please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Thanks for the reviews folks; shame about your misfortune. I was last at The Barge Inn in 1961 when it was a spit and sawdust bar. Planned a week's long-boat holiday on the K&A canal in 2015, largely moored alongside this hostelry, but no more. Your comments have saved me a two thousand pound round trip from Germany to visit an old haunt that appears ruined. Shame that commercial interests have ruined yet another ancient hostelry.
MDB Saarland GermaNY
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Booked for lunch but waited 2 and a half hours for it to come because 'we're very busy with people who've come to sit in the garden'. In other words, no point in booking. The table next to us was told they'd ran out oif meat! Beer OK but no better than anywhere else. Would have walked out had it not been an important family occasion. Won't be back, keep your 'idyliic location'!
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Bad food and cold staff appalling and the manager totally useless will be in touch with Wadsworth to complain
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Bad food and cold staff appalling and the manager totally useless will be in touch with Wadsworth to complain
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Bad food and cold staff appalling and the manager totally useless will be in touch with Wadsworth to complain
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Our first canal-side stop-off during a recent week's narrowboating up and down the Kennet and Avon. The Barge was an evidently charming waterside venue, which was plainly picking up signnificant business not only from boating types but also locals - it was especially brisk Saturday night (8th) mainly owing to an old girl's 80th birthday party. The endless trestle tables lining the interior might've put some casual visitors off; we persisted as we were keen to sample the quality and range of the Wadworth's beers and agreed it was a lovely location on a late summer night. However, after having to sit out in a chilly area as it was simply too overheated indoors, we had to cut and run after 1 pint and move on to the neaby Brewery Inn, which was far more rustic but more comfortable as it wasn't over-run with eaters.
Still, I can't knock this pub for finding a financially-rewarding formula and sticking to it; evidently food was popular and it's a shame we didn't sample it. Ale-wise, 6 Waddie's were offered on cask - my Red White & Brew was tasty and well-kept and reports from others in my party suggested good cellarmanship, even if Waddie's didn't excite everybody that much. The keg brew, Corvus stout (mentioned below) was available but I can't see why it is necessary when it would be so much better in cask - other than to act as a direct replacement for Guinness of course, which is no longer sold. Corvus is clearly targeted at it, described as an Irish stout, and is now widely-installed in Wadworth outlets.
If ever in this vicinity again, I'd come back, but it would have to be on a less-busy night. Also, hopefully by then the barman will have got the hang of the job - it was his first night and I can't help but imagine it was a baptism of fire for the lad!
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Popped in for lunch on a lovely sunny day, which probably explained why it was so busy for a Tuesday. We found the staff very friendly and rushed off their feet! Our lunch was first class although a tad pricey but the Wadworths Henry was well kept. We will call in again!
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The Barge Inn was not particularly busy on Saturday when we arrived mid afternoon.
Our mission was to sample Wadworth's newly launched stout - Corvus - which we had previously sipped earlier in the day during a superb tour of the nearby brewery. The Barge is one of very few places dispensing it so far. Keenly priced, obviously, it has a delicious aftertaste of roasted coffee beans. A very acceptable alternative to y'Guiness or y'Beamish etc. etc. if , like me on a warm day you require something cold and quenching that is most definately NOT lager.
The place looks as though it is geared for busy family afternoons alongside the canal. Would have to see it in full swing to give a more accurate judgement and rating.
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Overpriced, overrated, lousy service and rude stafff only customers went 100 yards further from the canal to the Brewery...........
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A good sized Wadworth�s pub in a great location right on the edge of the canal. There�s quite a few tables and chairs outside and I imagine it would get packed in the summer.
The pub is divided in to several different areas, although they are not separate rooms. The main bar area in the middle is a pleasant enough spot with dark wooden boards on the floor and a low, beamed ceiling. Paintwork is predominantly cream with some pale green detailing and there were several milk churns at the bar which had been colourfully painted and had leather seats fitted to turn them in to bar stools. To the left is a smaller bar area with a parquet wooden floor, a fish tank and an old cast iron fireplace. This had a few logs smouldering away which the bar staff kept topped up and this was a nice touch on a freezing February afternoon.
To the right of the bar are a few old flagstones and some tables with good views out the window to the canal. This leads in to a carpeted area that looks to be more of a restaurant. There was another brick fireplace here and a few black and white pictures on the walls. At the front of the pub was another room, again probably more used for dining, with French doors out on to the patio. I didn�t see a menu, but a chalk board was offering a pie and pint deal for a tenner.
Beers on tap were all from the Wadworth�s stable with their 6X, Swordfish, Old Timer and Henry�s IPA. The solitary cider was Stowford Press. Prices seemed somewhat steep at �7.90 for a pint and a G&T.
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Great canalside location and beer garden. Unfortunately, the inside of the pub is all realy just a chain-style restaurant where drinkers are tolerated rather than welcomed. Wadworth's beers here are expensive and not particularly well-kept. You'd do better to walk along the road to the Brewery inn in the village.
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Visited here today in a party of 5 and had a lovely experience! Our visitors from NZ were very impressed with the location!
We booked in advance and asked for a table with a good view of the canal and that's exactly what we were given. Booking seems advisable as the pub was pretty busy for a Monday lunchtime.
The mainly young staff were friendly and welcoming and very attentive. Our food was on the table 20 minutes after ordering, was well presented, beautifully cooked and delicious! Requests for variation to meals on the menu were accommodated willingly.
I'm consider myself pretty fussy when it comes to eating out, and on the strength of today's visit would be happy to recommend this pub - I will definitely be visiting again - this is echoed by my fellow diners.
Having read the comments made by previous visitors to this pub we felt we needed to post our experience - it's not the cheap end of the market but you expect to pay for quality and that is what we got today.
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A pretty location beside the meandering Kennett & Avon canal. A large beer garden, well kept Wadworth ales and a good selection of wines. I can�t comment on the food, as I have not eaten there but it looks pretty good.
That is the upside, now the downside. The apathetic, miserable bar staff (average age 18) especially one young man, kill the place stone dead within seconds of your arrival. It is a great shame really, because with some professional customer service training and a short course on how easy it is to smile and be civil, the pub could have everything�alas not so. Come on Wadworth! Wake up and train your staff or get shot of em.
Warning; the Barge does get a bit noisy weekends lunchtimes with the invasion of families with children. So my advice is, should you visit on these days, pack a set of ear defenders.
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Ate here in September - late Saturday lunchtime. Food very good, imaginative and high quality. Beer in good condition, I stuck to the IPA.
The dining room is typical of Wadworth's extensions to pubs in the 70s/80s and is a bit noisy but overall I was impressed.
Wasn't asked to pay up front unlike a previous reviewer.
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After visiting the place yesterday with my fellow classic car club friends it first seemed a lovely location to meet up and have lunch. However this all changed rather quickly as my Sunday roast was delivered to me with extra meat ontop in the form of a dead ( Roasted) dragon fly on my dinner!!!! After complaining to the staff i recieved no appology or explanation. The waiting staff were dissorganised and were not bringing the vegetables out to the table to have with the rest of the poorly presented meal. It was extreamly over rated and overpriced for the �10.50 they charged per meal.
My local The Sarecens Head in Highworth Swindon does 2 Sunday roasts for that price and they are superb in every way which is why we go every sunday except yesterday due to the car club meeting. Other diners had their meals delivered without veg to be told it would come in about 10 mins!!!! What lunacy is that as their dinner was cold when the veg arrived.
In all a total rip off and total lack of customer care or concern for the absolute rubbish they dished up. As for my dragonfly on my dinner it just goes to show that the chef does not check his food before it leaves the hotplate.
I think a visit from Gordon Ramsay is in order. I will never go there again ever.
Poor customer service and rubbish food, not good or worth their over priced fees
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Awful service. 1 hour 20 minuts is unacceptable. Then the food was not up to much either. No wonder they get you to pay up front.
Nice situation though. Could be good if they gave a damn.
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Dropped in here on the way back from Dorset a couple of months back. Proper pub with good beer and good simple food at very reasonable prices. Worth a visit.
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Just visited this pub again today, after a few years since the last visit.
I have to say, that the food this lunchtime was excellent! Good portions and good quality. At first the menu prices seemed high, but once the food arrived and we sampled it, we could see that it was good value.
However, like the last reviewer, we felt that the bar staff and waiting staff could try harder, although things did improve after the initial slow and 'non-cheerful' start!
I would recommend a visit!
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Have been to this pub on a couple of occasions. The service at the bar is a bit disorganised but I am sure that this is down to lack of training. Did have a small meal which was fine. Big problem though is one that is shared by other pubs and that is KIDS. Everywhere running about etc. When are pub landlords,staff and most of all the parents of these ankle biters realise that a pub is primary for adults.I have not got a problem with children in pubs that are well behaved and keep to their seats.Trouble is a great deal of the parents seem to see a pub as a play area for these brats. Sadly the pub staff either dont care or past caring about approaching these parents and telling them to keep these kids under control.I shall not rush back to this pub for a future visit despite it having one of the best locations by the water in this area.
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First class Wadworths beers; great on a hot day.Did not try food but it looked good.
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Ate here in Jul. 2006. Nice place, and for the most part good food. We weren't impressed with the steak and kidney pie however. Otherwise it was a nice way to spend an evening.
anonymous - 13 Feb 2007 22:12 |
Great food, good, varied menu Excellent choice of real ales & scrumpy cider Can get quite busy at weekends
anonymous - 31 Oct 2006 15:56 |
Good food; well-kept real ales - Wadworths and also Butcombe Bitter when I visted 11/09/05.
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Interesting attractive pub, inside and out. More of a food pub than many, but well worth a visit and if you are eating, the food is excellent.
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Popular canal side pub serving excelent food and a selection of real ales. Friendly bar staff and an idilic location.
Tony Savill - 29 Jun 2004 02:44 |
