Honey Street Barge Inn

[b0atman]

I have heard that it is now a tenanted pub whats the story ?

[ditchcrawler]

I am outside now, moored in the sun, at the moment. might rain again in a moment.

There is a brass plaque on the wall saying the last landlord and his wife were here for 17 years and left in 2010

[b0atman]

It was the subject of a BBC documentary the village community re-opened it committee ran it and turned it into a good pub with excellent food at a good price .

Note this pub is in the crop circle area and strange things happen .

Do the still do the cider Away with the Fairies ?

Edited April 26, 2014 by b0atman

[ditchcrawler]

It was the subject of a BBC documentary the village community re-opened it and turned it into a good pub with excellent food at a good price .

Note this pub is in the crop circle area and strange things happen .

Maybe the other Landlord who was there for 17 years was also a tenet?

[bassplayer]

I had to return a pint of bitter in there because it was fluorescent green...actually...it really had gone off....can't remember the name of the 'alien' beer but I was a bit disappointed at the time. Beautiful area though...

[dmr]

The Barge has been a tenanted pub for just over a year now though the tenants were only there at weekends as they both had other businesses to run.

In the week the pub was run by the long term live-in bar manager "Big Al"

The tenants left a few weeks ago as they could not make money. At the same time Al left. He had been there for ten years and the Barge customers threw a suitable party. Foolishly we started drinking at 6pm and so had to retire to the boat well before the end.

I briefly met the new tenants. They do not have much pub experience, and certainly have no experience of the Barge which is not really a typical pub and probably not that easy to run. However they are good sensible black country people with plenty of good ideas so I really hope they can make a success of this wonderful pub.

Will be visiting again in a couple of weeks as we head for the Thames.

 

................Dave

[hilaryb]

It's a beautiful location. Let's hope it keeps going.

[MtB]

Wasn't this the pub involved in a major VAT fraud a few years back? Discussed at length on here IIRC?

 

MtB

[dmr]

Wasn't this the pub involved in a major VAT fraud a few years back? Discussed at length on here IIRC?

 

MtB

 

I think it was a VAT gross incompetence rather than intentional fraud.

As far as I understand.....

The pub had long terms tenants who retired. There was a belief that the pub owners (not sure which brewery or pubco it was) had a plan to turn this rather unique boozer into a bland eatery so funding was obtained for a community takeover. It was these who messed up the VAT amongst other things. I believe the community was a number of respectable people from the surrounding villages, not the actual community of crusty boaters who use the pub!.

The pub is now owned by a businessman who rents it to tenants but has an interest in a brewery so maintains a beer tie.

 

.............Dave

[ditchcrawler]

Well we had a meal there, which was absolutely fine and I would happily eat there again. Simple menu like fish and chips, stake mushroom and ale pie, burgers etc but all hot and tasty. the pub was busy and I have not been to a pub like it for some time. The look as if they have live music once a month, a group tonight and another in 4 weeks time. To say the least it was very colorful. I quite liked the Honey Street beer but didn't try the green one. It looks quite a lively place and they have just had a wooden function room built on the back by the look of it. O and for those that are that way inclined it seems dog friendly but all the UFO and crop circle info has gone.

[starman]

Yes certainly an entertaining pub - bit like a Camden Town boozer transported to Wiltshire by aliens. Live band when we went there but they spent most of the evening tuning up so we gave up in the end as we had to walk a mile back to our mooring.

[ditchcrawler]

Yes certainly an entertaining pub - bit like a Camden Town boozer transported to Wiltshire by aliens. Live band when we went there but they spent most of the evening tuning up so we gave up in the end as we had to walk a mile back to our mooring.

We are moored outside, I have a feeling that by midnight I will be wishing had a mile walk

[dmr]

We have moored right outside quite a bit. Its ok except on a Saturday night.

When you wake up on Sunday you might find a small group still sat on the bench, looking a bit jaded, and still drinking lager or cider!

[ditchcrawler]

We have moored right outside quite a bit. Its ok except on a Saturday night.

When you wake up on Sunday you might find a small group still sat on the bench, looking a bit jaded, and still drinking lager or cider!

But it is Saturday night

[dmr]

But it is Saturday night

 

Don't worry, the rain will send them home.

 

..........Dave

[Laurie Booth]

It was also in one Inspector Morse episode.

[Magic Buzz]

........."bit like a Camden Town boozer transported to Wiltshire by aliens".

 

That probably sums it up very nicely. On the original question of being a tenanted pub, that has always been the case. Even the Lottery funded "community group" were tenants, they did not own the pub, but you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise given the size of their grant.

 

Music is now on every Saturday night at 9pm and a new dining extension has just opened in part of the new barn. When completed the main part of the barn will be used as a visual and performing arts space, all funded by the pubs owners, who have actually owned the Barge since the days of Adrian and June Potts, the tenants for seventeen years.

 

But some things don't change - interesting UFO / Alien conference being held there today.

[J R ALSOP]

I'll bet that stake mushroom pie was a bit tough!. I am heading to Bristol in July so I hope all is well for a stop over.

[George94]

Pity the crop circle stuff has been removed. I should have thought it was one of the pub's USPs, in a small way.

 

Apparently it's all done by clever students, using lots of carefully measured bits of string to ensure accuracy. The farmers must hate them. I imagine that each circle must lose the farmer hundreds if not thousands of pounds.

[Magic Buzz]

The crop circle "stuff " hasn't been removed as such, it just comes and goes from the noticeboard and is put up by those interested in the subject. As the 'season' gets underway, more info / pictures are added. Made by clever students with bits of string, that's not what I heard!

[b0atman]

There is an admission charge to some crop circle sites canny farmers !

Good for local economy

[dmr]

Pity the crop circle stuff has been removed. I should have thought it was one of the pub's USPs, in a small way.

 

Apparently it's all done by clever students, using lots of carefully measured bits of string to ensure accuracy. The farmers must hate them. I imagine that each circle must lose the farmer hundreds if not thousands of pounds.

 

I have a sneaking suspicion that it might be clever boaters rather than clever students. Very few students in the Honeystreet area.

 

...........Dave

[dmr]

........."bit like a Camden Town boozer transported to Wiltshire by aliens".

 

That probably sums it up very nicely. On the original question of being a tenanted pub, that has always been the case. Even the Lottery funded "community group" were tenants, they did not own the pub, but you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise given the size of their grant.

 

Music is now on every Saturday night at 9pm and a new dining extension has just opened in part of the new barn. When completed the main part of the barn will be used as a visual and performing arts space, all funded by the pubs owners, who have actually owned the Barge since the days of Adrian and June Potts, the tenants for seventeen years.

 

But some things don't change - interesting UFO / Alien conference being held there today.

 

Thats interesting, I had assumed that the current owner purchased the building after the community group failed.

So as you say, it was a very big grant just to "redecorate" the bar!!!!!

Also, if the current owner had the building during Adrian and Junes time then this questions the reason for the community takeover which I heard was to prevent the Barge becoming a bland eatery. The current owner appears to be very pro live music, and with the failure of both the community group and the recent tenants he has had ample justification to turn the pub into a restaurant if he so desired????

 

But more important, if anyone is visiting the K&A pay the Barge a visit and spend a bit of money there, keep an open mind, and enjoy a rather unique pub.

 

..........Dave

[ditchcrawler]

 

Don't worry, the rain will send them home.

 

..........Dave

It did

........."bit like a Camden Town boozer transported to Wiltshire by aliens".

 

That probably sums it up very nicely. On the original question of being a tenanted pub, that has always been the case. Even the Lottery funded "community group" were tenants, they did not own the pub, but you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise given the size of their grant.

 

Music is now on every Saturday night at 9pm and a new dining extension has just opened in part of the new barn. When completed the main part of the barn will be used as a visual and performing arts space, all funded by the pubs owners, who have actually owned the Barge since the days of Adrian and June Potts, the tenants for seventeen years.

 

But some things don't change - interesting UFO / Alien conference being held there today.

You should have come and said hello.

 

 

But more important, if anyone is visiting the K&A pay the Barge a visit and spend a bit of money there, keep an open mind, and enjoy a rather unique pub.

 

..........Dave

We will make a point of calling on our way back. Some of the outfits being worn were, shall we say interesting.

[ditchcrawler]

 

Music is now on every Saturday night at 9pm and a new dining extension has just opened in part of the new barn. When completed the main part of the barn will be used as a visual and performing arts space, all funded by the pubs owners, who have actually owned the Barge since the days of Adrian and June Potts, the tenants for seventeen years.