Last Saturday a few friends and I thought it would be a great day to go for a little walk…well a little walk if you count trekking to Shirehampton from Bristol a little walk but we enjoy a trudge. Especially when there is promise of beer and food at the end of it.
Lord fancy pants
I took a slight detour to The Christmas Steps to check out their “Day of the Dead” festival and had myself a rather nice El Diablo Cocktail from those guys at Weber and Trings. The place was getting pretty busy as we left and it was lovely to pop into the new 20th Century Flicks as they were unpacking and have a nose. Apparently they will be up and running soon!
After my afternoon cocktail i made my way to Whiteladies Road and started the journey to Shirehampton. After a a quick stop off in Sea Mills for a wee we completed our journey in about 2 hours and were ready for a sit down and a drink! It is incredibly easy to get there, cutting over the downs and dropping onto the portway. You see some gorgeous sights that you just miss using a faster mode of transport.
The story behind the reopening of the pub is quite a jolly one, after a few years of the space sitting empty, locals got together and decided enough was enough. Eventually they had an interested brewery, developers had a agreed to buy some of the land and the pub reopened this year in a triumphant victory, especially in a climate where pubs are closing all over the country.
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The pub looks over the the River which makes the outdoor seating area really special, and the pub is lit to show its Louisana style balcony and lovely blue paint job. Inside is modern with the pub set on three floors. There was a good range of drinks on offer from Bath Ales, a range of lagers and ciders and wines. We ordered food which was all priced around the £6 – £9 mark, the menu offered pies, ham egg and chips, a good range of burgers and a cheese board. My ham egg and chips was more than generous portion wise with two slabs of ham and lovely eggs for a very reasonable £7.95, No pictures because i forgot and i was hungry.
With the train station a mere 4 minutes up the road and the Bristol pub scene getting a bit crowded i would really recommend everyone jumped on the train and gave this pub and its patrons your support. Well priced, decent pub grub served in what is now a community hub with a fantastic view and all right on the doorstep. Or if you are totally mad you can walk it like we did, my shoes are shot to pieces.
For more history on the pub follow this link http://www.shiresoft.net/riverside_bar/history/
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfTheLamplightersPub/photos_stream
Bedsit Bonne Vivante 