Rose & Crown, Wells

This is a characterful drinker’s pub in the centre of Wells with a partly opened out interior that manages to retain the feel of a multi-roomed pub. On entering, you pass a carpeted seating area to your left with standard and tub chair seating, a mirrored end wall, fairy lights and many potted plants. The walls in this cosy little space have been decorated with slightly quirky paintings and a champagne display cabinet whilst a TV screen to one side remained off throughout my stay. To the right, is the main bar area – a bare boarded space with standard tables and chairs throughout, half panelled walls with contrasting light and dark painted upper sections, a photo collection of Fiats and Lambrettas, a juke box, another unused TV screen and a stone fireplace to the right with a nice little stove in the hearth and a fancy sun-shaped mirror above. The bar is to the rear and has a traditional timber framed counter front with alternating black and white panel inserts, a very well stocked, mirrored bar back and some interesting light fixtures suspended from above including a rather effective open flame-effect lamp at the end of the bar, hung from one of the ceiling beams. Two arches to the right lead into a side room of sorts, with a carpeted floor and plenty more seating. A fair few customers were entering the pub and heading straight through a door next to the bar, which I initially assumed led to a rear or first floor seating area but may well have been the exit to the garden, which I didn’t get around to exploring. This meant that it was fairly quiet inside the pub, although there were a few locals over in the right-hand room which helped generate a bit of atmosphere. Just the two ales were available on the bar – Courage Directors and Exmoor Gold. A very friendly barman came over to check I’d filled out the track and trace and took my order of a pint of the Gold. Unfortunately, this turned out to be some way past its best and I didn’t see anyone else order a pint of cask ale during my time there. I liked the feel of this place – one of the few proper drinker’s pubs in Wells – and just wish they could’ve served up a good pint of ale to top of what was otherwise a pretty enjoyable pub visit. I’d consider giving this place a second chance, as I thought it was a nice place to relax over a pint, but with reliable good ale available in one or two other nearby venues, this one slips down the pecking order a little as a result.

A great town pub that does decent ale. On entry there are three areas vaguely separated by the remnants of former walls, presumably converted in the 1960s, leaving the central chimney breast which now contains a woodburner. The centre area fronts the bar and has a laminate floor, while the two areas at the side are carpeted, the larger one, on the right, also used as a dining room. There is also a pleasant paved garden at the back, with covered areas for smokers and al fresco drinkers. There are TV screens showing live sports and a couple of gaming machines for entertainment. The staff were welcoming, the clientele reasonable. Three ales on: Proper Job, Directors and Exmoor Stag, all in good condition. A pretty good place to have a few beers in comfort.