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Disappointment of the week with Tris39
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Detail Pages
The Wig & Quill, Salisbury
Salisbury
SP1 2PH
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Wig & Quill
This is a well presented Wadworth pub with a slightly opened out, former multiple room interior, just a short distance from the cathedral. Entering via a basic porch with swing doors that seemed adept at trapping pushchairs, you find yourself in a smart front lounge area that was clearly once a separate room, but has now been opened out to the rear, in order to allow smooth access to the main bar area. The lounge is carpeted and has hard bench seating down the front and right-hand sides, supported by plenty of low stools and a couple of decent armchairs. The walls and ceiling are crossed by plenty of dark wood beams and there’s a very attractive fireplace to the rear, which was thankfully lit on a cold February afternoon. A few interesting photos and arty nature pictures line the walls and the space has a homely feel that the rest of the pub fails to recapture. Moving through to the flagstone floored bar area, the servery runs along the left-hand wall, with a dark wood panelled counter front and matching bar back. A TV screen at the end of the bar was showing a subtitled news channel and there is limited seating opposite, with the space mainly given over to vertical drinkers. A partitioning screen opposite the bar hides a second seating area with lots of comfy chairs around another nice fireplace, in a space with slightly more contemporary decor. Some highly decorative screens to the rear, delineate the border between pub and restaurant areas, with the back of the pub given over to diners in a bright space with a long table through the centre of the room and smaller tables around the perimeter. Patio doors to the rear ensure plenty of light gets in and allow punters to head out to the nice looking patio beer garden. Music played quietly in the background throughout my stay and there was a good mix of customers , including a few well behaved children.
There were just two Wadworth beers available on my Monday afternoon visit - 6X and Horizon - with two turned clips suggesting that more ales might’ve been on over the weekend. My half of the Horizon (£2.20) was served to me by a very cheery barman and was in decent enough condition.
There are a few nice old pubs in this part of town that are worth the look for their interiors but don’t quite deliver on the beer front and this definitely fits into that category. If you don’t mind a session of Wadworth beers, this would be a nice place to spend a few hours, but for me, a quick half was sufficient enough to get a feel of what the pub has to offer.
On 21st February 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Wig & Quill
Traditional pub dating from the 14th Century. We got a very friendly welcome from the landlady on arrival, who was proud to present five Wadworth ales across some highly polished handpumps. We went for the Wadworth Horizon and took our beers to the pleasant walled patio garden at the rear. I found this pub to be very well kept and the interior quite charming.
On 22nd May 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Wig & Quill
Busy and bustling on Saturday night, the bar runs along the side of the main area on entering this area being carpeted, the pub narrows to the rear with a boarded area here and an angular bay window at the end, not investigated beyond in the dark. This area has an old probably authentic beamed ceiling and shelves of books actually worthy of looking at. All kinds of framed pictures on the walls plus some jugs and bottles. A Wadworths house, four of theirs on plus Old Rosie cider, I enjoyed a couple of pints of Swordfish. I liked the pub, another bit of history in this town full of it despite my partner complaining about a smell which passed me by.
On 5th February 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Wig & Quill
A good looking pub on the exterior and doesn't quite live up to the promise once inside, a pint of Wadsworths Henry IPA proved unremarkable.A pub I will probably miss out next time.
On 8th August 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1871 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Nigel Rowe left this review about The Wig & Quill
Rumour has it that this pub is due to close - possibly temporarily. We paid a visit this week and left before ordering. A young man was trying to work out how to use the till, and the barmaid was taking an age serving a couple. The place was otherwise empty and had a real run-down feel to it. Most unusual for a Wadworth house.
On 1st August 2014
- rating: 2
[User has posted 65 recommendations about 57 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Nigel Rowe left this review about The Wig & Quill
Oh dear. This pub has taken a dramatic downhill slide. Due to a staff party the previous night, only 6X and Horizon were on tap. The 6X didn't have the great malty taste it once had, although I think this was down to the brewer rather than the cellarman. A pool table now takes up the middle room, together with a darts board and obscene chalked message on the score board. A Cask Marque pub that needs much TLC to bring it back to its former standard. There were no other customers in the pub, which, at 1pm speaks volumes. As a previous reviewer said, the nearby New Inn is a much better bet.
On 7th August 2012
- rating: 3
[User has posted 65 recommendations about 57 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Wig & Quill
Multi-area’d Wadworth pub, lacking the charm of the nearby New Inn as I think this one has been knocked through too much. The full range of Waddies beer (five in all) was on with the 6X and IPA being served from the wood (oak casks!), with my 6X being in decent form. There’s a beer garden to the rear. We settled near the fireplace which looked to my untrained eye to be gas rather than ‘real’ but I might be wrong.
It didn’t do much for me as a pub experience but if you like well-kept Wadworth ale, then this is a worthwhile stop.
On 30th November 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Wig & Quill
This attractive 15th Century tavern started life as 2 cottages for servants at the nearby Cathedral (the Haunch of Venison also had a similar beginning). The small and cosy front bar is fairly quaint with comfortable seats, a large brick fireplace (looks like a modern recreation) and numerous oak beams. The main bar is in the middle of the pub where a spectacular (more genuine) fireplace containing a stove takes centre stage. In keeping with the pub’s name, pictures of judges in their legal garb and a court gavel can be found around the bar.
To the rear is a lighter and more airy extension with a conservatory feel to it. This leads to the attractive crazy paved beer garden with shrubs down one side and, if you crane your neck, a glimpse of the Cathedral spire in the distance.
The beers are all from Wadworths with 6X, Bishops Tipple, Swordfish, Henry’s IPA and Horizon all on the go for our recent visit. The prices were reasonable enough, staff welcoming and although my visits here always seem to fall when they have just opened an we were virtually the only customers, I get the impression that the pub has a pleasant and convivial atmosphere whatever the time.
On 7th November 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Wig & Quill
Probably 14th Century, the Wig and Quill remains a charming traditional pub just off Salisbury's High Street and close enough to several other good pubs to form part of a high quality crawl. The current tenants (Paul and Tricia) have greatly improved the pub over the last couple of years. It is far more welcoming than before, prices are less oppressive and the pub dog, Ben, is great fun. There were 5 ales on this time, all Wadworths. I had both the Horizon and Bishop's Tipple and both were perfectly kept (although the latter does not live up to the reputation of the old Salisbury Brewery Bishop's Tipple after which it's named). Beer quality is down to both Paul's skill and the wonderful old cellar, a feature of the pub which is worth a look if you're interested. Most definitely a success story and a pub I'm now happy to drink in anytime.
On 22nd December 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3281 recommendations about 3246 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Soup Dragon left this review about The Wig & Quill
A lovely little white rendered cottage style pub, with large central dormer window and high pitched roof. There is a secluded beer garden at the back.
I suppose technically it is an open plan place which is generally in white, with ceiling and some support beams, with some exposed brick and part wood, part stone flagged floor. There are three clear areas to the pub, at the back there is the dining area, which, as Roger says below, is a light conservatory. There are tow other areas; the front bar, with high backed chairs and brick, stone and wood fireplace and there is the central bar area/food, also with a large brick fireplace. There is a lot of prints, pictures and memorabilia from the legal profession, but there is a bit of brass and other general ephemera as well. The service was fine, the clientele absent, as we got in early doors so to speak. The music was easy listening and at a decent level.
Beer; tap stuff, with a range of Wadsworths on handpull; 6X, Henry's IPA and i tried the Bishop's Tipple which was the best Wadsworth beer i have had.
I think it may have been Roger's tip to visit this place and i was so pleased i did - although not being a big Wadworth fan the beer was well kept and the Bishop's Tipple far exceeded my expectations. Really worth a visit.
On 26th April 2010
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3067 recommendations about 3062 pubs]