Canal side pubs Llangollen

[Kieron]

Hi Folks,

 

Sorry I know this question has been asked many times, but normally it seems with an eye to food!

 

We are heading to the LLangollen soon as part of my brothers stag do, we are pressed for time unfortunately so picking up the boat at Trevor, then Llangollen, back to around Ellesmere depending on how many stops we make, then back to Trevor.

 

We are all in our forties and looking for pubs which:

 

Have great interesting beer, not just fizzy larger and large screen football.

Is an interesting friendly sort of place.

Canal side would be handy but woud travel further if worthwhile.

Scenic / beer garden?

No problem if not family run, have been to plenty of good Wetherspoon pubs (and a few bad ones!), and plenty of unfriendly family run outfits.

 

Food is largely secondary as we may cook for ourselves, the company, scenery, chat, beer and atmosphere is primary!

 

Hopefully the above gives all you experienced Llangollen pub experts enough to go on with what we are looking for!

 

Many Thanks

Kieron

[Bob the welder]

Hi Folks,

 

Sorry I know this question has been asked many times, but normally it seems with an eye to food!

 

We are heading to the LLangollen soon as part of my brothers stag do, we are pressed for time unfortunately so picking up the boat at Trevor, then Llangollen, back to around Ellesmere depending on how many stops we make, then back to Trevor.

 

We are all in our forties and looking for pubs which:

 

Have great interesting beer, not just fizzy larger and large screen football.

Is an interesting friendly sort of place.

Canal side would be handy but woud travel further if worthwhile.

Scenic / beer garden?

No problem if not family run, have been to plenty of good Wetherspoon pubs (and a few bad ones!), and plenty of unfriendly family run outfits.

 

Food is largely secondary as we may cook for ourselves, the company, scenery, chat, beer and atmosphere is primary!

 

Hopefully the above gives all you experienced Llangollen pub experts enough to go on with what we are looking for!

 

Many Thanks

Kieron

hi. try the SUN TREVOR brigdge 42 .48 hor mooring .good beer .food and friendly .bob

[Chris J W]

Or there's the two pubs at Wrenbury. The Dusty Miller and The Cotton Arms - can't remember which is which, but one is 'pub grub' and the other is more 'restaurant', but both very good.

 

Further up there's the Jack Mytton Inn which does (from what I could smell, at least, and from what people said) good food and has a fantastic range of proper ales. Their 'Death Warmed Up' was aptly named for the following morning Canal Side garden and a decent mooring, too. They're just down from New Marton Locks.

 

I was very disappointed by the food and beer at The Bridge Inn (Bridge 20) and The Poachers Pocket (Bridge 19)

 

Edit to add - with it being The Llangollen, great scenery at all is a given!

Edited April 21, 2009 by Chris J W

[Keeping Up]

At Wrenbury the Dusty Miller is the one next to the lift bridge, the Coton Arms is just down the road (its back garden is canalside). We always go to the Coton Arms because they often have some particularly intersting beer, brewed in the same village.

 

One pub I was very disappointed with was the Lion Quays. For me its only good feature was that it had good moorings.

 

There are good pubs in both Llangollen and Ellesmere

[kerching]

If you do get to Ellesmere try the White Hart if it is still open, or it hasn,t fell down, it was up for lease last time we were there. You feel pisitively possed when you walk in, nothing is level. Traditional, unspoilt pub, 3-4 real ales, background music, no food but a very good Indian restaurant next door.

[The Toad in the Hole]

Both pubs at Wrenbury are great, for different things. The Dusty Miller is foody, but try going back later after the restaurant shuts. The Coton arms is more basic, but have been helpful to me in the past, and has a campsite for extra friends.

 

Mad Jacks is good for beer and the leglifter cider is... an experience. Again the food is good but the bar is great without eating. Actually I like The Jack Mitton a lot. Avoid Lion Quays. Ignore the moorings, press on! The poachers pocket is generic, but passable. The pub down the bank, which I can't remember the name of is good for beer.

 

In Llangollen, there's a couple of choices, but for Stag shenanigans you need to walk into town and find the Sun on the A5, just passed Somerfield (NOT the Sun Trevor you passed on the canal, which is OK). Lots of real ale (8? 10?) lots of bottled beer, interesting vodkas, A phenomenal (no, really phenomenal) jukebox full of 70's and '80s rock, A large pack of roaming wolves (see for yourself) and live music 'till late at the weekend. No food - go to the Cornmill first, or Gales Wine Bar (that isn't really a wine bar) and the decor is basic and idiosyncratic, but I love the place - wish it was my local

[mikevye]

Sorry to disappoint but if your winding turn is Ellesmere you wont get to the two most recommended pubs at Wrenbury. If your departure is Saturday take a tip don't go anywhere near Llangollen at the week end its manic far better to do it mid week after doubling back! Departing about 3/4 ish after hand over you will easily make Jack Mittons then no question /competition where I'd go next down the Monty and the Navigation Inn right at the end of the canal stopping en route at the Queens head. Beware book in advance to go down and up the Monty and the Navi shuts about 6ish on sunday and closes all day monday.

[chubba]

We didn't find a brilliant pub on our 4 day trip but agree that Lion Quays has very easy moorings for a novice but the atmosphere and food was nothing special. We enjoyed the Poachers Pocket and sat outside in the sunshine by the canal with our drinks and meal. I shall search out some of the others mentioned next time we are driving that way

[ditchcrawler]

We didn't find a brilliant pub on our 4 day trip but agree that Lion Quays has very easy moorings for a novice but the atmosphere and food was nothing special. We enjoyed the Poachers Pocket and sat outside in the sunshine by the canal with our drinks and meal. I shall search out some of the others mentioned next time we are driving that way

We passed there at the wrong time to stop, the moorings do look good

[Tiny]

The Navi at Maesbury does all sorts of special beers. Their food is very good - expensive but worth it. The Montgomeryshire canal on which Maesbury lies joins the Llangollen near Ellesmere. There is a canalside shop/PO/tearoom at Maesbury too. Unfortunately you must book with BW to go down this canal - which makes it very quiet after the Llangollen. Many do Llangollen to Ellesmere with a side trip down the Monty for their (very restful) week.

[hmallett]

Just to add to the above, the Navigation at Maesbury Marsh is supposed to be very good, and the POst Office has a limited menu, but what they do have is very nice. There are mooring rings outside too.

I was on the Llangollen and Monty yesterday. The Llangollen was busy, and we didn't see any other boats on the Monty.