Campaign for Real Pubs: The Boat

The Boat, Penallt, Monmouthshire NP25 4AJ

An old sandstone pub beside the River Wye, which is actually located in Wales, but is best reached by crossing the river via a disused railway bridge from the Gloucestershire side at Redbrook. The car park is not well marked and has a probably unenforceable £1 pay and display charge before 6 pm. The pub has a main L-shaped bar with a stone-flagged floor and a small snug off, plus outside seating by the river. On my visit there was a fair amount of banter and reminiscence from a group of locals. Beer is dispensed by gravity from barrels behind the bar, with Wye Valley Butty Bach and Banker’s Draft available when I called. There is also a wide range of traditional ciders. The menu includes a choice of baguettes plus a limited range of hot food.

WHAT ARE REAL PUBS?

Real pubs are pubs whose primary function is still the original core purpose of pubs – for people to meet and socialise over a few drinks.

They may serve food, and very good food at that, but they don’t allow it to dominate to the exclusion of all else. They’ll probably have a strong core of regular customers, but still make casual drinkers welcome. They may well serve a good drop of real ale, but won’t be full of beer bores droning on about hop varieties and IBUs.

In many parts of the country they’re getting very hard to find. In recent years, the smoking ban, beer duty hikes, the demonisation of “one-drink driving” and the general anti-alcohol climate have all had their effect, but such pubs do still survive if you know where to look and deserve to be celebrated.

Although in many ways they are a laudable organisation, this blog is not connected with and does not in any way represent the Campaign for Real Ale.

The inclusion of a pub does not necessarily reflect a recent visit by myself, although often it does.

The Boat

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