please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
The Welly is a wonderful, glorious, tremendous pub. Lived just around the corner and was in most nights of the week. Used to be quite unfriendly, almost hostile to ‘outsiders’ but has been under new management for over a year now and the staff are beautiful people who serve fantastic beer. Music when it’s quiet in the week, heaving at weekends, pickled eggs on the bar, £2.50ish a pint, loads of selection. Very, very few arseholes, though a few of the old boys take themselves a bit seriously. Good any day of the week!
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Visited for a couple on a sunny Saturday lunchtime in May. Top quality beer and very friendly bar/landlady. Cracking range of real ale(I didn't count, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was the 10 mentioned in previous posts), and a nicely stocked lager-y & cold drinks fridge with real variety.
Another pub with a distinctly woodeny inside, and the collection of old bottles around the place is probably getting larger. Didn't notice the sullen locals mentioned before - and, given the reputation of the place as something approaching a beer Mecca - I would have thought they're used to being on the beer tourist trail by now. I take the point about the distinct lack of food, but then the Wellington is clearly not a food pub. Perhaps some basic bar food (chips, sarnies, God forbid maybe even a burger, that sort of stuff) wouldn't go amiss, but its not a major criticism.
A lovely pub for the real ale fan. Top marks for beer and service quality, perhaps not quite so high for atmosphere.
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Tucked away in a quiet street just off the A6, it’s unusual to find a pub quite like this. It’s a real treat for a “real” drinker. 14 handpumps dispense 12 real ales, a cider and a perry. Bare boards are obligatory of course and the place is bursting with beer –related artefacts. The bottle collection goes right around the pub, including the servery. There is another bottle collection which involves chill cabinets for foreign beers, cider and perry and I don’t mean Magner’s, Strongbow etc. One to savour.
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If you like real beer, you'll love this pub. 14 handpumps (12 ale and two for cider). Run by the local Banks & Taylor brewery, with their own beers (including the excellent Black Dragon Mild) plus numerous guests from far and wide. Regularly voted CAMRA 'Pub of the Year' for the area. Full of 'breweriana', and, not surprisingly, happy customers. Find an excuse to visit soon!
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Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!
I totally agree with "woodythelampy". This is one of the three pubs I visit when going to watch rugby. And for me in the top ten in Europe.
I'ts "Horses for courses" I suppose so I'm sure csajcf can find himself a nice little plastic cloned gastro-pub selling flavour free euro-fizz.
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I must say in its defence,I love this pub for most of the reasons below hahaha... Seriously tho, I reckon if a loud music, food serving, slick, modern sports bar is what you're after, this is not the place for you. Its a fantastic Real Ale pub, loads of Breweriana and boxes of stuff everywhere and that thing we seem to have lost...CHARACTER! One of the few pubs nowadays you can actually talk without being deafened by loud music or sport. Personally I find Bedford a tad unfriendly at the best of times (Originating from the North), but this place is the friendliest I've ever been to down here. Horses for courses I suppose, but me and my mates always visit here with our girlfriends...and wives!! Great ales, ciders and a "Trip down memory lane" atmosphere. Its the only reason I still live in Bedford!!
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I had drove from Central London on a busy Friday evening to meet Friends at this pub. I was certainly in for a shock. Having not eaten for 16 hours I was desperate for some food (any food) but the pub do not sell any food in the evening. I could have eaten a 3 day old cheese roll if it was offered to me ! I wanted a hot drink tea or coffee (again it had been 16 hours sine my last cuppa) but the pub did not sell any hot drinks.
I was unimpressed by the decor which looked like it had not been updated from the 60's, no music, no TV , no pub games , no darts.
There appeared to be only 2 lagers sold , so I tried one of them HooeGarden (Dutch lager) was off , flat. Although the pub was packed I found the locals unfriendly. When I did get a seat I had a pile of boxes marked ‘Protinate’ a chemical used in cleaning pipes. Overall it was the worst pub that I have visited in 35 years.
This pub is for die-hard Hard-core real-ale drinkers and leave your girlfriend/wife at home !
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It's a very good pub. Clean, superb range of beers and the food and snacks are good too. It's about as good as it gets for a home counties boozer. Staff we're friendly enough, but too many beer snobs / ticker types among the customers if you me. I've made 2 visits already in the past few weeks and i'm back tomorrow. See you there?
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What an absolutely splendid pub. 10/10 on all counts.
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I love this pub. Great beer, great atmosphere and superb decor with old pub paraphenalia adorning the place. Mobile phones are banned (Hurray!!!)and live folk music on Tuesday nights. Being originally from the North I find most places in Bedford a little "Less friendly" than I'm used to, but I actually find the Wellington more friendly than most! I feel like I'm on holiday when I go there and wobble out with a smile on my face. The ferocious Black Pepper Cashews are worth a go too. Highly recommended in my personal opinion!
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have to agree with previous comments - not the most welcoming pub in bedford, though there appeares to be change of managment ? Still the best choice for ales in bedford by a long stretch - even though several hand pumps seem to have been removed - replaced by Leffe (yuck)
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This is a beautiful old pub in a classic style, and serves a wonderful array of real ales. The staff and regulars are unwelcoming and snobbish, but it is quite easy to ignore them.
anonymous - 13 Feb 2007 13:17 |
Wonderful old fashioned pub. Wonderful beer. Can get full when Bedford Rugby are at home. An absolute must, best pub for many many miles. Real Ales, Belgian beers mmmmmmmmmmmmm
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Copy-book back street ale-house, akin to norther Sheffield or Manchester. Good, not great, quality beer in my experience, but a very sensible if (too) large beer range - larger independents. Not the friendliest of pubs, but still a must-visit.
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Wonderful place. Was visiting Bedford, checked out the GBG (Good Beer Buide), and this place appealed most. Has the possibility of 16, repeat 16 hand pulled beers of ciders, although a few were off on my visit.
There was a good, scrumpy cider, a perry, two draught ciders, a couple of european beers on draugh, a couple of european lagers, and a fruit beer. along with some great beers from British micro / regional breweries. And then.... in 3, 6ft fridges, there was a selection of bottled beers, like i've never seen.
Visit this place for beers!!
Also the environs were very nice, surrounded by old beer bottles, beer signs, fantastic...
Also serve a good pork pie.
Super place, try it.
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THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST PUB IN BEDFORD. IM ONLY UPSET BECAUSE I NEVER DISCOVERED IT SOONER. 10 OUT OF 10 DOES NOT DO IT JUSTICE.
TAKE PART IN A BEER FESTIVAL EVERY DAY! FANTASTIC.
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Excellent real ale pub. Not for food afficianado's! Neither is it for those looking for television screens or a young atmosphere. If real ale in a back street boozer is your idea of pleasant way to get trolleyed - you need go no further!
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just dont get served by the school mistress looking barmaid - who ignores you for ages (unless your a regular) short changes you... or most recently decides nattering to her mates other side of the bar is her no.1 priority (while the queue lengthens at the bar) great beer, nice pub, dozy useless barmaid
anonymous - 27 Dec 2005 19:50 |
A mini Beer festival every day, massive choice of well kept ales plus real cider and foreign lagers
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an excellent "back street" local worth the effort to find. can be quiet at lunchtime (possibly as it only does rolls) but can be busy in the evenings particularly at week ends. plenty of choice of well kept real ales.
anonymous - 20 Apr 2005 14:01 |
The Wellington Arms is a day out on its’ own. Thirteen, yes, thirteen handpumps. Bottled beers, real Budweiser, real cider, mild. True heaven. A word to the wise. If you find a pub serving Crouch Vale, drink it. Their range is truly excellent.
Graham - 9 Oct 2004 17:38 |
Beer excellent in terms of range,quality and fair pricing.Sadly the service fell somewhat short-possibly late afternoon boredom creeping in.Perhaps better to judge this pub when busier
alan - 8 Oct 2004 10:32 |
If you can find your way home you haven't tried hard enough... Great beer..!
Mark - 24 Sep 2004 12:04 |
you cant really beat this place for quality and choice of real ales.
Steve - 5 Sep 2004 17:31 |
A beer festival every day of the week - quite hard to find but worth the search.
Eamonn - 17 May 2004 13:24 |
An incredible find tucked away off Tavistock Street. Massive range of beers kept by staff who really care about beer and know their stuff - quite pokey so get there early if you want somewhere to sit.
Eamonn - 7 May 2004 10:30 |
Best beer pub in Bedford by miles. Not a difficult task, mind you!
funtime frankie - 11 Feb 2004 11:27 |
Best ale pub in Bedford I've been to so far
Peter c - 18 Jan 2004 15:31 |
Small, back street, Real Ale boozer. 13 Handpumps serving B&T beers plus guests. Belgian beers and reale cider too. GBG entry.
Peter - 9 Dec 2003 18:50 |
