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Next Pubsgalore crawl in 2026 with sheffield hatter
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Detail Pages
The Bell, Ingatestone
Ingatestone
CM4 0AT
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Strongers . left this review about The Bell
The Bell has an L-shaped carpeted main bar with a stool lined L-shaped serving counter that supports standard and premium keg alongside four hand pumps, three of which were in operation drawing Shepherd Neame’s Whitstable Bay and Spitfire alongside Greene King IPA. This is an historic pub with old wooden beams and supporting pillars to accompany lots of exposed red brick throughout, including within chimney breasts either side of seating that runs along the front windowed wall. The right-hand fireplace is used to store wood for the left-hand fireplace that was crackling away adjacent to the serving counter. To the left of the main bar area, on the other side of the log fire is a small room with minimal seating, a pool table and a burner in the reverse fireplace. There was background music from the 1950s, at a guess, and Six Nations rugby was advertised. Live music was also advertised for the upcoming Saturday evening, I’m not sure how regular this is. The service was friendly and I enjoyed a BLT from the lunch menu that was priced fairly. I thought this was a cosy and welcoming pub that was rightfully busy with lunchtime trade, it was certainly worth coming off the A12 to visit here rather than a services.
On 4th March 2026
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6563 recommendations about 6525 pubs]
Steve of N21 left this review about The Bell
Situated on the Ingatestone High Street the Bell is a 500-year old grade II listed traditional village pub that was originally a coaching inn and from what I could make out by reading local reviews, the least gastrofied of the two remaining pubs on the high street and the most likely to do a sandwich at lunchtime.
Internally it retains two bar areas, a small wood floored public bar off to the left as you enter that is dominated by a pool table and is decorated with a lot of rugby memorabilia. Then the larger carpeted saloon with its three distinct areas arranged around the main bar is to the right and has a lot of character, with its heavy oak beams and original fireplaces.
It’s a Shep Neame pub with a couple of their beers on the bar and I went for the Whitstable Bay and it was perfectly fine. A fairly standard pub grub menu, which does include sandwiches and the Prawn on granary we went for was passable but fair to say would not be winning any Michelin stars any time soon.
On 28th October 2025
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2322 recommendations about 2169 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
andrew parr left this review about The Bell
excellent pub with good food and fine beer
On 28th July 2008
- rating: 10
[User has posted 105 recommendations about 100 pubs]