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Poll for Lancaster crawl June /July 2026 with Bucking Fastard
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Fountain Inn, Gloucester
Gloucester
GL1 2NW
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about Fountain Inn
The 4 main streets of Gloucester seem awash with tiny passageways hiding tucked away pubs of which the Fountain is one, accessed via a narrow gateway in Westgate Street. The original pub that stood here from 1455 was known as the Savages Inn (after its owner, not the customers) but the current building dates from the 17th Century. Its recent history has been a little fragile having been closed and seemingly lost in 2008 only to be rescued and subsequently reopened.
From the passageway, a quaint courtyard opens up containing with several benches and umbrellad tables plus old gas style street lamps with hanging baskets.
The pub has a cosy, carpeted L-shaped interior with low, partly panelled ceilings but feels like it should be a bit more Ye Olde worlde than it actually is. The décor is quite plain with a few old pictures and ornaments but nothing too fussy. The left hand end when facing the bar is divided by a large pillar containing a double fronted fireplace and the right hand end is dominated by an impressive open stone fireplace.
6 ales available on my visit; St Austell Tribute, Butcombe Bitter, Hook Norton Old Hooky, Greene King Abbot, Timothy Taylor Landlord and Purity Pure Gold, perhaps not the most versatile selection given the number available but certainly enough to keep all but the fussiest drinker going for a while.
Whilst I do like the place, I couldn’t help but feeling slightly underwhelmed from my initial expectations but, that said, it is certainly remains a short list entry for any future beer trips around the city’s hostelries.
On 9th September 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about Fountain Inn
The Fountain is signposted through an alley off one of Gloucester's main shopping streets. The alley opens into a courtyard which has tables and chairs for drinkers and diners and hanging baskets outside the pub. It's a haven from the town but the courtyard would benefit from tidying up and an upgrading of furniture from the shabby white plastic incumbents.
The interior is welcoming with plenty of wooden furniture and beams and it's a comfortable place to be.
Six handpumps offered Old Hooky, Cotswold Spring Old English Rose, Purity Pure Gold, St Austell Tribute, Abbott and TT Landlord which, as Mr Fastard notes, wasn't actually on when we asked for one. The Old English Rose and Tribute were ok but not inspiring.
This is the best of the pubs we visited in Gloucester but I'm not tempted to return and can only conclude that if you want decent beer then Gloucester isn't the place to look.
On 20th July 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 692 recommendations about 691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Fountain Inn
Probably the best 2011 GBG listed pub in central Gloucester that we visited.The courtyard outside the pub is a charming place to drink when the seagulls are not in town,while the interior has a low ceiling but rather dull decor,with a large fireplace and seats to the right of the central bar ,and an L shaped section to the left.Musak is played at quite a volume,and some wit has posted humourous quotes in chalk on the beams but this did not raise the spirits when confronted with a fairly standard range of national ale brands.The TT Landlord clip promised a possible decent pint ,but to be informed that this was not available yet the pump clip remained resolutely unreversed was a cynical crime against drinking.If there was a better alternative I wouldn't return but the fact that this was both the start and finish of our crawl speaks volumes about the ale scene in Gloucester.
On 19th July 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3141 recommendations about 3141 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about Fountain Inn
A pub down an alley that opens up into a courtyard with outside seating.Inside is a single bar with up to 6 real ales with the Purity Mad Goose being in great form.
On 25th May 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
david johnston left this review about Fountain Inn
Best steak I have had in a long time, Well worth a visit
On 26th April 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 73 recommendations about 71 pubs]