The Stag, Cheltenham

An Arkells pub with three hand pumps, though only two were on for my visit: 3B and Kingdown. I had the former, which is just to my taste and was in very good condition. My pint was delivered with a large loose head of foam, so I asked for it to be topped up. This was done promptly but perhaps a little ungraciously. There are two rooms at the front, the main bar and a side room into which the front door opens, where there are sofas and leather arm chairs. The front room is more typically pub-like, with the usual tables and chairs, and a fairly boisterous quiz was going on there. The walls were wood panelled to waist height, with warm terracotta paint above. Further back there were rooms that were empty at the time of my visit but looked more like dining rooms. There was also a small garden or yard at the back. I liked this best of my small sample of Stow pubs on my recent visit, partly for its pub atmosphere, even on a quiet Sunday night, but mostly for the excellent Arkells 3B.