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Detail Pages
The Blue Bell, Chesterfield
Bolsover
Postal town: Chesterfield
S44 6HF
Pub Type
Local Pub (Marstons)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Blue Bell
The Blue Bell has a basic bar on the right-hand side and a more comfortable, if a little worn-looking carpeted lounge to the left, which wraps itself around the left-hand side of the bar where at the rear, a conservatory joins back up with the bar and overlooks the car park to the rear.
The bar had a pool table and a dartboard. A live band was setting up whilst we were there. In the lounge, there are pumpclips on the beams from days when the pub dispensed cask ales. They're probably the same ones mentioned in the last review from 9 years ago. The pub is now under new management and handpulls have been removed. The keg choice was Guinness, Carling, John Smith's, Staropramen, Madri, Coors, Carling Black Fruits, Aspall's & Cruzcampo. There were also 3 further fruit ciders from Old Mout in the bar.
TVs here were off and music was playing at a volume which was too loud considering the lack of customers in the lounge. Dogs are allowed in. A karaoke and a disco were advertised. Not the best pub of our day in Derbyshire. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
On 8th April 2026
- rating: 4
[User has posted 3460 recommendations about 3458 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Blue Bell
A nice-looking old building, with a fantastic view from the back garden. Or what used to be the back garden but was in the process of being "concreted over", as the customer before me was informed. I suppressed my "good grief" and made my selection from the three available beers - a rather uninspiring bunch from the Marstons stable consisting of Wychwood Hobgoblin, Marstons Pedigree and Brakspear Oxford Gold.
The main bar room is an amalgamation of two or three smaller rooms, and a separate room is described as a function room, though its main feature seemed to be a dart board.
A few people popped in for beer or lunchtime fried food while I was supping my Oxford Gold, which was in reasonable nick but nothing to write home about. Numerous pump clips on the beams near the bar suggest that other beers have been available in the past, though I'm not sure the slim possibility there'll be anything but Marstons on in future is enough to tempt me back.
On 26th May 2017
- rating: 5
[User has posted 4764 recommendations about 4362 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Blue Bell
Located on Bolsover High Street, just a short walk from the entrance to Bolsover Castle, this is a nice two room traditional pub which has a bit of a rural feel to it. The entrance takes you into a corridor which gives access to the tap room on the right and the lounge further on to the left. The lounge bar is a very comfortable room with nice carpet, dark beams, white wallpapered walls and a large stone fireplace housing a lit burner. Banquettes and benches skirt the perimeter of the room with standard tables and chairs opposite them. A central pillar has some smaller tables and low stools clustered around it. The decor consists of old photos of Bolsover, various brasses, pewter tankards and a tremendous number of pump clips. The far end of the room was set up for diners and there were quite a few enjoying their Saturday lunch from a reasonably priced menu.
The tap room is a more basic affair, with quite a lot of open space, some seating around the edge of the room, a dartboard and a large TV screen showing Premier League football. Customers are allowed to bring their dogs in this room and food can be served in here as well. The pub has a beer garden at the rear which gives outstanding views over the surrounding countryside.
Six hand pumps were dispensing beers from the wider Marston’s portfolio. The choice on my visit was from Marston’s Single Hop Wai Iti (£3.00) and Burton Bitter, Wytchwood Hobgoblin and January Sale, Banks's Fine Fettle and Jennings Soggy Bottom, all of which were detailed on a blackboard next to the bar counter. I gave the Wai Iti a try and thought it was a decent pint and well kept. The barmaid seemed to be friendly enough and was kept busy by the steady stream of customers coming into the pub.
I thought this was a good place to relax over a pint or two and having seen the food that was coming out of the kitchen I'd say it's probably a good bet for a bite to eat. I didn't manage to visit any other pubs in town, but by all accounts this is by far the best Bolsover has to offer, and judging by my visit, I'm not surprised.
On 4th February 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3387 recommendations about 3387 pubs]