The Fleet Inn, Twyning

I grew up across the river from the Fleet, it used to be a fantastic pub, packed on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, the food was good as was the beer. The ferry across the river made a trip to the Fleet even more entertaining (plus drunken staggering back through fields of cows). About 10 or so years ago they spent a fair bit of money on the place and spent it on the wrong things (colonades and crazy golf in a village pub anyone?). This pub has the potential to be amazing, excellent location, the ferry, a flat pleasant 2 mile walk from Tewkesbury, the list goes on. Unfortunately the floods of 2007 seem to have killed it.

I went last night for the first time in 5+ years and left feeling depressed that such a mighty pub had fallen so far. The bar, which on a Sunday would've been packed with regulars and visitors was empty bar a slovenly looking youth in a vest eating chips (who seemed to work there) and a rather unpleasant barmaid. The choice of ale is limited to 'Bitter' advertised with a piece of card attached to the pump, no idea what it actually was (it wasn't too bad to be fair) with a number of empty pumps. The inside was grubby and all the furniture in the beer garden had seen better days. The moorings haven't been renewed since the floods thereby stopping any passing nautical custom. We stayed for one drink and left, feeling sad that someone could allow a pub which could make an absolute fortune in one of the best locations in the country to deteriorate so dramatically.

On the plus side we then went to the Village Inn, where the landlord and locals were friendly and welcoming and they had Doom Bar and Wickwar BOB on tap which made me feel slightly better.

2 Aug 2010 10:36