Taunton Pub Explorations

A Somerset trip where we get to sit in front of the Ian Botham picture, meaning I could tell Mrs PropUptheBar how he challenged us to eat three Shredded Wheat in the '80's.  Which is better than trying to explain anything about cricket - a subject I'm a bit hazy on.

We found more than cricket in the Somerset county town...we found a dalek, a ghost Spoons, some annoying table service, and the best pint of the day in a sports club a hefty trek from the centre.
But let's keep up the regular habit and start the day in Wetherspoon's...

Perkin Warbeck (22-23 East Street, Taunton, TA1 3LP)
This is an enormous branch of the chain, stretching waaaaay back from its entrance on the shopping street.  You know the score: booths and high benches along the side, regimented tables-for-four down the middle, those precarious tall perching spots for the hardened drinkers in front of the bar.
And the whole place was almost full - we traipsed the length looking for a suitable seat, marveling at the Perkin Warbeck's ability to attract the fair folk of Taunton on a Saturday lunchtime.

When we eventually found a free table next to an eccentric lady with her cider and chips, we ordered beer and food on the app.  I opted, perhaps unwisely, for the Exeter Brewery 'MC6' - a wicked 6% dark old ale which was a meal in itself - a cracking beer.  You'd be bold to go back for a second at lunchtime, though.

Fed and watered, we headed back into the sunshine to wander the streets of the town a little more.
Our route took us to Taunton Minster, with its striking 40 meter high tower, built at the beginning of the 16th century when the town was prospering from the wool trade.

A few quiet back streets took us from the minster to the beer-guide listed Ring Of Bells.
Which absolutely looked the business from outside as I took the picture - church tower, cricketing floodlights, hanging baskets, and mobility scooter.

The Ring Of Bells (16-17 St James Street, Taunton, TA1 1JS)
The problem was the 'please wait to be seated' podium greeting us at the front door.  To be fair, the young man welcomed us heartily, told us we could sit where we liked, and held the floor, chatting to us and a handful of regulars.
But I was perplexed as to why they figured table service for drinks was best.

You can look at the current pump clips on the wall, but some high tables are strategically placed to stop you getting anywhere near the pumps themselves.

No complaints about my Otter Brewery 'Twelfth Man', a special for the pub  
I just never got over the odd fact that it had to be brought to my table by a legion of staff that was threatening to outnumber the customers.

I'd hate to suggest that Taunton isn't a great pub town, but we were feeling a bit short of options at 3pm in the afternoon.
We contemplated catching a bus up to Bishops Lydeard and the Quantock Brewery Tap, although we'd been there a couple of days previously and probably didn't a return visit so soon.
So instead, we ambled into the Musuem of Somerset.

I'd recommend this highly - lots of interesting exhibits in the old castle buildings, keeping us occupied for much longer than I expected it would.   Roman mosaics, fossils, coins from the Frome hoard, plus a Doctor Who exhibition.

  

The dress-up section was definitely not just for kids and I looked great as a Tom Baker era Doctor.  Mrs PropUptheBar is under strict instructions not to release the picture.

Right, time for more beer.
We back-tracked almost all the way to the railway station to the Plough...

The Plough Inn (75 Station Road, Taunton, TA1 1PB)
This was a pub I really liked.
Entrance is via the alley to the side, with a door to the right taking you into the bar, or straight on to the back room.
It's a proper cider place as you can see from my picture of the shelved boxes behind the bar.  There was just the one cask ale - a St Austell 'Tribute' racked to one side.  The cask was tapped especially for me, making for a quality fresh pint, served straight from the barrel.

 

We settled down in the more basic back room: wooden benches as opposed to battered sofas in the front.  A top notch pint of beer, friendly staff, and bench seating picture of the month...

Heading back toward the centre, we passed what used to Taunton's second Spoons.
After several years standing empty, it reopened this July as an independent venue, so we figured we'd investigate.

The Coal Orchard (30-32 Bridge Street, Taunton, TA1 1UD)
The odd name comes from the fact that an orchard once stood across the road from this site. It was later cleared to make way for a landing stage on the River Tone for boats shipping in Welsh coal.

It didn't have the crowds that we'd encountered in the Perkin Warbeck, but hopefully that'll pick up.  Real ale choices were Tim Taylors Landlord or Boltmaker, Wadworth 6X, or - my pick - the Severn Brewing 'Double Hopped Pale Ale'.  A well kept beer at a bargain weekday happy hour price.

 

It doesn't look like much has changed since the Spoons days in terms of decor, signage, and big upstairs WCs.  There was a distinct lack of furniture creating much more open space to admire the carpet design.  And the new owners didn't have the kitchen up and running, which I guess made a difference to how busy it was.

We just had one last place to go to.
I didn't want to come to Taunton and not visit all the Beer Guide entries (3), so we'd had to wait for a 6pm opening time for the Wyvern Club.

We reached the Club just before six, satisfied we'd clocked up a good step-count for the day, and seen more of Taunton housing estates than the average visitor.

Wyvern Social Club (Mountfields Road, Taunton, TA1 3BJ)
This is a club without any panic of trying to find your CAMRA membership card, or checking if your copy of the Beer Guide is enough to grant you entry.
The door is wide open and a sign noted that this operates as a regular pub.

The beer range offered a couple of South West regulars and a local Doonicans brew - 'Bollotics', the Houses of Parliament featuring on the pump clip.

That Doonican's beer was delicious - packed full of flavour with a bitter, hoppy finish - beer of the day.

Arriving at opening time, and unable to hang around for too long if we didn't want to miss our train, we didn't get to the see the Wyvern in full swing.
It was somewhere I was comfy, sat on the cushioned banqueting bench seating which ran under the big windows looking out on the sports fields.

The Wyvern Club was our last port of call on a day out in Taunton.
Somewhere that doesn't have the strongest line-up of trad pubs, but had never-the-less provided us with a good day and a few decent pints.