Bridge End Hotel, Llangollen

This Robinsons house is the only pub this side of the river and the seats out front are a real sun trap. Dizzy Blonde and Unicorn on offer when I called. Both were fine.

Occupying a prime position across the road opposite the famous 16th century stone bridge (one of the Seven Wonders of Wales apparently) that crosses the River Dee is the aptly named Bridge End Hotel. It’s a large prominent building which, apparently, is of Victorian origin – 1840’s – but has been considerably altered and enlarged over the years. It’s a family pub / restaurant sort of place with a large dining area on the left hand side and a smaller lounge style bar on the right which principally appears to cater for locals. It’s a comfortable, but rather ordinary looking bar with standard pub seating and nothing of any great age or interest. A large screen TV at the end above the fireplace caters for football fans, with matches shown being prominently advertised. Seats outside at the front are a real suntrap in fine weather, from which you can’t see the river, but you can watch the traffic crossing the busy old bridge. The Bridge End Hotel is a Robinsons tied house and hidden away almost apologetically on the bar counter amongst a plethora of the usual keg and lager fonts were two handpumps, not together and almost at opposite ends of the bar, serving Unicorn and Dizzy Blonde. I didn’t sense there was much interest or trade in real ale. Both beers were in good condition, but rather uninspiring in the usual Robinsons manner. Overnight accommodation is available on a B & B basis in a number of rooms upstairs, but, in reality, it’s much more of a pub with rooms than a full blown hotel. I can personally recommend both the B & B accommodation and the food as being of a reasonable standard and representing good value for money, but, as regards the pub goer and beer drinker, there’s a number of better options in town close at hand.

If you can get a speck outside in summer its a good place to watch people coming and going. Handy for breathing in car fumes too.