The Panniers (JD Wetherspoon), Barnstaple

This is a good sized branch of Wetherspoons, located a short way from the top end of the eponymous market, in what feels like a large old shop unit or two. You enter through a front seating space to reach the main bar area with the servery down the right-hand wall and plenty of high tables and stools in the space opposite. The bar has a fairly long counter with the usual polished stone top and mirrored bar back. Steps lead up to the rear and side for two different seating areas. The rear space felt like the family area, although there were no kids apparent when we visited, whilst the left side was a darker, cosier area with a row of banquette booths along the end wall and plenty of tables and chairs elsewhere, all beneath local history boards and a selection of random pictures on the walls. From here, you can reach a carpeted front seating area, totally separate from the bar area, with a long banquette and many more tables and chairs under pictures of the Pannier Market. It looked like there might have been a small courtyard garden area out the back, but I didn't fully explore. On the bar, there were the usual three regular ales alongside four guests from the upcoming Wetherspoons beer festival range. I tried the Orkney Boulder Beach, which was in good shape and another solid beer from this underrated brewery. The staff seemed like a very efficient and hard working bunch, although the place was quite quiet on a Monday lunchtime. I couldn't find too much here of interest, although the rear left space looked quite comfy and the separate front left area was a nice retreat from the usual Spoons clientele. It's a solid option for this town, but nothing you won't have seem many times before. Date of visit - 4th March 2024

My final stop of the night in Barnstaple was this branch of Wetherspoon's which appears in the latest Good Beer Guide. It was one of the quietest branches of the chain that I've been in, with just a handful of customers sat on tables near the bar. The regular beers are Greene King Abbot & Ruddles Best, 3 guest beers were Exmoor Stag, Adnams/Black's Irish Red & Country Life Country Bumpkin. Ciders were Gwynt y Ddraig Black Dragon & Thatcher's Cheddar Valley. There are various seating areas, this being a long, thin pub stretching back to an outdoor courtyard at the rear. I sat off to one side, which was quite dark. My Stag was nothing too impressive and neither was the curry that I ordered. But it filled a gap. The pub is named after the Panniers Market building which sits opposite, but is currently closed for refurbishment. As with Quinno, I preferred the other Wetherspoon in town. Staff were friendly though.

Fairly unremarkable JDW. Decent cosier seating area off left but otherwise a minty snot green colour in the main bar area. Doors propped open on a cold night to deter any thoughts of lingering. Teeny tiny side courtyard, possibly the smallest Spoons garden in Britain. Two local guest ales and a bit of an upturn in fortunes, with Exmoor Exile (NBSS 3.5) and Dartmoor (3.5) both being quite drinkable. I preferred the other Wetherspoon in town.

This appears to have been constructed by knocking together two adjoining shops. This has resulted in quite a large open plan room with the bar down the right side. It's a fairly typical JDW and was doing a good trade on my April Thursday afternoon visit. The bar has ten hand pumps which had the JDW Trio Of Doom with Ruddles doubled, GT Ales Battleaxe doubled, Cotleigh Barn Owl, Bays Devon Dumpling & Trunk Ale and Dartmoor Legend. I went for the Battleaxe (£2.49) which was in good nick. Overall I found this to be a decent Spoons.