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Beer of the Week (w/e 26th April 2026) with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Dust Hole (Railway Inn), Salisbury
Salisbury
SP1 2JG
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Tris C left this review about The Dust Hole (Railway Inn)
Out of town and the brewery tap for Dark Revolution, this pub’s name is an exercise in duality as it’s also licenced as the Railway Inn.
It’s very basic inside, with a concrete or rough boarded floor.
There were just two cask beers, their New Tricks and Velveteen chocolate stout which was nice, served by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable barman.
Ok I suppose, but I prefer something a little more cossetting and pubby; I also preferred the nearby Winchester Gate.
On 14th April 2026
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2324 recommendations about 2267 pubs]
Strongers . left this review about The Dust Hole (Railway Inn)
There’re are some nice etched windows and doors that make it clear the this is both the Railway Inn and Dust Hole, and also a Dark Revolution Ales’ Tap Parlour. I think this was my first time in a tap parlour; to be honest it didn’t look much different to a pub. The building is wedge shaped, as is the interior with neutral decor in the wooden floored open plan front where tables and red upholstered chairs are found around a central rug. The serving counter is found across the rear where two hand pumps were drawing DR’s Velveteen Chocolate Milk Stout and New Tricks alongside a craft keg range that is advertised on small graffitied chalk boards across the top of the bar, the actual taps being across the back bar. There’s also a fridge with bottles and cans and two cider boxes that were pouring Sandford Orchard’s Devon Mist and Ascension’s Shimmy Pineapple & Lemon. I’m not a big fan of milk stout so there was only one choice of cask ale for me, which was fine during this short visit Friday afternoon visit, but I wouldn’t have wanted to stay for an extended period.
On 9th April 2026
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6626 recommendations about 6588 pubs]
Steve of N21 left this review about The Dust Hole (Railway Inn)
This is the most south easterly of the pubs out of town on the wrong side of the A36 that are worth a visit when in Salisbury and the unique selling point for this one is that it was taken over in mid-2025 by the Dark Revolution Brewery, based out in Sarem, close to Salisbury City Football Club, and is used as their Tap Pub.
Another interesting point of this pub is that for a long time it was the only public house in the country to be licensed under two official names, which can still be clearly seen from the exterior branding on the building with one side saying The Railway Inn and the other calling it the Dust Hole. The goods railway station and the coal delivery yard (hence all the coal dust) that these names originally came from are both long gone and redevelopment has left the pub surrounded by residential housing and modern business centres.
It’s been made over by Dark Revolution, and the former green and cream exterior is now a more striking black and white, with some very nice Dark Revolution branded etched windows.
Internally the worn carpet and furniture of old has been replaced with a modern pub interior of wood panelled flooring, grey half and full panelled walls and clean white walls and ceiling everywhere else.
The small bar remains in situ at the far end of the one roomed space and, although the two handpumps remain from the previous incarnation I am guessing that the main draw here now is the 14 keg taps on the back wall of the serving area and the series of rectangular boards above the bar that detail what is poured from them. For our visit this was twelve of the breweries own keg products (with the exotic names detailed by Mr Fastard below) and two guests from Verdant and Nelson & Riwaka. These included several Pale Ales and Hazy IPA’s with a couple of DIPA’s and a Stout thrown in, and with the exception of the DIPA’s, most at sensible abv’s.
However, the two ale pumps were operational with the breweries New Tricks Bitter and an extremely good 4.8% Velveteen Chocolate Milk Stout. The employee of the brewery working the bar was very knowledgeable on his products and seemed only too pleased that he had a group in bothering his handpumps. I very much warmed to this set up and wouldn’t hesitate to make the trek from the City centre next time I am in Salisbury.
On 1st April 2026
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2340 recommendations about 2186 pubs]
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Dust Hole (Railway Inn)
Wedge-shaped pub towards the eastern edge of the city; oddly single-storey at the pointed end but the windows further back indicate a second floor elsewhere. Quite a small space, and busy with a mostly young clientele mid evening. Now run by the local Dark Revolution Brewery, the bar-back features 14 keg taps serving a diverse range of craft beers including guests from Siren and Verdant. Two of their own cask ales on handpump - New Tricks bitter (£5.00) and Velveteen chocolate stout - and two boxed ciders in the fridge.
On 30th March 2026
- rating: 7
[User has posted 9119 recommendations about 9119 pubs]
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Dust Hole (Railway Inn)
On the edge of town ,this wedged shaped pub is the tap for Dark Revolution. It's open plan and airy,my visit was a brief crawl stop and I was focussed mainly on the beer.Two handpumps were offering their Velveteen milk stout (very good,NBSS 4) and New Tricks while the keg offering of Verve,Infinite Sauce,Reboot,Talking Trees,Orbital,Chaos Theory,So LA,Midnight Drive,Hang Loose,Death Blow,Hazy Daisy and Lazer Bird were complimented by guests Nelson & Riwaka Dreamscape and Verdant Putty with two sparkling ciders.There is a lot of style choices from the keg offering,some pokey.
The barman was friendly and informative,and I enjoyed my brief visit,although just two cask ales was a slight disappointment.
On 29th March 2026
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3154 recommendations about 3154 pubs]
Moby Duck left this review about The Dust Hole (Railway Inn)
A little outside the city centre the pub has now been taken over by local brewery Dark Revolution. It's a one room pub with a loosely wedge shaped interior, there are two handpumps serving usually one of their own and a nationally selected guest, I had a well kept pint of Dark Revolution Legal Tender, in addition there are ten craft taps, mostly of their own with two or three guests. It was quite busy on a Saturday afternoon, attracting a generally young crowd.
It's certainly worth the extra five minute walk beyond the A36.
On 8th October 2025
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2306 recommendations about 2269 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Dust Hole (Railway Inn)
This pub was nicknamed the Dust Hole as there was once railway sidings either side of the pub. One of which delivered coal, so small deposits of coal dust could be found inside the building.
This is a one roomed pub with a small bar at the far end with two handpumps. The interior is carpeted throughout and upholstered banquette seating. There was also a collection of function room style chairs from the 1980's, which were finished in a metallic gold with maroon fabric. The pub had a lot of railway memorabilia and I found the pole with a large hook displayed on the wall of interest. This was used for linking and uncoupling railway carriages. Two ales on handpump, both of which were from Downtown Brewery, Towering Maori and Honey Blonde. I went for the Towering Maori, which was in good shape and a decent way to start our crawl. This pub also has an enclosed patio garden at the side and serves food at lunchtimes, which was basic and quite reasonably priced.
On 20th May 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3745 recommendations about 3745 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Dust Hole (Railway Inn)
The Dust Hole is a traditional, no-frills town pub just outside the City centre near the Southampton Road trading estate. The interior is basic and welcoming, the food is very good valeu for money and there is usually real ale on, although I'm sad to say that I have been in a few times over the last few months when it had "just run out". That happened this week, so I'm not able to be specific, but I have had good beer here in the past. It's worth dropping in if you're passing on the off-chance, and it's not far from the Winchester Gate and Wyndham Arms.
On 26th March 2010
- rating: 4
[User has posted 3747 recommendations about 3707 pubs]