Devonshire Arms, Burton On Trent Town, Burton on Trent

Devonshire Arms page at the Burton Bridge Brewery site - www.burtonbridgebrewery.co.uk

Devonshire Arms page at the Burton Bridge Brewery site - www.burtonbridgebrewery.co.uk

A detached multi-building Burton Bridge Brewery pub with a patio area at the back. The pub is a lot bigger than what it looks as one building is made-up pretty, while the rear part of the pub is a twin gabled structure in undressed brick. The bar end is actually made-up quite nice, in a mix of white and cream renders with green paintwork and end-stone blocks. This part has a mansard roof and some fine tracery in the mock late-Gothic windows. I believe the pub dates back to 1830 and is worth a visit to see the exterior alone. The interior has a couple of rooms both served by a central serving bar. The lounge is an open plan room around an exposed brick fire feature in the centre, with the bar to the right on entry. It is in white and red, with wood panel, with a white and wood ceiling and a patterend carpet. There is a piano in the room and they serve food here, though i didnt eat so can't comment on that. There are a few jars and bottles and a large map of Burton (1857) and mixed art on the walls. The bar is smaller, it is in white and exposed brick witha white and wood ceiling and a red tile floor. Old photos of the area are on the walls, as well as a beer mat collection. There is a dart board here. There was no TV that i saw and the background music was quiet. The service was very friendly and the place was quite quiet overall - a few in the lounge, but nobody in the bar. Beer; usual tap stuff with Burton Bride Bitter, Golden Delicious, Damson Porter, Stairway to Heaven and Fesival Ale, with Crouch Vale's Yakima Gold as a guest. The Porter and bitter were decent. Sadly, no MILD. A really good pub, especially with the Cooper's around the corner. I spent a good hour or two here and would willingly go back.

Called in on the way back to the station after visiting the Coopers Tavern just around the corner. Although the Devonshire suffers in the comparison, it is an excellent pub in its own right. It's a pity that the interior has been rearranged so many times that there appears to be almost nothing of the original layout left. A fascinating photo beside the bar shows the exterior in about the 1860s when it was all fields and trees around these parts. The beer is well kept and they seemed to be coping quite well with the coach party that had literally pulled up just as we arrived. If you've only time for one pint between trains, make it this one, but otherwise a two minute walk around the corner to the Coopers is my recommendation.