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Bay Horse Inn, Totnes
Totnes
TQ9 5SP
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Bay Horse Inn
A former coaching inn which is an uphill yomp from the High St and has an unusual slate tile frontage. Rough slate floor in the main bar with a knocked through side corridor leading to rear room. Unusual décor – a shade best described as ‘BR green’ on the bar front, light plank wood ceiling and odd sand orange rear room. It felt a bit sparse and unfinished to me and I have to admit I didn’t warm to it much as a venue. Sunday jazz advertised and a selection of local papers available. Four ales on with three from the New Lion brewery, for which this pub serves as a brewery tap, plus Otter Amber. We tried the NL Stout (a little flat) and the ‘fruity session Bitter’ which was a lovely beer in good nick. Two ciders also available - Ashridge and one I forgot to note. Mixed feelings about this one, but the New Lion beers would pull me back. 6.5
On 1st December 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5089 recommendations about 5072 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ale Monster left this review about The Bay Horse Inn
A superb 15th century coaching inn which is a privately owned free house and B&B. The pub is unusual in that it appears to be two buildings built on a steep hill so they are staggered in height and the frontage is covered in grey slate. The interior is very traditional with three rooms that are linked by wide doorways, so that its not quite open plan. There is a public bar across the front of the pub with a small lounge in the back right and a small snug in the back left of the building. The public bar has a bar counter in the back left corner, beamed ceiling, stone flagged floor, large stone fire place in the back right wall which appeared to have an old stove in it but this was obscured by a piano which had been parked in front, old wood settles on the left opposite the counter and brown leather sofas on the right opposite the fire place. The lounge was up a single step at the back of the public bar opposite the main entrance, this room had a carpeted floor, wood settles and modern local artwork on the walls. The snug had a small bar counter in the front wall which backed on to the counter in the public bar and blue/grey leather sofas. In the back left corner of the lounge is the entrance to a short corridor which leads out behind the pub to a paved area with steps up to a nice stone walled beer garden with what looked like home made (spare wood?) picnic tables!
Regular ales are currently Dartmoor Jail Ale and Otter Amber with two changing guest beers which on this occasion were Blue Monkey 99 Red Baboons and Box Steam Funnel Blower (GBG 2012). I sampled the Jail Ale, 99 Red Baboons and Funnel Blower and found them all to be in good condition although the Funnel Blower was not to my personal taste.
An excellent traditional real ale pub with plenty of character and charm. The landlord is a friendly Aussie who was very knowledgeable about British beers and he told me that the pub won South Devon CAMRA pub of the year in 2008 and they have two beer festivals (Spring and Autumn) each year. A good experience, so worth the long walk up the steep high street and follow the road left round the corner, I would definitely return if in the area again.
On 10th January 2012
- rating: 9
[User has posted 199 recommendations about 199 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Bay Horse Inn
The Bay Horse Inn is another former coaching house situated at the very end of The Narrows up from Totnes High Street. It’s a bit of a trek uphill but is well worth it.
The interior is comfortable and functional rather than being traditional. The stone floored main bar area has bench seating in the bar section and comfortable leather seating area to the side. Then behind this is the second, snug type area with wooden tables and chairs.
Then through to a very large outside drinking area which stretches back on two levels for a fair distance from the pub. The first section being crazy paved and the second being a grass area , both with Jumbrellas.
But it’s not the décor but the beers that has got this place into the GBG09. Four real ales on offer which at the time of my visit were Dartmoor Summer Ale and Jail Ale, Bays Devon Dumpling, and Otter Amber. Tried the Devon dumpling and the Dartmoor Summer Ale and both were excellent.
In Conclusion definately worth the extra effort to walk all the way to the top of the Narrows to visit and it is well worth its entry in the GBG09...
On 28th October 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]