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Disappointment of the week with Bucking Fastard
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Detail Pages
Town Wall, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE1 5HX
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Town Wall
Set in an impressive Grade II listed building which was once the home of the artist Thomas Bewick, this is a large open plan pub handy for Newcastle Central station. The pub is laid out around a vast island servery with a pewter counter and surrounded by exposed floorboards and tiling. Large windows along two sides make it light and airy in the daytime and there are plenty of seating options to choose from including high stools, regular chairs and smart banquettes. A raised seating area to the left of the bar, partially screened off by some large pillars, offers a bit of privacy from what is otherwise quite an exposed and open space. The décor includes a large reclining nude portrait to the rear right, some nice bench booths along the front wall, the day's papers in a rack near the front door and a number of quirky paintings dotted around the place. Two separate rooms can be found towards the rear - the Library and the Billiards Room. The Library is not a library - it's just a room with wallpaper that looks like a bookcase - but it was quite a pleasant spot nonetheless with some clapped out wingback chairs under bare brick walls. Similarly, the Billiards Room has no billiards table, but again offers some of the comfiest looking seating options the pub has to offer. Stairs in the entrance porch lead down to the Cinema Bar, unsurprisingly without cinema facilities but instead showcasing a tiled floor, comfy bench seating, a smart servery to the left and a collection of animal heads on the walls, all of which was gleaned by peering through the closed door, as the bar was shut on my Sunday evening visit. I can only assume that the various room names reflect their uses in Mr Bewick's days, rather than being an entirely pointless exercise.
The pub has built a reputation for stocking locally sourced ales and the line-up on my visit certainly met that criteria, comprising as it did Tyne Bank Dark Brown Ale, Wylam Toon Waal Ale, Galatia and Gold Tankard, Almasty MKB IPA and a couple of West Country interlopers in the shape of Left Hand Giant Duet and Moor Return of the Empire. Keg options were predominantly from further afield and included beers from several London micros such as Beavertown. My pint of the MKB IPA was okay, if perhaps a little past its best.
This is a pretty good pub and certainly a handy place to know about if you have time to kill before taking a train. I liked the building very much, but felt the main room was a bit too big for its own good, so that the atmosphere ended up being diluted and cosy spots seemed hard to come by. I'd certainly be happy to return but I'm not sure it's the sort of place I'd enjoy an extended session in.
On 20th September 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about Town Wall
Called in twice over a recent couple of nights in Newcastle. Had 3 pints over the 2 visits, all of which were in good nick. We also ate here again and the Steak & Ale pie was excellent. One we'll keep coming back to.
03/11/2011
The Town Wall was "Reborn in 2011" according to its literature and beermats.There's a large island bar with 2 raised seating areas to the left, to the right there's a couple of alcoves and towards the rear there's more seating and another small room. There are 8 handpumps, 5 facing you as you enter and 3 more at the rear of the bar, one of those at the rear features a real cider. Beers on offer from Wylam, Tyne Bank & Blue Monkey although these change. I had several pints here over our 2 days in Newcastle and all were excellent. There's also a comprehensive wine blackboard on the wall. The food did look good , so we ate here one night and it was indeed good. The other half had a Caesar salad with chicken & anchovies, I had their homemade steak & ale pie. Very reasonably priced for the quality in central Newcastle. It's not a traditional pub, although it's trying, but it is an excellent use of a Grade II listed building. The other half loved it and I thought it was very good as well. We'll definitely visit here, probably more than once, next time we're in Newcastle.
On 18th April 2014
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3223 recommendations about 3134 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about Town Wall
A central bar serves 10 real ales and food. The interior is quite plain with exposed brickwork and wooden floors. Located just up from Newcastle central station. The pub has a basement bar that was not open during my visit.
On 23rd February 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about Town Wall
The main room is a large squareish boarded room with a high ceiling, bare brick walls of extraordinary thickness, served by a sizeable central island bar. Off the main room to the left are two other smaller rooms, The Library and The Billiard Room (which incidentally does not have any gaming tables). Towards the main entrance another narrower area up a couple of steps has a long row of leather banquettes as well as a few smaller distressed wood tables with old church type/school chairs. Seating in the main area is more minimal although there is some booth type seating on one side. The Library has wing back armchairs but the books are just wallpaper.
There is a sort of feature white painted column in one corner of the bar with witty slogans and sketches drawn on it. Beers, wines and other offerings are listed on a large chalkboard, while on the bar there are two sets of handpumps, ten now in total, seven and three. Mostly local ales with offerings from Allendale, three from Wylam, Mordue plus Magic Rock and Brewster. Old Rosie cider was amongst the trio on the far side. The pub's own brew Toon Waal is from Wylam. We visited on Sunday lunchtime and the roasts were flying out of the kitchen. Although we did'nt partake they did look and smell good and at £8.45, decent value. The menus were on clipboards on the tables, seemingly printed on a daily basis.
A laid back feel in here, no TV just chilled low level music, the sort of pub you could eat a roast and spend a couple of hours with friends and the papers. Complements the Forth opposite well.
On 3rd September 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Town Wall
This open plan Manhattan style pub is housed within the confines of Berwick House, a Grade II listed building. It's also very easy to find as it is only just across from Central Station. I called here especially looking for their real ales and was not disappointed. There were five ales on plus one cider. I enjoyed the Mordue Autumn Tyne and the Wylam Toon Waal Ale. The Toon Waal is exclusively crafted from Wylam Brewery. Will call again as the food looks excellent
On 7th October 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]