartmoor Jail Ale.I agree that the chalk written pump clips are a bad idea ,most folk prefer the brewery pump clips. Popular with a young afterwork crowd,it will get hectic but the ale line up was enough to justify another visit.