...a brewery tap.
...a hand-pulled ferry.
...and lots of Wye Valley beer.
We were spending a long weekend in Symond's Yat, staying in a cottage in the tree-lined gorge that the River Wye runs through, with friends Tim and Marta and Luna - chaos reincarnated in canine form.
But first, I'd spotted a midday beer diversion in Gloucestershire where we could sit next to shiny brewing equipment.
Bespoke Brewing (Building 5, Church Farm, Church St, Littledean, Cinderford GL14 3NL)
Bespoke started brewing in 2012 in nearby Micheldean. They were brought by the current owners six years later, who proceeded to move the brew kit to a new home in 2021.
That home is located up a gravel lane running between the church yard and a field of sheep, eventually leading you to farm buildings and reassuring banners advertising coffee and ale.
There were a decent number of folks in the sunshine on benchs outside, the barn-like taproom proving less of a draw in the fine weather. Just me that gets a silly grin sitting drinking next to fermenting vessels, then.
Draft beers came in the form of Arbor 'Mosaic', Stround 'Easy Peasy', a mysterious 'Bohemian Lager', plus two of their own concoctions.
We stuck with their own, ordering halves of the Bespoke 'Forest Gold' and 'Test Brew': the test brew being a 6-point-something % American IPA with lesser-seen hops.
And very nice it was too.
Top marks also for the coffee counter here who brewed a quite marvellous and expertly presented espresso and cappucino, as well as having tempting sweet treats that could very well have scuppered my appetite for lunch.
Top marks for the WC too, a mini musuem of breweriana...
Our rendezvous point with our friends was in Blaisden.
Guess who picked a former local Camra award winner to have lunch in?
The Red Hart (Blaisdon Ln, Blaisdon, Longhope GL17 0AH)
At least I picked well (this time). It's a former local CAMRA Pub of the Year, serving a South West selection of cask ales from Otter, Butcombe, and Glastonbury Brewery.
The Red Hart has its bar counter facing the front door, with a pleasant rustic dining room to the right and trad village pub seating to the left. Super flagstone flooring, random tools on the wall, an odd bit foliage failing to hide the speaker...
We took advange of the good weather, sitting in the lovely peaceful garden, enjoying the Glastonbury Best Bitter and the chefs interpretation of Indian street-food samosa chat.
A great place. Which I knew it would be as soon as I caught a glimpse the old battered pub sign...
We'd left ourselves with a final 14-mile leg of the journey to reach Symonds Yat, our home for 2-nights, located down mildly challenging lanes. Which would be easy to drive down if only nobody else had had the idea of coming here on a sunny weekend.
Our cottage was in Symond's Yat West.
The 2025 Good Beer Guide entrant was in Symonds Yat East, the River Wye inconviently in the way. Although that makes for a unique final approach to a pub...
The Saracen's Head (Symonds Yat East, HR9 6JL)
Whatever Chris De Burgh may tell you, you do have to pay the ferryman. £2 each for the short distance across the water - cripes, on a cost:distance ratio that's more than even HS2 will charge us (probably).
Advance warning to this penny-pinching pub-ticker - you'll have to cough up £6 for a pint at the bar here too.
The Saracen's selling point is the location and the chance to sit on one of several outdoor terraces overlooking the river. Inside there is a dining room with a modern feel, whilst the bar spoils its olde-worlde stone floors with the olive paint job.
Plenty of youthful high-season staff on duty, happily calling people to the end of the counter and scuppering the queue that the holiday-makers so desperately want to form.
Here's the beer choice - lots of similar ales, missing the opportunity to put anything mild or dark on...
The Wye Valley 'Sundowner' and 'Butty Bach' were both on reasonable form, supped whilst watching the ferry go and back and forth admidst the constant cacophany of busy pubbiness.
Symonds Yat East is all about the steep gorge and rocks and has a lot less buildings than its neighbour on the other side of the river.
We made our way back there the following day, walking the long-way round via the Biblins camp site rope bridge, being as the ferryman doesn't kick into action until the pub opens.
A short steep climb takes you to the spendid viewpoint which shows why this area has been given the area of outstanding natural beauty tag.
Another new variety of Wye Valley beer for me, ensuring I didn't end up drinking Butty Bach all weekend.
The 'Pyoneer' was a superb sweet malty amber ale, brewed with Target and Goldings hops. On great form, although the less said about the condition of the Clavel & Hind beer on the second pump, the better.
A short walk alongside the riverside path took us to the Old Ferrie Inn, except for that pesky bit of water being in the way again.
This pub also has a hand-pulled ferry to collect punters from the opposite bank. With a bit of added jeopardy that they could only take a limited number, all sat at one end, to prevent the ferry getting grounded with the low levels of the Wye.
Ye Old Ferrie Inn (Ferrie Lane, Symonds Yat West, HR9 6BL)
This pub claims to date back the 15th century; to a time when it provided refreshment to the folk using the ferry crossing here to transport livestock from one side to the other.
As with the Saracen's, this has an enviable location to draw the crowds in. We saw little of the interior - packed the rafters when we were there - sticking to the outdoor benches overlooking the water, knocking back the Butty Bach.
There was one more pub in close proximity a little further up the lanes...
There were two cask ales on the bar: the tropical hoppiness of Ledbury 'Olicana Pale Ale' and the malty 'Llandogo Trow Ale' from Kingstone Brewery. The landlord was enthusiastic about his beers and did a fine job of selling Tim both scratchings and chicharones.
...a hand-pulled ferry.
...and lots of Wye Valley beer.
We were spending a long weekend in Symond's Yat, staying in a cottage in the tree-lined gorge that the River Wye runs through, with friends Tim and Marta and Luna - chaos reincarnated in canine form.
But first, I'd spotted a midday beer diversion in Gloucestershire where we could sit next to shiny brewing equipment.
Bespoke started brewing in 2012 in nearby Micheldean. They were brought by the current owners six years later, who proceeded to move the brew kit to a new home in 2021.
That home is located up a gravel lane running between the church yard and a field of sheep, eventually leading you to farm buildings and reassuring banners advertising coffee and ale.
There were a decent number of folks in the sunshine on benchs outside, the barn-like taproom proving less of a draw in the fine weather. Just me that gets a silly grin sitting drinking next to fermenting vessels, then.
We stuck with their own, ordering halves of the Bespoke 'Forest Gold' and 'Test Brew': the test brew being a 6-point-something % American IPA with lesser-seen hops.
Top marks for the WC too, a mini musuem of breweriana...
Guess who picked a former local Camra award winner to have lunch in?
At least I picked well (this time). It's a former local CAMRA Pub of the Year, serving a South West selection of cask ales from Otter, Butcombe, and Glastonbury Brewery.
A great place. Which I knew it would be as soon as I caught a glimpse the old battered pub sign...
Our cottage was in Symond's Yat West.
The 2025 Good Beer Guide entrant was in Symonds Yat East, the River Wye inconviently in the way. Although that makes for a unique final approach to a pub...
Whatever Chris De Burgh may tell you, you do have to pay the ferryman. £2 each for the short distance across the water - cripes, on a cost:distance ratio that's more than even HS2 will charge us (probably).
Advance warning to this penny-pinching pub-ticker - you'll have to cough up £6 for a pint at the bar here too.
Plenty of youthful high-season staff on duty, happily calling people to the end of the counter and scuppering the queue that the holiday-makers so desperately want to form.
Here's the beer choice - lots of similar ales, missing the opportunity to put anything mild or dark on...
Symonds Yat East is all about the steep gorge and rocks and has a lot less buildings than its neighbour on the other side of the river.
We made our way back there the following day, walking the long-way round via the Biblins camp site rope bridge, being as the ferryman doesn't kick into action until the pub opens.
A short steep climb takes you to the spendid viewpoint which shows why this area has been given the area of outstanding natural beauty tag.
Back down at river-level we opted to poke our heads into the hotel instead of returning to the Saracen's.
Royal Lodge (Symonds Yat East, HR9 6JL)
This is very much a hotel rather than a pub, the route to the bar taking you past a check-in desk, then through a dining room, the ceral dispensers still on the table after breakfast service.
Tempting as a bowl of bran flakes was, one of our party (that'd be me) didn't need any as he'd left everyone in bed that morning and popped down to Wetherspoons in Monmouth for breakfast.
I was sure there'd be no cask in the hotel bar, but was proved wrong...
This is very much a hotel rather than a pub, the route to the bar taking you past a check-in desk, then through a dining room, the ceral dispensers still on the table after breakfast service.
Tempting as a bowl of bran flakes was, one of our party (that'd be me) didn't need any as he'd left everyone in bed that morning and popped down to Wetherspoons in Monmouth for breakfast.
I was sure there'd be no cask in the hotel bar, but was proved wrong...
The 'Pyoneer' was a superb sweet malty amber ale, brewed with Target and Goldings hops. On great form, although the less said about the condition of the Clavel & Hind beer on the second pump, the better.
A short walk alongside the riverside path took us to the Old Ferrie Inn, except for that pesky bit of water being in the way again.
This pub also has a hand-pulled ferry to collect punters from the opposite bank. With a bit of added jeopardy that they could only take a limited number, all sat at one end, to prevent the ferry getting grounded with the low levels of the Wye.
This pub claims to date back the 15th century; to a time when it provided refreshment to the folk using the ferry crossing here to transport livestock from one side to the other.
As with the Saracen's, this has an enviable location to draw the crowds in. We saw little of the interior - packed the rafters when we were there - sticking to the outdoor benches overlooking the water, knocking back the Butty Bach.
There was one more pub in close proximity a little further up the lanes...
The Wye Knott Inn (Symonds Yat West, HR9 6BJ)
And this was probably my favourite of the lot.
Inside there is a decent traditional pub room in front of the bar, with more seating by the windows along the front in an extension to the original building.
I can find little out about the pub other than it being nicknamed 'Jampots' after using jam jars to serve beer during a wartime glass shortage. I think I prefer Jampots to Wye Knott Inn.
And this was probably my favourite of the lot.
Inside there is a decent traditional pub room in front of the bar, with more seating by the windows along the front in an extension to the original building.
I can find little out about the pub other than it being nicknamed 'Jampots' after using jam jars to serve beer during a wartime glass shortage. I think I prefer Jampots to Wye Knott Inn.
Very much not vegetarian, but the Hobson's bags were worth manuevering into the picture of my pint.
The Wye Knott has a pretty non-descript garden across the road from the pub, so scores more local trade than the hotspots by the river. It's also a short somewhat precarious stagger downhill on a path through to the trees to the caravan park from where I guess they pick up some trade. Someone's certainly drinking the cask, as both pints were in great condition.
So that brings an end to exploration of a handful of pub in Symonds Yat and a fine sunny weekend. Back to Oxfordshire now and a new 2026 Good Beer Guide waiting on the doorstep.
The Wye Knott has a pretty non-descript garden across the road from the pub, so scores more local trade than the hotspots by the river. It's also a short somewhat precarious stagger downhill on a path through to the trees to the caravan park from where I guess they pick up some trade. Someone's certainly drinking the cask, as both pints were in great condition.
So that brings an end to exploration of a handful of pub in Symonds Yat and a fine sunny weekend. Back to Oxfordshire now and a new 2026 Good Beer Guide waiting on the doorstep.
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