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Pub Of The Month - April 2026 with hondo
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by David Walton
Submitted on Thursday, 2nd October 2025
With picture contributions to 1961 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (11 more images)
Detail Pages
The Pulpit, Swindon
Swindon
SN1 4BJ
Served areas
Reviews of The Pulpit (Average Rating: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
David Walton left this review about The Pulpit
Visited 30/09/25. Visited previously as the Little Hop on 06/04/22.
Cask offering was decent with Plum Porter and the First-Class session bitter from Titanic, the Spring Back session pale ale from BTB (Broadtown Brew Co, a local brewery), the Lion's Roar from Front Row Brewing, and the Weisse Horse also from BTB. There were a couple of standard keg ciders, Henry Weston's and a fruit one from Cornish Orchards. Other keg was a beer called Soviet Hill from BTB, Budvar, Chouffe Session, Hofbrau lager, something called Pint from Manchester Marble and Lamp Put a nitro stout also from BTB.
I should have realised this was the tap for BTB as a green neon sign on the rear wall pointed out! The venue is L shaped with the bar counter following the shape of the venue towards the left-hand side of this bare boarded venue. There were some tall tables to the left of the entrance along the window with tall unbacked metal stools. Seating to the right of the entrance was via regular tables and chairs with a low backed fabric banquette in the window. There were some leather chairs to the rear to the right of the bar counter. Cracking music soundtrack, no screens other than to record the current beers and there is live music fortnightly on Wednesday evenings. Really liked this one.
On 19th April 2026
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1590 recommendations about 1565 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Little Hop
A relatively small, single room pub in the heart of Swindon’s Old Town, it was fairly quiet on our recent mid-week afternoon visit compared to many of the other nearby establishments, but I think they had only just opened for the day so perhaps that accounts for it.
The décor is fairly rustic I suppose, with rough wooden boards on the floor and a plain whitewashed ceiling. In contrast, the walls were quite vibrant shades of green and orange, although with much glazing at the front and other areas of exposed stonework, this wasn’t quite such an assault on the senses as it sounds. A curved and wood panelled bar counter was at the rea, with a plethora of beer mats affixed to the ceiling above hinting at an ever-changing selection, whilst the seating was a mixture of padded chairs and old metal stools in various colours. Some unusual artwork was dotted around the walls, all of it for sale, and a wood burning stove was off to one side. Despite that, it could definitely have done with being a few degrees warner in there, but perhaps if they had only just opened, it had only been recently lit.
Beers on tap were 360° Brewing’s Mustang Mountain IPA, Timothy Taylor’s Golden Best, Arbor Blue Sky Drinking and Brew York’s Fairytale of Brew York. Ciders meanwhile were Pheasant Plucker and Hungerford Park on tap, along with Broadoak Sweet, Broadoak Premium Perry, Saxby’s Original and Hogan’s Panking Pole from boxes.
On 27th December 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2113 recommendations about 2011 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Little Hop
Now gone Little as Large has moved up the road. Smaller than I recall and the interior on dank day smelt of super-heated damp, someone needs to get the coursing sorted. I went for the Castle Rock Preservation which, like so many beers up the hill on that Saturday afternoon was under-par (NBSS 2.5). I was starting to lose patience at this stage, wondering where all the GBG quality beer was supposed to be up this way. Apparently hosts life drawing classes on the second Monday of each month, maybe next time they could try putting some life into the beer whilst they're at it.
July 2015 (as Hop Inn)
The new kid on the block and given the state of the competition elsewhere, a welcome arrival. Hipster-style place converted from a shop with stripped board flooring, steel top bar and distressed furnishings. Five ales on the go: Irving Dog Watch Porter, OSB Textbook, Ramsbury Hop, Kingston Farm Ram Raddle and Rotivator IPA from the same brewery. I went for the latter and got a good beer in good nick for my troubles. Swindon’s only real destination pub for ale choice aligned with quality. Rated 8
On 24th April 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 6018 recommendations about 5998 pubs]
View more reviews of The Pulpit (6)
No known official website for this pub.
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Pulpit - whatpub.com
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 10 July 2015 by Quinno _
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 10 July 2015 by Quinno _
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
- Beer Garden : No last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
- Car Park : No last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
- Child Friendly : No last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
- Darts : No last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
- Function Room : No last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
- Hot Food : No last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
- Jukebox : No last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
- Karaoke : No last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
- Live Music : No last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
- Micropub : Yes last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
- Pinball : No last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
- Pool Table : No last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
- Quiz Night : No last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
- Real Cider : Yes - boxed - last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
- Wheelchair Access : Yes last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
- WiFi : Yes last updated 24 April 2023 by Quinno _
