The Mail Rooms (JD Wetherspoon), Ross-On-Wye

This is a terraced Spoon's pub and eatery, with patio area. It was, of course, the old Post Office, built in the last years of Victoria's reign. The building is in the typical red brick of the period, in a 17th century style. It has stone moulding around the doors and windows, with a couple of front gables and a rather unobtrusive oriel window. It is in the GBG 2013 for some reason. The interior is a long, straight room. It is blue at the front and green and cream at the back. It has an open roof, with skylights, and a few information boards on the walls - it is tidy enough other than the food scraps and the somewhat unappealing ducting. The TV wasn't on and there was no music. The service wa sfine and the clientele the usual Spoons mix - it has a family area. Beer; usual tap stuff, with Abbott, Ruddles, Ringwood 49er, Marston's Celebration Pale Ale, Lymestone 7 Stone Weakling (too cold and flat) and Lancaster Red. Another Spoons that makes in into the GBG despite inconsistent beer - yet again. I tend to drink half pints, as only every other one is any good.

As the name suggests, this was the old Post Office originally built in 1899 and closed in 1999 before opening as a Wetherspoons in 2001. Externally it still has all the Post Office hallmarks but the interior appears to have had a modern but tasteful refurbishment that fortunately doesn’t echo ‘Spoons usual faceless plastic image. The front section was the old public space whilst the extended area where the main bar is now housed was the sorting office. The bar is quite airy thanks to the high pitched roof with its sizeable skylights. 2 incongrous air conditioning pipes run most of the legth of the roof. Opposite the bar are some tall backed upholstered booths whislt the rest of the furnishings are fairly standard. The décor includes some blue tinted old pictures that blend well with the simple colour scheme. There is a small patio at the rear which will probably be of more appeal to the smokers than al-fresco drinkers. There were 10 pumps with a decent enough selection of guest beers available alongside all the usual ‘Spoons bargain goodies. My visit was on a Saturday lunchtime and all seemed quite mellow and civilized but I can’t speak for the evening crowds when such places sometimes take on an altogether different ambience. Overall, this isn’t a bad little place and I’m sure that most people would find it above the normal JDW experience.