The White Lion, Ross-On-Wye

The White Lion is situated in a small hamlet just the other side of Wilton Bridge, about 10 minute walk from Ross on Wye town centre. The building dates back to 1650 and was previously used as a police station, the original lock being to the right of the pub as you look at it. The interior is divided into 3 sections with the main bar to the right of the entrance. The bar has a modernish extension to the rear with the remnants of the original outside wall splitting the bar into front and rear sections. The front has a handsome fireplace and a few artifacts on display including an original copy of the lease. The rear is quite plain with an assortment of local pictures and views down to the river behind the pub. The bar itself has a mass of hops covering the canopy and a series of pump clips from the various guest beers that pass through. A few steps up from the bar is the Gaol restaurant which is contained within the aforementioned lock up. This solid stone wall room has another handsome fireplace and is no doubt a lot more cosy than some of its earlier incumbents would have found it. There is another dining room to the left of the main entrance but this was closed on my visit so I didn’t get much of a view of it. Behind the pub is a large attractive patio with several benches and a robust covered area. Beyond is a grassy riverside area which is owned by the pub but is also a public right of way. Basic camping is an option here if the pub’s own accommodation is a little sophisticated for your tastes. There was a hat-trick of Wye Valley beers available - Bitter, Butty Bach and Dave’s Blond which I’ll assume to be a generic personalized rebadging. A 4th pump was unused. There is a decent range of traditional food with main courses ranging from £8-£14 although I didn’t eat here on this visit. There was some piped background musaic but I didn’t note any TV’s. Much of the entertainment seems to be by way of canine mischief (Bailey the pub dog has the run of the place) and a weekly quiz night. The pub was welcoming enough, ticks all the comfort zone boxes and is certainly worth the picturesque riverside walk from town to visit.