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The Rodboro Buildings (Lloyds No 1), Guildford
Guildford
GU1 4RY
Pub Type
Lloyds No. 1 (J D Wetherspoon)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Pub SignMan left this review about The Rodboro Buildings (Lloyds No 1)
as one of the country’s first purpose-built car factories. Over the years, the building has had many uses, including as a shoe factory, a car showroom, a Red Cross distribution centre during World War II, a dance school and a series of nightclubs, before falling derelict for over a decade until Wetherspoons found a way to reopen it. It’s a pretty impressive interior that greets the modern day visitor, with bars set across two levels, including a very long, L-shaped servery on the ground floor, beneath a large old ‘Dennis Bros Motor factory’ sign that was presumably salvaged from one of the pub’s former incarnations. There’s plenty of carpeting throughout, with loads of the usual seating options available, mainly across the ground and lower ground floor levels, much of it quite secluded thanks to the various split-levels, bits of wall and partitioning screens that break the room up. Most notably, there wasn’t much of the usual high stool, pack ‘em in seating opposite the bar that most ‘Spoons seem to deploy, making for easy access and a more pleasant, open feel. The upper level runs in a quarter circle around the front of the building, with plenty of tables offering decent views down to the busy streets below through fairy-light strewn windows. Plenty of industrial style lights hang from above alongside the usual exposed utilities, in keeping with the building’s former usage. A small outdoor seating area can be found to one side, but you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t check out the interior at least once.
There were three guest ales available at the bar, alongside the three usual ‘Spoons cask options. I opted for a pint of the Mad Squirrel Resolution, which clocked in at a most reasonable £2.75 – very good value compared to other nearby pubs. A word also for the staff, who generally defied the ‘Spoons stereotype by being very friendly, helpful and switched on.
Like many of their branches up and down the country, this is a great example of this pub chain taking an old building threatened with demolition and repurposing it so that the public can still make good use of it. I really enjoyed exploring this fine building and thought that the good value ale and friendly service were major plus points. Sure, it suffers from some of the usual ‘Spoons complaints, but with its location so close to the station, this is an ideal start or end point for any crawl around town.
Date of visit - 24th June 2023
On 11th December 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
BRUMMIE STEVE left this review about The Rodboro Buildings (Lloyds No 1)
Pretty poor Wetherspoons pub just a short hop from Guildford train station, hardly anywhere to sit due to the layout of the pub, pretty quiet for 6 o'clock on a Friday night, also the prices are a lot more expensive then in other Wetherspoons.
On 6th March 2019
- rating: 4
[User has posted 39 recommendations about 39 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about The Rodboro Buildings (Lloyds No 1)
The Rodboro Buildings is a Wetherspoons pub that is a short walk from Guildford's train station.
I was well ready for a drink after a long journey down to Guildford on train,this pub fitted the bill.
Once inside there is an L shaped room that is carpeted,there are tall tables and chairs near the bar,there is a raised area opposite the bar on the right side,this are has normal tables and chairs and gives good views of the constant traffic going by.
There is also an upstairs room that was closed on my mid morning visit.
There was the usual Spoons regulars on the bar,i had a drink of Windsor 7 Eton Parklife,which was a very nice drink,the other guest beers i noted were Twickenham Naked Ladies and Twickenham Sundancer and Shepherd Neame Bishops Finger.
I thought this was a decent enough Wetherspoons to have an early drink in.
Pub visited 13/5/2017
On 16th July 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Rodboro Buildings (Lloyds No 1)
Modern double storey Lloyds bar, used the building space well and the bar is at the bottom of an ajoining building with a glass seal. Wouldn't be to a traditionalists taste but it has a nice atmosphere and done well.
More beer choice would be good, but the real ale is kept well.
On 13th December 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
dave stray left this review about The Rodboro Buildings (Lloyds No 1)
Large wetherspoons serving typical beer and typical food. Theres nothing else to say.
On 7th May 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 265 recommendations about 183 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Rodboro Buildings (Lloyds No 1)
A very large two floor drinking barn full of flashing fruit machines and muted TV screens,12 pumps as described by Aqualung below, among the boring ones was of course Doombar and G.K IPA along with Hogs Back Tea and Otter Bright ,I lost interest and can't remember the other two, on the more interesting set of pumps, although not fantastically interesting in my view were
Marstons Single Hop Belma, Marstons Help for Heroes, Arundle Black Stallion, Titanic Desert Hero, My choice of Firebird Heritage xx , which turned out to be a very average pint, again I forget the other beer. Unlike Aqualung (and this will not surprise him), I don't know how these places find themselves in the GBG , and I did not like this place at all.Wont be back.
On 17th May 2015
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Rodboro Buildings (Lloyds No 1)
Although this huge listed building is most famous for the connection with Dennis the vehicle manufacturer that company spent less than twenty years here at the start of the twentieth century. The name Rodboro Buildings apparently came from a company called Rodboro Boots and Shoes. Wetherspoons opened it at the tail end of 1996. It is so vast I completely failed to spot the fact there was another bar upstairs.
On the bar I discovered two sets of six pumps a boring one and an interesting one. The boring one had two ciders, London Pride, GK IPA, Hogs Back TEA and Doom Bore. The interesting one had Dark Star Winter Meltdown, Firebird No. 79 Golden, Wadworth's Full Sali Wassail, Triple fff I can't Remember and Windsor & Eton Canberra & Seattle Porter. These were all Locale (ish) ales apart from the Wassail.
I went for the Triple fff beer (£2.70) which was in superb nick. I quite liked this place but I imagine it must be hell on earth of an evening especially at weekends. The reason for that is that it's a Lloyds No. 1 with music and late opening in the evenings. It is GBG (2015) listed and I would say rightly so.
On 7th December 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Rodboro Buildings (Lloyds No 1)
A vast Lloyds No.1 branded Wetherspoons, converted from a former ‘specialist vehicles’ factory and that heritage is shakily reflected in the semi-industrial interior décor, a cavernous two-floored affair with some zoned ‘areas’ painted in eye-watering colour schemes plus large pillars and air conditioning ducts. A huge array of ales were available with the more interesting choices on the left-hand bank of pumps. I tried one that was new on me from a fairly local brewer (who I forget to note) that was in decent nick. We ate here and the food came out fairly swiftly and was in good order. The tables and floor were a bit unkempt and it felt like the place is simply a den for the proverbial battery hens to eat and drink really. Still, a decent local ale at under three quid means I’ll pop in here again next time I imagine.
On 8th October 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5089 recommendations about 5072 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Rodboro Buildings (Lloyds No 1)
This place is vast, even by JDW standards, it is a Lloyds No1, situated in what looks from the outside like a converted mill but which is actually a former specialist truck factory for Dennis, makers of fire engines, dustcarts etc. There are a few radiator grills and vehicle logos on the walls here and there. The pub is split level and also has an upper mezzanine with its own bar albeit with a nominal selection. Lots of exposed brickwork, probably the original metal framed windows, large ceiling ducts on view. The ground floor area with the main bar has a few changes in level, I spotted a pair of rather intimate booths, being a Lloyds there is a dance floor, thankfully it was too early in the evening for that nonsense to begin.
The bar is pretty long, running along two sides, there were 6 guest ales by my reckoning plus three proper ciders, a pretty decent selection. Handy for a first or last pint near the station if visiting Guildford. One of the better 'spoons.
On 28th July 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Rodboro Buildings (Lloyds No 1)
The usual paint-by-numbers ‘Spoons but this time housed in a fine building of Industrial heritage and over several levels.
Utilised it for an early lunch and pint when arriving in Guildford and for this it was perfectly fine.
We utilised the top level, which has the advantage of being close to the kitchen, so at least the staff can find you before your food goes cold, but the bar on this floor is much smaller and seems to suffer from the disappearing staff problem others have reported. So you have to time your move for when someone shows and hope not too many get in front of you.
Not an overwhelming beer offering but it did include Jennings Bitter, Hammerpot Shooting Star, and a rather fine pint of Ascot Ales Penguin Porter, which was available on both bars.
On 11th April 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]