Racehorse Inn, Taunton

This St Austell’s pub is a former coaching inn whose yard has been partly built on, the remainder serving as a covered terrace. There is also a small garden at the back, but there is no parking as the building is part of a Georgian terrace on what was once the main road into Taunton. The interior is formed from several rooms and bar areas which gives it a labyrinthine feel. These include a main bar, a couple of smaller dining areas, a snug with a woodburner and a long, thin area used for small functions. The décor is a bit battered, and the furniture is mainly the usual cheap town pub style, plus a couple of large barrels used as tables. The staff were far from welcoming, similarly the locals, whose collective brain cell total was about the same as the atomic number of the lead in the cider they drank at home, were not the friendliest. A dartboard and jukebox provide the entertainment, and there are several sports trophies on display. Four ales on, 3 from St Austell and a guest, Exmoor Gold. I had the latter which was in very good condition. The beer makes it a good inclusion for a crawl, but don’t expect to finish with the field as you are an outsider.

Racehorse Inn pages at the St Austell brewery site - www.staustellbrewery.co.uk

Racehorse Inn pages at the St Austell brewery site - www.staustellbrewery.co.uk

In my opinion the Racehorse is one of the two or three best pubs in Taunton along with the Plough down the other end of town and the Ring o' bells in the middle. This pub is a St Austell House with three bars, a conservatory type affair over the old yard, and a large beer garden which is a wonderful sanctuary away from the hordes of shoppers on a sunny afternoon........well worth a visit.