The Ostrich

Newland

* * * * *

Fine ale, fine food and well worth a visit.

Possibly the best pub I have ever been to in the whole of my life!!!.

Up to eight different ales at any one time and you miss this one at your peril.

I drank the Moorlands Old Speckled Hen, (5.2 abv) an old favourite, which was extremely well kept and fresh as a daisy and the Timothy Taylors Landlord, another long time favourite, which was also a fruity delight on the tongue and at 4.3 abv it is a good singing session ale.

The pub's site link on the links page.

The St. Julian's

Caerleon

* * * *

This is one of the practice venues of the Isca Morris Men and a damn fine pub offering a variety of fine ales and a variety of fabulous views over the river Usk and the fields beyond.

Lovely selection of beer with  Banks, Bombadier and John Smith being the regulars and a guest ale as a fourth. 

The George

St. Briavels.

* * *

A lovely old fashioned inn with a regular brace of real ales and in a fabulous rural setting.

 I highly reccomend the Doom Bar which is wonderfully fresh and has a hard bitter edge.

Down to three stars for the Cat's Whiskers (at the vinegar end of the barrell) which should have been taken off not and continued for sale.

The Punch House

Monmouth

* * *

A lovely pub that forms one edge of Agincourt square in Monmouth.

I had the Brains SA which was a little colder than I like my ale but still very tasty when left for five minutes.

The Gladiator

Newport

* * * *

This is the Isca Men's other practice venue and, like the St. Julians, it offers a couple of jolly fine rotating guest ales and, more importantly, hosts a wonderfully beery breakfast on Mayday after the Isca Men's sunrise dance at the Caerleon Roman amphithatre.

I especially enjoyed the Brains SA, 4.2 abv and the London Pride, 4.1 abv (at 08.00 AM!!!)

Both cool but, thankfully, not cold and very well kept.

Thanks, Russ!!!

The Lion Inn

Trellech

* * * *

A most enjoyable pub full of beams and low ceilings.

I lost my crib sheet for their ales but it was a beer festival so it was mainly guest ales.

The three behind the bar as regulars (ish) were Moles Tap which was crisp, clean and bitter with a solid edge.

Pink Panther from the Cwmbran brewery, it was far too sweet for my taste and could take the enamel off your dentures!

I heard it described by one drinker as  "ladies beer".

The third, and best in my oppinion, was the Brue from Sussex.

It had a very hard water metallic tang to it not disimillar to northern ales from Burton and North of.

The Bell Inn

Caerleon

* * * * *

A fabulous inn with the best selection of ciders and perries I have ever seen in a pub!

They even have my favourite, Cidre Bouche from Brittany.

(I know a little shop in the Vendee where I can pick it up for a Euro a litre!!!)

Great ales (and an extremely sexy, though as yet untried, menu) and, as often as not, great music that comes from people not a juke box.

This had been my first visit but it will not be my last!!!

I have placed a link button on my links page for this pub which I strongly  advise you to press!

The Beaufort Hotel

Chepstow

* * * *

We had lunch here and drank the Rhymney bitter.

The service was excellent despite the fact that the pub was overflowing with Morris men, tourists, a wedding party, folk festival audience members and locals.

Lunch was on time for 16 people and the beer very well kept!

The Three Tuns

Chepstow

* * *

An excellent pint of Butcombes and a lovely pub that stands in the shadow of Chepstow Castle.

Nearly got 4 stars but I noted that most customers had to ask for their pints to be topped up.

The Royal Oak

Clevedon

* * * *

Brilliant pint of Woods and a lovely Thatchers cider from the barrel.

Crowded house but no waiting.

Great service from experienced staff.

A good singing pub in a lovely little estuary village.

The Crown

St. Briavels

* * * *

Awaiting picture

Fantastic pints of London Pride and Rucking mole served by Morris friendly staff who are happy to help.

The Moon and Sixpence

Tintern

* * * *

Fantastic old pub with lots of low beams, well kept real ale and a veranda that overlooks the river Wye.

The Cherry Tree

Tintern

* * * * * 

This is a great inn with a lot of character.

Only the third inn to get 5 * * * * * in the list so far! 

I must go back and try the menu as I really fancy the Wild Boar in Cherry sauce!

The ales were superb and the cider ditto!

The service was excellent and the locals loyal and friendly.

Most attractive feature?

The barmaid!

I am finally going back here on Mother's Day (2008) to try the Wild Boar and will certainly report back on the food!!!!!

Hen and Chickens

Abergavenny

* * * *

Fabulous little pub tucked up deep inside an alleyway off the main street.

The Reverend James was outstanding and the service great.

Abergavenny is on my Summer itinery due to the Food Festival and I shall be going back here for more Reverend James!!!

The Crown

Pantygelli

* * *.5

One of the finest views I have seen from a pub.

a panorama of the Skiridd Mountain sweeping majestically upwards.

The Rhymney Bitter was excellent and it would have got four stars but for the fact that it is impossible to obtain food after the nine o clock watershed.

The Horse and Jockey

Pontypool

****

A lovely country inn with a very resonably priced restaurant

(I was a regular there with my late great Mum for lunch)

Two real ales on the night we danced there,19/09/07, Ocelot and Adnams Broadside.

The Ocelot was too bitter for my liking and, I suspect, the barrell was reaching the empty end and was a little older than it should be.

The Adnams Broadside was superb!

Lots of wood, floors, chairs, beams etc that give it a nice lived in feeling.

The staff were friendly and polite.

By coincidence I was there on the 21st as well for a team building excerscise and the Broadside was still brilliant!

The Bush Inn

Upper Cwmbran

****

I used to drink in this pub way back in the 1960's in my teens!

Still a nice pub and I think that everybody that has used the pub since then to the present day comments that it's like drinking in someone's living room!

Lots of comfortable chairs, armchairs and a very homely feel to it.

Only ales from the Crow Valley brewery available (If you lean out far enough from the pub you could pee in the brewery it's that close!) when we were there but that (aside from the Plum Porter) is not a bad thing!

The Landlady had only just taken over and was still getting used to her new surroundings but it was a pleasurable drink and the beer was in great condition.

The pub has grown in size since the 60's but nicely so and it has not lost that old air of being a truly friendly pub!

Dogs welcome!!!

Best to park at the bottom of the hill which is only about 50 yards from the pub as it has only a small car park and the lane up is narrow.

Reccomended!!!

I still continue to use this pub about once or so a week after I have taken the dog for a walk around the Blaen Bran Community Woodlands and it still continues to serve good ale!

The Goldcroft

Caerleon

****

I went to the Goldcroft over the Christmas holidays while performing the Mumming play around Caerleon.

We were made extremely welcome by the fabulous hosts of this fabulous pub at the top end of Caerleon Common.

I have been drinking on and off in here for over thirty years and have many fond memories:

Being barred while, and because of, drinking with the late great Billy Douglas!

Taking girlfriends there while the other girlfriends did not know and a happy sad memory of John "Splash" Harbour's wake.

I can add another happy memory now:

Of being made most Mummingly welcome and quaffing a fabulously well kept pint of Adnams Broadside!