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Detail Pages
The Bridge End Inn, Wrexham
Ruabon
Postal town: Wrexham
LL14 6DA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 9 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Bridge End Inn
National CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2011 so I was really stoked to be doing this one and I wasn’t disappointed, a nice relaxed oasis inside with plenty of chat and the locals are a friendly bunch. Located down a dip just off the main road, a couple of minutes stroll from the train station. It has a lovely old interior over a couple of rooms via an entrance lobby. The left side is essentially a snug, whilst the right is the main bar with quarry tile flooring, wonky wood beams, red fabric banquettes, traditional wood furniture, log fire and some nice bits of breweriana. To the rear is another room which was unoccupied but I assume is mainly used for functions. Six ales on during my visit from Heavy Industry, Rudgate (Brass Monkeys), Flying Monk (Mighty Monk), Sunlander (excellent shape – NBSS 4), and the sublime Batham's Bitter (NBSS 4.5). A notable change is that the homebrew is no more, but with stuff like Bathams being available, I can’t say I was disappointed! A timeless drinkers pub and a real treat. I didn’t want to leave, put it at the top of your to-do list. Now.
On 2nd March 2019
- rating: 10
[User has posted 5089 recommendations about 5072 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Bridge End
After busy Chester it was nice to come to what felt like a country pub with reasonable prices. When I arrived along with a few others we were all shunted into the small left bar as there was a funeral reception going on in the main one for one of the elders of the family that run this pub. I was happy to go along with this for the duration of my stay. I later discovered that the right bar is larger and that there is a small snug round the back. I noticed a Border Brewery mirror on the wall that made me wonder if they were the original owners. I dug out a really ancient North Wales beer guide to discover that it was once a Whitbread pub.
Beers noted here were Big Hand Little Monkey, Marble Pint, Weetwood Best, Holden's Special, Fernandes Session IPA, RAT White Rat, Fat Cat Honey Ale, Wye Valley Bitter, Stonehouse Ballast Porter and later on McGivern Matt Black. I stopped here for a few and had the Honey Ale (£2.80), Holden's Special (£3.00) and Matt Black (£3.00) all of which were excellent.
I liked this place a lot and would definitely return. It gets a very strong 9.
On 10th March 2017
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Bridge End
Exceptional pub with consistently good range of ales. A real drinkers' pub.
On 29th August 2016
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about The Bridge End
A cracker of a pub. An excellent beer selection and ideal if you're waiting for a train as its just round the corner from the train station. Beer garden at the rear.
On 21st September 2015
- rating: 10
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Bridge End
Navigating close by ,so just had to pay a visit to this much decorated pub.It's quite traditional with two rooms off the entrance.To the left is essentially a large snug with it own bar access and two handpumps while to the right is the main room with the bar there sporting the remaining eight handpumps.Around the otherside of the bar is a back room well described by others.
The pub and adjoining brewery are run by a father and son team,and Mr McGiven Snr came over for a friendly chat.He modestly said that he was as surprised as anyone at getting the CAMRA pub of the year award,and explained his only recent involvement in the pub trade.He chatted to regulars and strangers in equal measure and kindly handed out some free pork pies slices to everyone,nice touch.
The bar service was swift and professional despite a good crowd in,and the choice on my trip was from Slaters Premuim and Original,Moncada Notting Hill Blonde,Raw Rat Collaboration,Happy Valley Small and Mighty,Liverpool Organic 24 Carat Gold,Mc Givern Pyramid Porter and Botanist Humulus Lupulus,a very decent range to have a pop at.The ale quality was up to GBG standards as you would expect.
The very nature of pub awards is subjective,but the fact that this pub was rescued by a committed landlord who has clearly worked extremely hard is a good back story which deserves recognition. If you are ever in the area ,don't forget to pop in.I enjoyed my visit.
On 15th September 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Bridge End
This pub gained a lot of attention when it was named CAMRA National Pub of the Year for 2011 and made it into the final four the following year. Unsurprisingly, the pub now gets plenty of custom, both from a loyal band of regulars and from one-off visitors like myself, keen to find out what all the fuss is about. When I arrived early on a drizzly Sunday afternoon, there were already a fair few people in and it only got busier from then on. The building has a slightly strange position, sited some way below the level of the passing road, but it is very handy for the train station, which is just around the corner. The main bar is at the front of the pub, with the servery positioned on the back wall. There is tile flooring throughout and the traditional feel is created by dark beams and whitewashed walls plus a roaring log fire on the end wall. Seating opposite the bar is somewhat restricted, but the room opens out a bit, past a low dividing wall, into a space focussed around the stone fireplace with a couple of banquettes and some standard chairs serving four or five tables. A number of books have been stacked up on the partitioning wall and behind one of the banquettes, whilst a collection of old Mcgivern Ales bottles run above the fire. There is a second bar, but once I’d settled down next to the fire, there was no moving me. The genial landlord popped over for a chat not long after I’d arrived, before heading off to get some more firewood, and the other customers were a very friendly and chatty bunch, creating a lively atmosphere and nearly making me miss my train home.
The pub has its own brewery out the back and produces the Mcgivern Ales which form the core of the pub’s ale range. Two were available on the bar when I arrived – an excellent Pyramid Porter and a fairly average pale beer, the name of which I forget. Alongside this were Lancaster Amber, Rudgate Ruby Mild and something from Mr Grundy’s. All the beers I sampled were in good shape and the other customers I spoke to were very complimentary about the pub’s cellarmanship.
I had very high hopes for this pub based on the acclaim it has received in recent years, yet somehow it managed to exceed these expectations. I struggle to think of anything I disliked about this visit and I was left cursing the train timetable which restricted the amount of time I could spend here. In my opinion, this place fully justifies the hype and is well worth making a bit of effort to seek out. I’ve only given one ten out of ten on this site previously, but this pub fully deserves the highest marks.
On 14th May 2013
- rating: 10
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Bridge End
On the main road through the small Welsh town of Ruabon ( near Wrexham ), is The Bridge End Inn, a pub that has now appeared on the radar, primarily due to winning the CAMRA National Pub of the Year Award in 2011 – the first Welsh pub ever to do so.
Positioned slightly below the level of the road on the edge of town, it’s a smallish two bar pub with something of a country pub appearance. As you enter through the main door, the principal bar is through a door on the right and features a quarry tiled floor, whitewashed stone walls, black ceiling beams and traditional wooden tables and benches of various lengths and sizes. Over a large fireplace is a shelf featuring a range of bottled beers produced by the on site brewery, Mc Giverns. To the left of this is an old brewery mirror telling us to “insist on Soames Ales”. Another brewery mirror and other related items tell us that it’s a former Border Ales pub. The CAMRA National Pub of the Year certificate is proudly displayed by the bar.
The left hand room, entered through a replacement light pine door, is more brightly lit and features a piano, a fine framed painting of the pub, some more CAMRA certificates and small old theatre posters. Several odd shaped plain mirrors make the room look bigger than it is. A further small room at the back of the main bar has a collection of some old Border Ales framed beermats and a McGivern Ales mirror. Several odd sounding musicians were practising in this room on my visit.
In summary, it’s a pleasant, traditional, if largely unremarkable interior.
The Bridge End Inn was taken over by the McGivern family in 2009 and an on site microbrewery installed. Brewing is under the direction of Matt, the son, who was behind the bar on my recent Monday evening visit.
It’s a real community orientated, welcoming local which, notably for a Monday evening and not opening until 5 pm, was quite busy, lively and buzzing when I arrived at around quarter to six with an appreciative crowd of friendly regulars, virtually every one of whom was taking a keen interest in the ales available. There’s 5 pumps in the main bar on the right and a further two in the left hand room. Disappointingly, from my perspective, only one McGiverns beer was on - Gambit - . a dark porter type beer. Other beers on were Salopian Darwin, Titanic Stout, Facers Sunny Ale and Purple Moose Madog. All beers sampled were spot on, with the Salopian Darwin proving to be my favourite. An out of date blackboard listing the beers indicates that the range changes regularly, with beers from Harwich and Endless recently on.
Matt McGivern – a bit of a Chris Evans lookalike – is a likeable and engaging person, more than willing to chat to all and sundry when not serving and was finalising train times for a pub crawl in Liverpool with one group of regulars.
Ruabon can be reached by rail ( on the Wrexham line ) or by bus from Llangollen but, do note that the pub doesn’t open till 5pm ( Mon – Thurs ) and 4pm on Friday and you may need to plan your transport arrangements carefully if travelling late.
This was an enjoyable visit and I do hope that I get the chance to come here again sometime
On 22nd October 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Hurdle left this review about The Bridge End
The place was full early evening on a Monday. I got separate personal greetings from the landlord and the brewer. The lady of the house came round with various toasted snacks. Six Real Ales were on offer - the three I tried were on excellent form. No British brewed lagers, only high quality ones from the Czech Rep. and Germany and only real draught cider. Everyone who came to the bar seemed to be really interested in what they were drinking and not just asking for a bitter or lager etc. which I feel was due interest in THEM from the management. A rare score of 10 from me!
Very worthy winners of the CAMRA National Pub of the Year 2011.
I raise my score to 10+!
On 9th February 2012
- rating: 10
[User has posted 707 recommendations about 645 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Bridge End
Looks and feels much more like a country pub than one on a busy road through a small town. Good range of real ales from local breweries, including a first-class Old Wavertonian stout from the Spitting Feathers Brewery. Good, friendly atmosphere too.
On 30th September 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
michael furn left this review about The Bridge End
I have also so visited this pub, travelling on the Wrexham, Shropshire and Marylebone railway service.
Having heard about, it was a must do visit , good selection of real ale.
Nice friendly atmosphere.
It also serves as a brewery tap for Mcgivern Brewery, who also run the pub.
A nice selection of pork pies also add to the pub.
It was worth a 5 hour round trip for a couple of hours, will stay longer next time.
On 24th August 2009
- rating: 10
[User has posted 38 recommendations about 37 pubs]