The Six Bells, Bishops Castle

The second brew-pub in the town; nothing like as old as the Three Tuns of course, but still well known in its own right. Retains a traditional two-bar layout, with the busy smaller room being the hub of conversation, and the larger one being decorated in a less rustic style and furnished as a more formal dining room. Five of their own real ales on offer: Noggin, Ow do! (£2.95), Cloud Nine, the seasonal Winning Webb and Renaissance IPA.

Another fabulous pub/brewery in Bishop's Castle. The barmaid was so friendly, we felt like regulars! Great beer in tip-top condition was the icing on the cake.

One of two brewpubs in town (the other being the Three Tuns), the 17th Century Six Bells is thankfully at the lower end of the steep hill. The current owner (Big Nev) opened the brewery in 1997 and core of 4 ales plus numerous specials and seasonals are available at the Six Bells as well as pubs in the wider area. The interior is a lot smaller than you initially expect.and is divided into a main bar and lounge bar / dining room. The main bar is split by pew seating down the centre which doesn’t make it the best pub in the world to navigate around when busy but does give ample of opportunity of engaging in conversation with strangers during manouvres. The main feature is huge inglenook fireplace that feels like it isn going to swallow the entire room and the tiny stove that stands inside it is totally dwarfed. There are lots of old pictures on display and numerous certificates in respect of the multiple awards that have been bestowed upon the pub. There are no fruit machines, game machines, piped music or as far as I could see TV’s but you will find a selection of traditional pub games (dominoes, darts, cribbage boards etc). Through the central lobby is the quite basic lounge bar which appears to be used more for dining purposes (the main bar was packed on my visit whist there was little overspill into the lounge). To the rear is a small unassuming patio which is really not much more than a smoker’s area. There are generally 4 ales available - Goldings Best Bitter, Cloud Nine, Big Nev (sadly the man himself was absent on my visit) and Old Recumbant on my visit of which I tried the first 2 but could have gladly stayed for the remainder had time permitted. Beer tourists to Bishops Castle will inevitably either start or finish their wanderings at the Six Bells depending on whether you wish to stagger up or down the hill to/from the Three Tuns (and a few inbetween) but either way, a trip to both is highly recommended.