Off the Rails, Weston Central, Weston Super Mare

Forming an integral part of the Weston Super Mare main line station building, with entrances both from the platform and the station concourse outside, is Off The Rails, a small single bar free house The pub has a traditional feel with a dark mahogany small L shaped bar counter, gantry and bar back, fixed padded seating and some exposed stonework remaining from the original station building. There’s the inevitable framed railway engine prints, but the railway theme certainly does not dominate. As part of the premises, in an adjoining room, there’s a rather old fashioned railway buffet selling newspapers, teas, coffees, rolls wrapped in clingfilm etc which is served by the same staff. On the basis of my recent Monday evening visit, the pub has a strong loyal local trade with many evident regulars occupying bar stools and who clearly were not waiting for trains. Rather tellingly, the entrance door from the platform closes at 7pm and access can only be gained from outside the station. Cider is very much the favoured drink of the boisterous, but good natured locals here, but there’s two handpumps which very serving RCH Pitchfork and Cheddar Valley Potholer, both priced at £ 2.80p and in good nick. I was informed that the beer range is rotated weekly. The pub is listed in the 2011 CAMRA Good Beer Guide. There’s not the same overall experience that you get in the better known real ale station bars at say, Dewsbury or Stalybridge – and the beer range is more restricted as well – but, in a town where decent pubs seem desperately thin on the ground, you might want to look this one out when in town

A Good Beer Guide pub for some time now, this station bar is always worth popping into while in Weston. Free juke box playing and music not intrusive. Sky TV on with subtitles. Bath Barnstormer and Cheddar Potholer our beers of choice. Locals can apparantly suggest beers.

lovely pub one of my locals good range of real ales and well kept

Bar/ Buffet on Weston station worth missing a train for. changing real ale range