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Disappointment of the week with Tris39
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Detail Pages
Hampshire Bowman, Southampton
Bishops Waltham
Postal town: Southampton
SO32 1GD
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about Hampshire Bowman
A stand alone, out in the sticks country pub, once a Gales pub as evidenced by the now partially concealed "Ghost Sign" painted on the side of the pub, also noting that this was once called The Jubilee, in honour of Queen Victorias Diamond Jubilee. Inside is divided into two rooms both in a rustic farmhouse style, various shelves and ledges being home to collections of old beer bottles and ceramics, also a large stack of board games. The use of noisy mobile phones is frowned upon with £1.00 chargeble to offenders, proceeds going in the charity bottle, oddly despite the several signs detering their use upon investigation I found out free pub wifi available. The furniture is suitably robust and practible. The servery in the main room is more of a large serving hatch than actual bar though a more usual bar counter is in the second room, there are no handpumps, all beer is by way of stillage with twelve casks racked up behind the servery. Despite Four beers being on the board with room for six in total, only two were available on my visit on an early Tuesday afternoon, I was the only customer so probably a wise policy in current times. The two beers on were both local, Steam Town Barton Bitter and Bowman Swift One, the latter despite having next to no head after the pour was actually in really good shape and an enjoyable pint. Ten Ciders were also on the board and on the bar top there was a choice of five ordinary keg beers.I note from John Bonsers review of below he also had the same beer as me at a cost of £3.10, mine cost me £4.50, not to bad more than a decade later.
It is a nice pub but given it's location it maybe some time before I make another dedicated trip back.
On 3rd January 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1871 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about Hampshire Bowman
Situated at the end of a narrow single track country lane, approx a mile and a half from Bishops Waltham, The Hampshire Bowman is a largish brick built country pub that, on first impression, probably dates back to Victorian times.
A small brass plate on the pub’s front door tells us that we are entering the “Headquarters of the Portuguese Racing Sardine Club” ( I kid you not ) . The main bar has a brick floor and a smallish bar counter in one corner of the room. Scrubbed wooden tables create a rather rustic feel. In one corner, framed title deeds dated 1897 tell us that the pub was called The Jubilee Tavern in those days. Pleasingly, children are not allowed in this bar, although in true British form, unfortunately this exclusion does not extend to dogs.
On the left, a door leads through to the Stable Bar which is available for families with children. This bar also has a bare boarded rustic feel to it. As in the main bar, the ceiling beams are adorned with hops. There’s several brewery mirrors – among them Gales and Ringwood. Also are several old style oval shaped framed photographs of Victorian people, untitled, but presumably former owners of the pub or local dignitaries. There’s no fruit machines, TV’s etc anywhere in the pub.
Double doors lead out to a smokers shelter and a large grass lawn, which includes a childrens climbing frame and slide. In the smokers shelter, a blackboard announced that the pub’s annual sardine race had taken place on 18 June and that, between 22 and 24 July, a beer festival would be held. Sod’s law being what it is, my visit did not happen to coincide with either of these. Morris Men were due to appear one evening later in the week.
The pub’s website tells us that the pub’s current name – The Hampshire Bowman – dates back to the 1970’s and reflects the fact that the landlady at the time was an Olympic standard archer and founded the archery club next door who, at the time of my visit, were practising enthusiastically in the field next to the pub.
It’s a former Gales house and we can still see the old pub sign on a side wall.
The pub is evidently popular for food and several large family groups were present enjoying the food and the sunny weather, but this is clearly a pub that does food and not the other way round.
Beers are served direct from casks racked up behind the bar. 5 beers were on – Palmers 200, Hopback Crop Circle, Stonehenge Pigswill plus 2 beers from the local Bowman Brewery ( which, contrary to what you might think, has no connection to the pub ). Bowman Swift One - £ 3.10p – was a pale hoppy bitter, but I was much more impressed with the Wallops Wood - £ 3.20p – a dark, robust, malty bitter. The pub is a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular.
This pub is well worth seeking out, but note that the small village of Dundridge doesn’t appear to be on any bus route, although it’s walkable from Bishops Waltham
On 6th July 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]