The Castle, Bedford

A pleasant and fairly small pub just a short stroll from the High Street, but in an altogether more attractive part of town and away from some of the shabby looking establishments that appear to be on the main thoroughfares. Bar staff all seemed very friendly. Inside it’s consists of a single, U-shape room wrapped around a central, wood panelled bar counter with leaded windows at the front. Décor wise, it looks as though it may have perhaps been recently refurbished with cream and mocha colour schemes and a mixture of carpet and wood strip on the floor. Small sections of wallpaper add some relief, such as “bookcase” wallpaper on the rear wall. A plasma was stuck up on the wall at the back of the pub, but this was not in use on a recent visit. Outside is a good-sized decking area with some very chunky wooden furniture. Food wise, the menu consists of a good selection of dishes and is divided in to sections such as Jackets, Sandwiches & Baguettes, Grills and Mains. The latter contained a number of “pub grub” staples such as Ham Egg & Chips, Scampi & Chips, Chilli, Pie of the Day, etc., and these were mostly priced around £7.50. There was also a small specials board, although this offered predominantly steaks. My Chicken & Bacon Salad was a decent enough dish, and a very generous portion. There was a good range of beers on tap with Eagle IPA, Wadworth’s Ipanema, Directors and a trio from Young’s – Bitter, Special and London Gold. Ciders were Aspall’s Suffolk and Strongbow. All in all I thought this was a decent little pub and well worth wandering off the High Street to find.

Official site of the Castle Inn, contains menu and event details - www.thecastlepubbedford.co.uk

Official site of the Castle Inn, contains menu and event details - www.thecastlepubbedford.co.uk

Official page of the Castle at the Charles Wells site, contain real ale details - www.charleswells.co.uk

Official page of the Castle at the Charles Wells site, contain real ale details - www.charleswells.co.uk

Busy little Charles Wells pub, in a quiet spot fairly close to Bedford High Street. Guest ale was a decent pint of Bath Ales Gem. Good atmosphere.