Wherever you’re wandering in Wells, there’s always a wonderful pub nearby where you can wet your whistle and rest your weary feet for a little while. They often have bags of history, well-stocked bars with good selections of real ale, and welcoming locals creating a pleasant atmosphere for a pitstop pint.
Pubs in Wells
The Crown at Wells on the Market Place dates back to the 15th century and is among the most historic pubs in Wells. Any fans of the movie Hot Fuzz will also recognise the inn as one of the comedy’s filming locations. It serves good pub grub if you’re hungry, or just call in for a pint of Doombar.
In nearby Wookey, Ring ‘O’ Bells is a brilliant 14th-century village pub with exceptional food, original fireplaces, bare stonework and bags of character. The Sunday roast is right up there with the best in the region, and best of all it’s barely more than a five-minute drive or taxi away from our Wells hotel.
Queen Victoria Inn is another gorgeous countryside pub near the summit of the sublime Mendip Hills. It retains most of its character features from when it first opened its doors in the 1800s, including flagstone flooring, roaring fireplaces and wood-beam ceilings. There’s always three real ales and four ciders on tap and a fantastic menu of hearty homemade food as well.
Making our way back into Wells city centre, The Fountain Inn on St Thomas Street is a weirdly rustic yet stylish and contemporary gastropub with a fab menu of food and a cosy atmosphere. It makes for a fantastic choice if you’re looking for an easy pub where you can kill a couple of hours or so.
The Rodney Stoke Inn is on Wells Road as you make your way out towards Cheddar. It’s a fine country pub with good food and a beautiful, large beer garden which makes for an excellent place to stop if you’re thinking of heading into the Mendip Hills.
Another town centre choice teaming with character is The City Arms on the High Street. It’s the city’s former jail, but it’s been painted pink, strewn with ivy and blessed with a delicious menu of food that goes beyond the usual pub grub fare.
The Rose and Crown on St John Street enjoys a city centre location, but is conveniently tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the High Street. It’s one of the best pubs to visit in Wells if you purely want a drink. The beer garden and courtyard is great too.
Saving the smallest for last, Just Ales is Wells’ micropub on the Market Street. It lays claim to the title of “First Micropub in Somerset”. Whether or not that’s true, we don’t know. One thing’s for sure, they know how to keep their ales and ciders. It’s dog-friendly, stranger-friendly and very quirky.
The Crown at Wells
