The Barge Inn, Melksham

The Barge Inn is a large Wadworth pub next to the canal and just outside of the village of Seend Cleeve. The whole experience here felt very commercialised and it seemed that the world and his wife had come out for lunch and a few drinks in the pleasant setting. As I arrived, a sign requested people to wait for seating. The couple in front of me were turned away, as they had no reservation. I was allowed in as a drinker. I pretty much had the choice of seating in the bar area. So lack of space was clearly not the reason they were turning people away. Neither was there a lack of bar or waiting staff. They were seemingly everywhere. Perhaps the kitchen was short of staff. Walking past the kitchen through the car park later, I did here the unmistakable pinging of microwaves, with no smell of cooking food at all. I'm amazed that people flock to this kind of place when the Brewery Inn up the hill offers far more traditional surroundings and more than likely homecooked food. Ales were exclusively from the Wadworth range, with 6X and Horizon being the regular ales. One handpull also had a Chilled version of the Horizon. Henry's IPA & Amarillo Gold completed the range. I guess its the location that draws people here. On a summer's day, it could be classed as an idyllic setting. However, the number of people including plenty of out of control kids made it far from idyllic in my opinion.

A good sized Wadworth’s pub in a great location right on the edge of the canal. There’s quite a few tables and chairs outside and I imagine it would get packed in the summer. The pub is divided in to several different areas, although they are not separate rooms. The main bar area in the middle is a pleasant enough spot with dark wooden boards on the floor and a low, beamed ceiling. Paintwork is predominantly cream with some pale green detailing and there were several milk churns at the bar which had been colourfully painted and had leather seats fitted to turn them in to bar stools. To the left is a smaller bar area with a parquet wooden floor, a fish tank and an old cast iron fireplace. This had a few logs smouldering away which the bar staff kept topped up and this was a nice touch on a freezing February afternoon. To the right of the bar are a few old flagstones and some tables with good views out the window to the canal. This leads in to a carpeted area that looks to be more of a restaurant. There was another brick fireplace here and a few black and white pictures on the walls. At the front of the pub was another room, again probably more used for dining, with French doors out on to the patio. I didn’t see a menu, but a chalk board was offering a pie and pint deal for a tenner. Beers on tap were all from the Wadworth’s stable with their 6X, Swordfish, Old Timer and Henry’s IPA. The solitary cider was Stowford Press. Prices seemed somewhat steep at £7.90 for a pint and a G&T.

Official site of the Barge Inn, contains menu and event details - www.bargeinnseend.co.uk

Official site of the Barge Inn, contains menu and event details - www.bargeinnseend.co.uk