ReviewWhen the Queen visited the Bridge Inn in Topsham, Devon back in 1998, much was made in the press about it being her first official visit to a public house. However, this was not the case, as back in April 1959, the Queen, as part of a tour of the new town of Stevenage, popped into the Pied Piper, where she was shown around by landlord, and former England footballer, Wilf Mannion. The pub is often credited as being the only pub to have been officially opened by the Queen, but I’m not sure that this is correct, as Mannion started running the pub in 1958 a year before the Queen showed up.
Anyway, this all seemed like reason enough to make the 40-odd minute hike out here from Stevenage train station to see what the pub is like nowadays. Externally, it still looks very much like a 1950’s estate pub, but current owners Greene King have given the interior a serious makeover which somehow makes it look both smart and tacky simultaneously. There are three distinct areas, with the carpeted main bar in the mid section. Here, an L-shaped servery takes up much of the space, leaving room only for a few seats around a couple of tables, whilst several old black and white photos, including one of the Queen’s visit, hang from the pastel shaded walls. To the left there is a public bar with bare floorboards and a hearty bunch of locals lined up on bar stools, whilst to the right there is a raised seating area with standard tables and chairs, a single banquette and some comfy tub chairs. The walls here are covered in fancy floral wallpaper and doors at the far end lead out to a patio area with plenty of picnic bench seating. There is also a semi partitioned section to the rear right of the pub which houses a pool table. A selection of crappy pop music played over the PA whilst several TV screens showed muted Sky Sports News.
Just two beers were available on handpull – Greene King IPA (£2.45) and Morland Old Speckled Hen. The IPA was in good shape and went down very nicely after the long, torturous walk alongside several dual carriageways to get here. A cheap and cheerful menu was displayed on most tables and Sunday roasts were promoted for £5.49.
Not a destination pub by any stretch of the imagination, but I enjoyed visiting a pub that holds an interesting and unique distinction. For anyone else thinking of visiting, I’d recommend finding a bus from town and doubling it up with the comparatively nearby Our Mutual Friend.
