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Bridge Inn, Exeter
Topsham
Postal town: Exeter
EX3 0QQ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 9 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Bridge Inn
On the very edge of Topsham village, on the banks of the River Clyst, is The Bridge Inn, a fabulously old fashioned, unspoilt, traditional inn that describes itself as a "Free House 16th Century". It is believed that stonemasons who were building Exeter Cathedral lodged here.
As we approach the pub, we realise that the building appears to have some parts older than others and that the original old part of the building has been added to. Inside, up a few steps, we find two small old fashioned rooms that are serviced through hatches from what appears to be a small private room, which is not part of the public area, but to which access is apparently granted "by invitation".
The first room has basic, fixed seating and, notably, an old framed sign stating that "this room is prohibited from all amusements on Sunday - W Gibbings, Proprietor". The second room, further down, and in the real heart of the building, is darker, has a fine fireplace and grandfather clock, together with a splendid tall curved settle that effectively forms one of the walls of the room.
Photos of when the Queen visited here in March 1998 are displayed - believed to be the first and only official visit so far by Her Majesty to a Public House. In the corridor, there's various newspaper articles in which the pub has featured as a truly unspoilt timeless classic. Needless to say, there's no electronic distractions. Indeed, various signs dotted round the pub tell us that mobiles are banned - a message which one would have hoped would not be necessary. The pub is listed in CAMRA's National Inventory of Heritage Pubs.
Despite still retaining an old "Whitbread Tankard Free House" sign outside, there was of course no sign of this former much maligned beer. Beer is served direct from the barrel from a barn like room at ground floor level and carried up a few steps to those customers drinking inside. Customers drinking outside can be served directly from a hatch like counter without having to go inside to be served.
Beers, served in jugs, included Branscombe Vale Branos and beers from Cotleigh and Teignworthy, amongst others. 6 beers were on in total. Pork pies and pasties are available at certain times. My pint of Branos was in good form and only £ 2.60p, although a notice on the daily food / drinks menu tells us that "prices may vary depending on customers attitude". Unusually, beer can be bought in 1/3 pint measures.
The pub's opening hours, which are restricted, are referred to on the door as "the 1914 hours" and relate to the fact that the opening hours are restricted by the 1914 Defence of the Realm Act which restricted opening hours to ensure people made war ammunition instead of getting drunk.
The pub was advertising that, on 14 September 2010, Stage 4 ( Minehead - Teignmouth ) of the Cycle Tour of Britain would be passing the pub between 13.40 and 14.30 p m and, as a result, the pub would be staying open longer than normal. The pub has an outside drinking area on the banks of the River Clyst by the bridge over the river.
The pub is about 5 miles from Exeter and is easily accessible by either bus or train ( Exmouth branch line ). If you like unspoilt, old fashioned, characterful pubs, you should make the effort to get here.
On 5th October 2010
- rating: 9
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
train man left this review about Bridge Inn
Otter Head, Branscombe Branoc & Summa That, Palmers Copper Ale, Yeovil Summerset, Adnams Broadside, Cottleigh Honey Buzzard (went), all served from stillage in ‘cellar' beyond the small lounge which forms the servery & is a private area, albeit not obviously so, & one should not enter unless, as we were jovially told, ‘you want to do the washing up'. The next room on the right is the small bar/snug area with a hatch to the servery, and where you will find a list of the available beers (also listed in corridor & lounge), this snug has old flintlock rifles & swords hanging above an old fireplace with wood burning stove, pewter tankards haning at servery, assorted seating for ~15, little standing room, which would make queuing for the bar rather awkward. When I borrowed a pen to make some notes here, the landlady suddenly asked me to stop writing & brought over a clipboard, explaining that the table was 300yrs old, & even indentations of praise would be rather ruinous. The corridor (where one can also be a little awkwardly served) has a plaque mentioned the Queen's visit in '98. The room to the left of the corridor has an unchanged décor & something of the atmosphere of yer gran's lounge, albeit with seating for ~20, an old clock (hopefully with an audible tick when quieter), selection of books, a great photo of the pub, a notice by the then proprietor WJ Cibbings, stating ‘This room is prohibited from all amusments (sic) on Sunday', and a small notice re mobiles – ‘The Bridge is a place of conversation between people, not machines', some picnic sets outside and, although it was too dark to see the water, I can see this is a good riverside location & note mention of a serving hatch direct to garden, which must relieve a great deal of congestion on a fine day.
On arrival, a local had been recommending Otter Head (at 5.8%) but an hour later staggered off advising us not to touch the stuff – I wonder if that's what HerMaj. went for? ‘One will try a pint of your finest Otter Head…'
On 15th October 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 412 recommendations about 411 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gerald Scrivens left this review about The Bridge Inn
I Have read the other reviews and can add that this wonderful old world pub is in a time warp.
For those of you who cannot find the ' pulls' STOP LOOKING - beer is tapped straight from the barrel!
On 14th October 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 47 recommendations about 45 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Soup Dragon left this review about The Bridge Inn
Large detached corner pub, half pink rendered, half pink painted brick, with large car park and beer garden, situated by the river and bridge (amazing that) heading into Topsham from Clyst St George.
The interior is a nesting of little rooms, one of which was full of morris dancers, that jingled to look at the new entrant. There is a small bar room, with hatch, which you can walk behind and find yourself in another small sitting area - where were the handpulls i quizzed myself?. I got lost. There is lots of old memorabilia, muskets and such like, as they play on the history of the building - fair play to them. The service was ok, the place was bursting with a mixed clientele - i went to the beer garden where the wife and kids were - i made it out!
Beer, well amazingly i cant tell you. There were several real ales, but i had to find a list with them on - i had a decent Ohanlons stout. Its bad enough writing down whats on the handpulls - but copying off a list is too much!
Great place, really enjoyed it, however, the Exeter Inn in the town is a slightly better place for an all round experience as far as i am concerned
On 7th September 2009
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3077 recommendations about 3072 pubs]