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Detail Pages
Ye Olde Black Bear, Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury
GL20 5BJ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Ye Olde Black Bear
A splendid old pub, opened out and refurbished slightly, but still retaining an alehouse feel despite its size. Numerous seating areas of various sizes, so not feeling crowded despite there being a good number of customers in on a Thursday evening. If I counted correctly, there were six different real ales on plus Old Rosie cider from a total of 15 handpumps, but I opted for the 'house' bitter from Uley (£4.00) which proved a great choice. One oddity I noted as I left is that there are separate cellar hatches on different sides of the building for cask and keg beers.
On 21st January 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8159 recommendations about 8159 pubs]
Helen Iwanczuk left this review about Ye Olde Black Bear
The legendry Black Bear in Tewkesbury has reopened in spectacular style. Why is it legendry? It has been serving good cheer for Centuries.
The good news is the interior has been modernised, but not destroyed. The oldest part of the building retains it's character, the highlight must be the corner room with it's spectacular embossed and painted leather ceiling in the Tudor style. The newer part of the pub has been opened out, housing a long bar with five real ales and the potential for more. A unique feature, is the glass covered set of steps leading into the cellar.
The pub is currently not doing food in their kitchen, but is available from the food vendors in the garden. The Black Bear has not just been restored, it is a must see venue for any serious pub goer.
On 21st July 2023
- rating: 9
[User has posted 257 recommendations about 197 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Brainy Pool left this review about Ye Olde Black Bear
according to local CAMRA magazine this has been sold by GK to a local who is carrying out a considerable refurbishment on the pub but it is by no means 'permanently closed'
On 27th October 2018
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1071 recommendations about 1036 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rob Jandl left this review about Ye Olde Black Bear
My wife and I and in-laws recently completed a two-week canal boat tour of the Avon Ring which essentially became one long pub crawl. Ye Olde Black Bear was our favorite pub on the Ring and the only one we went back to more than once. It had a great ambiance and a varied and tasty menu of foods and a friendly staff. I wanted to see a tennis match from Canada on a Sunday evening local time and the pleasant bartender found us a room to watch it in despite limited space in a busy pub. I recommend a stop here for all tourists visiting England who are in the area. A well-earned 10 out of 10.
On 2nd September 2013
- rating: 10
[User has posted 1 recommendations about 1 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about Ye Olde Black Bear
At the northern end of the High Street, close to a stone bridge over the River Avon, is Ye Olde Black Bear Inn, an ancient coaching inn, reputedly the oldest inn in Gloucestershire and established in 1308.
It’s a large black and white timber framed inn which mostly overlooks the High Street, but which extends down the side towards the bridge with a riverside beer garden for sunny days. Moorings are available.
A central bar serves a warren of adjoining rooms with the usual low dark beams ( mainly 16th century apparently ) , some flagstoned floors and, despite the usual Spirit Group chain pub embellishments such as TV’s, fruit machines etc, still a reasonably attractive olde worlde feel. Pleasingly, a series of blackboards dotted around the interior tell us more about the history of the pub and each individual area. For instance, we learn that one of the back rooms was built for stabling around 1422. Horses would be stabled for 3s 1d per day. Legend has it that, perhaps inevitably, Dick Turpin rested his horse here. During the battle of Tewkesbury in 1471, it is supposed to have been used as a hospital. Also worthy of note is the ceiling in the front room with plasterwork depicting roses and green fishes.
The usual ceramic tiled West Country Ales logo of a castle remains by the door, but the pub is now part of the Spirit Group empire. On my recent afternoon visit, 5 handpumps – not immediately seen as they’re on the bar back, not the counter – were serving Broadside, Doom Bar, Bombardier, London Pride and Camerons Harvest ale, the latter being seemingly the only guest. The Broadside – at a reasonable £ 2.81p – was in reasonable nick. The pub is in the 2011 CAMRA Good Beer Guide.
This isn’t a pub worth travelling any real distance for, and the beer range is unlikely to set the pulses racing, but it’s definitely worth calling in if passing.
On 18th October 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Ye Olde Black Bear
A historic old pub, allegedly the oldest in Gloucestershire dating from the 13th century. The outside is suitably timbered as you would expect, and it’s a warren of rooms inside.
Overall the interior is reasonably “quaint”, although it doesn’t have quite the genuine olde worlde feeling that you might expect from a pub of that age. That said, the snug at one end is interesting with an ornate and painted carved plaster ceiling depicting roses, fish and various other patterns. There’s a couple of fireplaces in here, and some old leather sofa’s that look as though they may have been new when the pub first opened. There are a number of boards around the pub documenting it’s history, some of which may well be more fanciful than accurate (e.g.; the obligatory story about it being haunted – make your own mind up).
There seems to be a plasma stuck in the corner of each room which rather spoils the charm, although fortunately most of these were off on our visit. Sport seems to feature prominently, with a large board outside detailing all the up and coming rugby fixtures that will be shown. There is also a large beer garden next to the river, which I imagine would get packed on a sunny day. Staff seemed friendly enough.
The menu is a mass produced laminated affair, which proudly boasts that main meals start from £2.99. Obviously majoring on price rather than quality then. In fact there’s no mention of the pub name on here, just the PubCo (Punch) in the small print at the bottom. The small print also contained a reference to the drinkaware website for those ordering the Bailey’s Ice Cream which struck me as rather amusing. There are also a number of food deals, such as curry nights, burger nights and grill nights.
A reasonable choice of beers on tap with Brain’s SA, Adnam’s Broadside and Bombadier appearing to be the regulars. Guests on this occasion were Bateman’s Hooker and Seafarer. I imagine these are staples from the Punch list, as there was a poster featuring tasting notes for the thirty or so rotating guests that are stocked. The solitary cider was Strongbow, unfortunately.
On 8th February 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1960 recommendations about 1873 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
General Staal left this review about Ye Olde Black Bear
This advertises itself as the oldest pub in Tewkesbury. It is clearly old - it certainly has the timbered, staged, black and white exterior of a Tudor building.
Internally, it is full of nooks and crannies. There is a network of small rooms. It is decorated in white with beams.
I felt very comfortable in here and could have stayed all afternoon. It has the usual tap stuff and I was initially disappointed because I couldn't see any real ale handpulls - but they are there at the back of the bar. They had on - Lancaster Red, Adnams Broadside, Wells Bombardier and Greene King IPA. A fifth handpull had a sign on it stating that beer was settling and I was advised it was a 'Piddle' beer.
The Lancaster Red and Broadside were superb.
The barmaid was very friendly and the food looked and smelled delicious - but I didn't try it.
I would recommend this pub.
On 17th August 2010
- rating: 9
[User has posted 142 recommendations about 125 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Peter Gilson left this review about Ye Olde Black Bear
1. This pub is called 'The Olde Black Bear'
On 14th April 2006
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1 recommendations about 1 pubs]