please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Concur with the previous poster... ale is second rate here and takes second place to 'reserved' tables for "gourmet" burgers. Had a very bland pint of black sheep (which was the most exotic brew on offer). Definitely worth swerving for the ale when a decent alehouse is a few yards up the road.
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I really have no idea how this has won the North Beds CAMRA pub of the year for 2016. Plenty of better pubs both in the town and surrounding areas that would be more deserving. Still, after 30 years or more of going to pubs, what do I know....?
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Comfortable, friendly and welcoming pub a short wall from Bedford High Street. Convenient for the auction rooms opposite. Three Young's beers and a guest on when we visited. Polite bar staff and good outside area for summer drinking. In response to previous reviews the Three Cups nearby looked rather cliquey, The Castle is a much better bet.
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Agree with the review below. Nothing spectacular, but a nice enough pub nonetheless, with a friendly welcome. Expensive too, with prices around the £3.70 mark for around 3.5%ish beers. Considering the much lower prices and better choice of the Three Cups almost next door, I know where I'd rather go.
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Decent enough but unspectacular, CAMRA conferring a 'most improved pub' award on them sounds like a back handed compliment. Beers are from the glocal Wells/Youngs brewery and are just fine albeit unexciting (Proper Job was a welcome guest). The coffee machine had been turned off.
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pleasant quiet pub away from the high street crowds, excellent good value meals, down side is this is WellS & Youngs house with a predictable poor choice of real ales - Guest ales tend to be products actually produced by Wells and Youngs themselves ie Courage, Youngs. Best advice if you like your ales is eat here then go to one of the JDW houses for a more interesting ale experience.
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Reasonable pub with a slightly better class of clientele than we had experienced in other Bedford pubs. Located in a good area of Bedford for real ale pubs, this is a Youngs and Wells pub which was dispensing Eagle IPA, Directors & Golden Sheep. Second hand books are available for charity. The old boy at the bar looked like he had been there a few years.
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Whereas the Three Cups up the road has slowly improved over the last few years, The Castle has slowly been going the other way. Not that it's a bad pub, just not as good as it used to be. Thankfully still Chav-free but it seems to be refurnished and tarted up far too frequently than is good for a pub, making it a little bland and characterless.
Rather bland beer choice too - Eagle IPA, Courage Directors and Everards Tiger on last visit.
The Tiger was pretty good but we just had the one before moving onto the Ship for something more interesting (Holden's Golden Glow as it happened). Like the Youngs Kew mentioned below, Courage Directors is now brewed in Bedford, so not what I really consider a 'guest ale'.
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Busy little Charles Wells pub, in a quiet spot fairly close to Bedford High Street. Guest ale was a decent pint of Bath Ales Gem. Good atmosphere.
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Nice, 'local' feel with a decent corps of regulars. Beer consistently good under current incumbents (Charlie Well's Eagle on permanent with at least one guest - as of writing Wells & Young's Kew). Had a decent meal there a couple of weeks ago and will eat there again.
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a recent change of managment though guest beers seem to have been dropped
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Great atmophere, Great food , ale is ok....friendly bar staff.
Looks nice since its been done up and no Chavs......goodtimes :)
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There are varying comments about the standard of the beer at this pub. I had a couple of pints in there the other day and I have to say it was excellent. Food looked good as well and I will give that a go on my next visit.
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I used to be a regular but the quality of the Charles Wells Eagle bitter got so poor I stopped going.
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I've visited this pub on a good few occasions. The beer is good but the food is fantastic, good sized portions AND great quality. Think of this place if you want a good feed and you'll soon wonder why anyone goes to a Beefeater or the like.
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always found the beer ok here though last time i just wa;lked out - i was looking for grub and the kitchen shut at 2 !!!! (on a saturday)???
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only 2 ales available neither in very good condition which is a shame, i hope just a blip a genuine local worthy of supporting
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COMPLAIN ABOUT THE BEER IN THIS PUB AND YOU ARE USUALLY TOLD THAT YOU ARE LYING OR DONT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. ONE REASON WHY UI WILL NEVER DRINK THERE AGAIN . AND I WAS ONCE A REGULAR
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Very good pub, great beer, reasonable prices. Food some of the best in town and large portions. bars wheelchair accessible but NOT the new Patio Garden - a pity!
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When in Rome and all that, it wouldn�t be a trip to Bedford
without some Charles Wells
A sports themed bar with water ski-ing, ice skating and rowing gear stuck to the wall.
Graham - 9 Oct 2004 17:33 |
a recent visit shows ths pub is maintaining its high standards - still one of the most pleasant places to enjoy a quiet pint inside or outside in bedford
Steve - 5 Sep 2004 17:26 |
Great little pub with good beer and great food served in generous portions. Good garden for the summer. A hidden treasure.
Eamonn - 6 May 2004 19:45 |
nice quiet back street local, recently refurbished with outdoor patio and new food menu. Good quality Charles Wells beers.Recommended
Steve - 5 Oct 2003 13:14 |
