please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Good basic boozer, it does exactly what it says on the tin. Up to 6 Hopback/Downton beers and 2 guests on tap, good quality basic pub food at lunchtimes ie sausage beans chips etc, open 1200-2300, a oasis in a sea of rancid vertical drinking plastic bars and w*nkerspoons.
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Good, old-fashioned (in the best sense of the phrase) pub, with an excellent selection of 8 Hopback and Downton beers. Nice pint of Elderquad. My vote for the best pub (by some way) in Swindon's Railway Village.
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This is a great pub. It has a good choice of beers Hopback/Downton and for those of you who like cider there is a good choice as well. The best thing about this pub is that it is not one of the new modern pubs but a good old fashioned local pub.If you like a good beer then this is a good place to start.
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I do enjoy this pub. Hopback is about more than just Summer Lightning.
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Absolutely great pub, a real gem and a refreshing change from the local 'chain' pubs. Hop Back/ Downton beers are fantastic, always well-served, and in good condition. Staff are friendly and great sandwiches. If watching your team at swindon, this is a good place to go to avoid the crowds and get a decent beer.
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Best thing about this pub is the selection of ales. Hopback Beers are always tip-top. On my Sun pm visit, this place was quiet (only two other customers at first), but still friendly and the beer was not lacking.
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It's good to see more people reviewing pubs in Swindon, but I'm disappointed that they have all reviewed only this one.
Still no matter.
The range of ales seems (to a non ale man)seem to be the same as it ever was, as is the range of ciders, the place isn't as busy as it used to be on a Sunday but that is probably down to personality loyalty rather than a reflection on the pub.
It's still a good pub even if the landlord is a Bristol rugby fan.
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Having read reviews about this pub I feel that as a regular I should endorse the positive comments entered. I have been a regular here since the early 70's and this is and always has been a local real ale pub and in my opinion with the best kept beer in Swindon. This pub has been a tied house since I came to Swindon,Wessex, Archers and now Hopback except for a short periodin about 2001 when it was a free house.Whilst as a real ale drinker one would like to have kept it as a free house,the'Council' who own the premises decided on the security of a brewery for tenancy. I think we struck lucky with Hopback who produce an excellent product, The range of beers is first class with a good mixture of dark and light ales with occasional guest beers. The beer is kept exceptionally well by the present landlord,Keith and both he and his wife Karen having been in the trade for a number of years make the customer very welcome After over 30 years I still find this to be the most welcoming real ale pub around
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I always feel welcome in this pub and the beer is always in good nick! Swindon's best....by a country(?)mile.
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good call delete_button. That review is spot on. The gluepot is great pub. cant go wrong with a bit of the old organic vintage either, the memory eradicator.
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I really don't understand some of the negative comments I've read about the Glue Pot on this site.
I've been drinking here for about six months and genuinely consider it to be the best pub in Swindon. I was mostly working abroad during the previous managements tenure, so I can't really comment about them.
However, Keith and Karen are always warm and relaxed, welcoming most of their customers by name, and creating a true community in the pub. The bar staff seem more like friends then bar staff, and, I've never experienced anything remotely like trouble in this pub. Maybe some drunken raised voices, but, hey, it's a pub!
The Glue Pot is situated in a beautiful and historic location by Swindon standards, and the beer is excellent. As it should be in a pub of this calibre.
Some of the cider can be a little dangerous though...
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Since retuning to Swindon, I have been using the Glue Pot regularly for about 3-4 years. In all that time, I have never known any trouble in there.
I have always found both Keith and Karen, the landlord and landlady very friendly and easy to get on with.
Also Keith is highly enthusiastic about real ale and keeps his beers well, which is exactly what is needed in a CAMRA pub.
Some of the Glue Pot regulars, felt the previous owners Mike and Becky where unfairly evicted by Hopback. Though my understanding, is some of the customers (not me) complained to Hopback about their attitude. I suspect that is what ecunemical really has a problem with, though by his/her own admission he/she had been drinking for 10 hours prior to their visit. It is highly unlikely, he/she would have been in any state to know what was really going on. Maybe he/she/it should pluck up the courage to speak to Keith or Karen directly instead of taking the cowardly option of hiding behind a computer keyboard making snide remarks. They are both very approachable and I'm sure would be prepared to discuss any reasonable concerns.
Neil or Jason as he's known to his friends is working there part-time so that he can afford to go to college. He is young, has long hair and a beard but is intelligent and again very approachable and friendly.
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Thank you for your balance,that is the object of BITE!!!!
But I am far from an "unknown assassin",indeed my own review was rather balanced also.....
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I was alerted to the previous comment by a friend of mine. I don't usually bother to comment on pubs, if I don't like them I stop going - no need to make a fuss. However to add some balance to the unknown assassin I would like to say that I have always found the landlord to be very friendly, just the right sort for a real ale pub, the bar staff excellent, including 'Neil' and the beer without rival. Definitely the best pub in Swindon. I shall continue to vote with my feet and stay as regular a customer as finances allow! Keep up the good work.
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There are indeed new hosts, and no it's not their fault, but they are not to the taste of some of the old regulars. Not damnation but observation.
The beer range is as good as ever, they still have good ciders, I will take the word of someone who has tried it on the quality of the burgers.
Still worth the extra 3 minutes from the town centre.
anonymous - 2 Oct 2007 12:11 |
Gem of a pub. Surprisingly near to the town centre's trendy wine-bar style pubs, and yet completely different from them. What a find! Trad pub atmosphere. Brilliant wide selection of real ales (mostly local-ish, i.e. from Downton). Nice burgers (though they ran out). And the most friendly, attentive, switched-on hosts you'll encounter anywhere. Someone complained that these guys are new; well, that's not their fault is it?!
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I'm a visitor to Swindon, hailing from the Antipodies, I immigrated from blighty 12 years ago and still rate real ale at the top of the things I miss. I'm in town for a few days visiting some good friends of mine Jo & Tich and really wanted to have a beer in the Glue Pot as I've read a number of Robert Goddard's novels of which a number of his charachters used to drink the in Glue Pot. So the pub is glabbaly famous because of this. Had an image in my head of what the place looks like but as always entirely different. Top beer, highly rateable pub
Cheers all
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The new folks seem to be OK, if different, and are making an effort to keep things the same. Fortnightly open mic nights are back, but I'm not sure that they're the ones to do the quiz.
Atmosphere has gone downhill and it's now pretty easy to get a seat, but how far that's due to disaffected locals, the smoking ban, or the new guys, only time will tell.
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It's all going to POT. Mike and Becky's last few days at the helm.
I suppose we should give the new bosses a chance but it won't be the same.
The Cricks might be a good substitute if things don't work out. This is another example of good landlords being forced out by accountants.
anonymous - 15 May 2007 20:42 |
Bad news. Mike and Becky and Jack the dog are off in May. Hopback should be ashamed of themselves. Can't say too much but if the brewery appreciated their tenants hard work and left them make decent living instead of milking them for all they're worth I think they'd be staying.
WHAT A PITY.
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Splendid range of ales with a frendly and unique atmosphere. Don't have a bad thing to say about the place. Top marks
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Haven't posted on this for about a year. Still a great pub. Quiz night Thursdays, just started an open mic spot (see posters for details).
The brewery restricts the range of ales which is a bit of a shame, but what they do have are very well kept, still a good range of ciders (including Stowford Press), excellent food, Jack (the dog) is as ace as ever & the bosses and staff are good too.
I've noticed a few odd reviews about Swindon pubs from people who appear to have got off the train for a quick pint, well here's my advice "take a couple of minutes longer and ask directions. Find the Gluepot."!!!
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Haven't posted since suggesting this pub but my fears about it being taken over were completely unfounded. A great pub got even better. Becky and Mike are cracking hosts and the beer is excellent. Good range of continentals and whisky as well as the hopback/downtons/ciders and guests.
Good bunch of locals, no TV, no jukebox.
Quiz is still hard but less focused on the works of William Shatner now that the legendary Dave has moved to pastures new.
Like Nigel Tuffnel's Marshall the rating for this pub should go up to 11!
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In a desert for real ale this is a total oasis. 7 ale handpulls but the landlord has the noodle not to have all 7 on early in the week to keep the quality up. People (from a certain 5-lettered organisation!!)occasionally bitch about the range but I don't see what the problem is. Usually 5 or 6 from Hopback/Downton and rest from a monthly guest brewer(alas not chosen by the landlord.) Castle Rock,Brains,Youngs,Caledonian have recently featured. Go somewhere else if you want a wider range of VINEGAR cos you won't get it here!!!! All pints £2.00-£2.30. Enormous portions of great value food lunchtime. The nature of the welcoming landlord and landlady is reflected in the good punters. No telly,bandit or jukebox. Nice hound whose friend call in to see him. Just a pub as it should be-10/10.
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Plenty of well looked after beer (and cider), great atmosphere, good food - and plenty of it too. Oh and a nice pub dog too.
About as good as it gets if you like real ale.
anonymous - 28 Feb 2006 15:51 |
Couldn't agree more with anon. Great proper pub. If you're looking for sport on TV, loud music & "beautiful people" stay away. Good beer, great range of real cider, good food, good staff, I strongly recommend this pub.(good prices too)
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Great pub. Good staff, excellent range of ales & ciders, good food, great atmosphere. It's run like o pub should be, there is plenty to learn here for other landlords. NUFF SAID!
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I would like to point out that the pub has a nice range of rough ciders. As a matter of fact an elderly gentleman told me in the pub that it had actually been mainly a cider pub until the early sixties.
Be this true or not The Glue Pot is a great pub for fans of the traditional scrumpy cider.
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Nice little pub, good beer. Very hard pub quiz.
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An old man's pub in the best possible sense, nice location, small and very friendly, great place to while away the long summer days and in most cases nights. Kudos.
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Despite being taken over by a brewery, the Glue Pot just seems to get better and better. The amount of guest ales is still 7 or 8 along with the usual Hopbacks of GFB, Summer Lightning, Entire etc. Lagers have also been added along with Stowford Press for the cider drinkers.
A lick of paint and a new carpet have improved the look of the place but the atmosphere is as friendly and relaxed as ever, with the new landlord and lady being even more welcoming (as well as better chefs)
With most beers at around the £1.90 mark and well looked after it is a superb place to spend time.
anonymous - 20 Aug 2004 12:11 |
Best real ale in pub in Swindon, a choice of 8 ales on the blackboard. Hopback ales make regular appearences. No loud music, no flashing lights, good beer at good prices
Al - 11 Aug 2004 10:08 |
Without a doubt the best pub for real ale in Swindon. Think freehouse in a corner shop and you've got the picture with a couple of tables outside for the summer. Unfortunately the lease is up for renewal and the landlord, who is a God in terms of real ale, is likely to be replaced by Hopback brewery. Continually changing Guest ales. Catch it while you still can.
Phil - 2 Jul 2003 12:09 |
