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Disappointment of the week with Real Ale Ray
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Detail Pages
The Boat Inn, Gloucester
Ashleworth
Postal town: Gloucester
GL19 4HZ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 9 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Boat Inn
This is one that’s been on my list to track down for a long time, and take a bit of tracking down it did, being down a long windy dead end lane. In fact even on arrival it was not at all obvious that there was actually a pub there, and the car park is very small so most punters had to resort to parking in the lane outside. It’s set in an idyllic location on the banks of the Severn, and a couple of boats did make an attempt at stopping during our visit, but it would seem that the landing point was waterlogged and extremely muddy, so both attempts were abandoned!
Internally it consists of a few interconnected rooms, with one of the rear ones housing the bar counter. This was quite small with a few black beams on the ceiling, hops hanging above the bar, wood panelling on the lower part of the walls and a number of pictures of boats and the river on the walls. Seating was wooden pews around the perimeter, although in practice the room was pretty much filled with punters waiting to be served, and so would be impractical as a place to sit and drink. The other room at the back included a mobile carvery counter obscuring a small brick fireplace, quarry tiles on the floor and a collection of beer mats in a framed display case. A further room at the front was probably the cosiest with a larger fireplace, some attractive flagstones on the floor and wood panelling all down one side, although the fluorescent strip light on the ceiling jarred somewhat. The remaining room looked a little dated perhaps with carpet on the floor and numerous old arm chairs.
The menu offered a decent selection of sandwiches, burgers and basket meals, and we opted for the chicken, bacon and mayo baguette with a side order of chips. This took an inordinately long time to arrive, but was at least a decent enough portion when it did and quite tasty, although there was far too much mayo used in the baguette.
Stock keeping seemed a bit haphazard with the majority of taps being covered, although the friendly barman explained that they were in the process of changing suppliers. Beers on tap were all from the Lakehouse Brewery with their Cherry Chocolate Porter, Amber Session Ale and Citrus Pale Ale. With the Iford and Mortimer’s Orchard pumps covered up, Stowford Press was the only cider on tap, although ciders really are the star of the show here and there was an extensive selection available from boxes racked up in a small room behind the bar. On this occasion, they included Dry, Mango, Strawberry & Lime, Pomegranate & Orange and Perry from Fishers, Hornblower and Muscle Mary from the Cotswold Cider Co., Millwhite’s Strawberry, Hartland’s Traditional Farmhouse, Out of the Orchard Medium, Dry and Perry and finally Medium and Dry from Severn Cider. Overall, a great pub, fantastic setting and a brilliant cider choice, although I certainly wouldn’t bother with the food again.
On 24th April 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1947 recommendations about 1860 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The Boat Inn
Lovely unspoilt pub by the river Severn with many rooms and a variety of seating, Good choice of beers and ciders here, and we chose Battledown Pale and Great Western Hambrook which were both in good condition
On 10th March 2018
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Peter Jillings left this review about The Boat Inn
Now serving hot food and sandwiches all good value. with an extensive range of real ales. even more of a gem.
On 12th June 2016
- rating: 10
[User has posted 59 recommendations about 54 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Helen Iwanczuk left this review about The Boat Inn
Please check the website for revised opening hours.
On 14th June 2015
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 255 recommendations about 195 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Helen Iwanczuk left this review about The Boat Inn
Temporarily closed due to the recent flooding. Check website for details.
On 18th March 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 255 recommendations about 195 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Peter Jillings left this review about The Boat Inn
Simply a gem.
On 2nd January 2013
- rating: 9
[User has posted 59 recommendations about 54 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Boat Inn
Occupying a remote position in the Gloucestershire countryside on the banks of the River Severn is The Boat Inn, a splendidly unspoilt family owned free house.
From the outside, the pub, to a large extent, resembles a private house and this feeling is reinforced as we enter through the front porch entrance down a small corridor and into the front parlour bar on the left. The wooden counter is small and garlanded with hops. There’s a large splendid fire place. Furniture consists of old settles, benches and chairs which extend back as far as the front window. There’s several rooms on the other side of the corridor, one of which, with several sofas, a mantelpiece and a TV really does look and feel like someone’s living room.
The walls are decorated with some local photographs and maps. There’s also a framed beer listing from the pub’s first beer festival in 1999. Small posters advertised a forthcoming Charity Beer Festival to be held between 7-9 October.
Outside on the right, there’s a very large barn like area to accommodate smokers. Here there’s several framed information boards containing details of local walks. Also of note here is a flood mark – just above head height – showing how high the water level reached in July 2007 when the pub had to close for as long as 4 months. This is all the more amazing when you realise that there’s a few steps and the riverbank to negotiate if you arrive by boat and moor up at the pub’s dedicated moorings. Disappointingly, apart from one barely visible photo behind the bar, there’s no framed newspaper cuttings / articles etc relating to the flooding.
A separate brick building in the garden at the front – signed as The Brew House – houses a separate deli style food counter where a basic selection of filled rolls may be ordered at certain times to accompany your pint.
Reflecting the fact that the car parking area and river bank at the front of the pub do not form part of the pub premises, there’s a rather natural unspoilt feel to sitting on the grass verge by the river bank. Dotted about here, there’s several park bench style seats in memory of various members of the Jelf family ( who have owned the pub for over 400 years ) – eg Sybil Jelf 1910 – 1991.
Pleasingly, the pub enjoys a good loyal regular trade and, on my recent Saturday lunchtime visit, the local cricket team were meeting up prior to a game later that afternoon.
Beers are served by gravity and included RCH Firebox, Pitchfork and Hobsons Twisted Spire. The latter ( ABV – 3.6%) was an enjoyable pint. The pub has been a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular for many years.
This is a marvellously unspoilt pub in an idyllic setting and its well worth making the effort to get to
On 18th October 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]