Worst Pub of the Year

[Al 10000]

I did this thread last year,so i thought i would do it again to see if any members have done any really bad pubs like i have.

Out of over 300 different pubs visited in 2013,this one The Highwoods (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/33989/) won by a country mile.

[Aqualung]

I was hoping this thread would appear again!
My nonination is a Spoons (obviously) and despite visiting some poor ones this summer many of which were in Central London, the award must go to one I visited on a snow swept Friday last January. It's the Lloyds No. 1 Glass Works (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/54337/) near Angel Tube Station. In retrospect I don't know why I gave it a score as high as 3, it certainly didn't deserve it.

[oldboots]

I might have been lucky this year or maybe just careful, I can think of only four real mingers, they are in no particular order:

The Crown (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/37568/) Corporation St, Birmingham
Harvester (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/39907/) Bingley, W. Yorks.
The Mitre Inn (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/38653/) Stourbridge, W. Mids.
Crown Hotel (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/13231/) Alton, Hants.

I think the Harvester in Bingley takes the prize but only just.

The weirdest pub of the year was certainly The Rainbow (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/37811/) in Digbeth, probably the weirdest review I've ever written as well.

[NickDavies]

The Ravensbury (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/36002/) must be on the leader board in the race to the bottom.

[Blackthorn]

I think the Lord Nelson (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/475/) in Bristol was the worst one that I went in.

[Mobyduck]

The weirdest pub of the year was certainly The Rainbow (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/37811/) in Digbeth, probably the weirdest review I've ever written as well.
Surreal I would say, but a front runner for review of the year.

[sheffield hatter]

Some fierce competition for this prize:

The Red Lion (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/43331/), Grenoside, near Sheffield
BrewDog (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/76258/), Nottingham
The Golden Lion (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/43186/), Sheffield
Royal Oak (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/73629/), Chapeltown, near Sheffield
Church Green (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/64819/), Lymm

The winner/loser has got to be the Nottingham BrewDog, because it's the first time in over 40 years of pub-going that I have actually poured my beer into the urinal (without it having passed through my stomach, intestines, kidney, bladder and urethra, obviously). I think it was a combination of factors that got my goat that day: their smirking "we know best" attitude; the attempt to sell substandard product at inflated prices; and selling these disgusting beers in a room that reminded me of a science lab at school - a down-at-heel science lab at that. Well done, chaps. Some of the others on the short-list invoke a wry smile when I re-read my reviews; re-reading my review of BrewDog just gets my blood boiling again.

[Bucking Fastard]

Mr Hatter's review of Nottingham BrewDog deserves to be in the Review Appreciation thread,it made me chuckle.

Two horror shows stand out for me.On a wet Tuesday evening ,a seemingly hopeless search for a decent pint in Oswestry led the crew to The Wilfred Owen (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/56963/),one of the worst 'spoons experiences yet.Fortunately the last throw of the dice took us to The Fox,for one of the best evenings ever.

However WPOTY goes to The Punch and Judy (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/64769/) in Covent Garden,and in particular the Balcony Bar.No redeeming features at all.

[Pubsignman]

Only a small handful of duffers this year - the worst has to be The Redchurch Bar (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/71549/) - Shoreditch. I was delighted to escape to the neighbouring Brewdog bar which, having read SH's thoughts on that particular chain, should tell you all you need to know about this place.

A close second place goes to this forgettable experience: Cuban (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/74661/) - Canterbury

[Mobyduck]

No real minger's last year but two that stand out as being unimpressive were,
The Three Guineas (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1776/) and
The Baron Cadogan (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/56820/).
Neither particularly interesting in any way apart maybe the Three Guineas exterior,unfortunately once inside it didn't live up to expectations.

[Pubsignman]

No real minger's last year but two that stand out as being unimpressive were,
The Three Guineas (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1776/) and
The Baron Cadogan (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/56820/).
Neither particularly interesting in any way apart maybe the Three Guineas exterior,unfortunately once inside it didn't live up to expectations.

I'd agree with you that the Three Guineas isn't the most atmospheric of pubs, but it seems you got unlucky on the beer front. I was there last month and they had nine ales on from seven different breweries (unfortunately they then spoiled things again by serving my beer in a plastic pint glass :rolleyes:)

[bcfczuluarmy]

The weirdest pub of the year was certainly The Rainbow (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/37811/) in Digbeth, probably the weirdest review I've ever written as well.


My visit to the Rainbow was disappointing as it was on route to watch Birmingham play in the Europa league a couple of years ago. In my years of watching football I've never seen the pubs near the ground so full that my review would've been, I needed to turn up a week in advance to get served.

However yours would've amused me while waiting about 30 minutes to get served after departing the previous pub that took an age to get served.

[ROBCamra]

Harvester (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/64508/) in The Printworks Manchester by a street length.

The worst bar in a area full of crap bars.

[Mobyduck]

I'd agree with you that the Three Guineas isn't the most atmospheric of pubs, but it seems you got unlucky on the beer front. I was there last month and they had nine ales on from seven different breweries (unfortunately they then spoiled things again by serving my beer in a plastic pint glass :rolleyes:)
You maybe right, I remember eight hand pumps ,might have been nine but only two breweries represented and some of the beers doubled up and none very interesting, for me a disappointing visit.

[london calling]

You maybe right, I remember eight hand pumps ,might have been nine but only two breweries represented and some of the beers doubled up and none very interesting, for me a disappointing visit.
They always seem to have an Upham beer on . Thought that would suit you Moby.

[Mobyduck]

They always seem to have an Upham beer on . Thought that would suit you Moby.
I think not. :sick:

[aleandhearty]

Didn't have to think to hard about this, as I'm nominating the same pub as last year. The The Duchess of Cambridge (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/75190/) continues to be absolutely woeful, in my eyes. The standard of beer from casks on stillage defies belief. Every time I stay with family nearby, I pop in hoping things have changed and every time I quickly leave saying never again. Thank God for The Tabard, up the road.

[Quinno]

No real minger's last year but two that stand out as being unimpressive were,
The Three Guineas (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1776/) and
The Baron Cadogan (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/56820/).
Neither particularly interesting in any way apart maybe the Three Guineas exterior,unfortunately once inside it didn't live up to expectations.

Well, to be fair to the Baron it's a bog-standard JDW and I never promised anything beyond it being a GBG regular ;)

And at least having to go there meant you got to see the flypast I organised :p

[Mobyduck]

Well, to be fair to the Baron it's a bog-standard JDW and I never promised anything beyond it being a GBG regular ;)

And at least having to go there meant you got to see the flypast I organised :p
Which is why myself,Soupy and Sheffield Hatter gave it a body swerve on the day and we got a perfect view of the flypast on-route to the Prince of Wales (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1708/), very good it was too, (the flypast that is) :evilgrin: , unfortunately in my misguided wisdom I decided to have a pint there with a mate a couple of months later (after the PUG tour) whilst waiting for the rather more excellent Fox and Hounds (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/61613/) to open . :cheers:

[sheffield hatter]

Which is why myself,Soupy and Sheffield Hatter gave it a body swerve on the day and we got a perfect view of the flypast on-route to the Prince of Wales (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1708/), very good it was too, (the flypast that is) :evilgrin:

I think Quinno would say it was planned to be better appreciated from outside the Baron Cadogan. :)

[london calling]

Didn't have to think to hard about this, as I'm nominating the same pub as last year. The The Duchess of Cambridge (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/75190/) continues to be absolutely woeful, in my eyes. The standard of beer from casks on stillage defies belief. Every time I stay with family nearby, I pop in hoping things have changed and every time I quickly leave saying never again. Thank God for The Tabard, up the road.
I wasnt going to post on this thread as I cant think of any dire pubs I have been in.Thanks for reminding me.The Duchess of Cambridge has the worst beer I have encountered in London this year.I have been in 5 or 6 times with my son as he likes the keg and bottle stuff but the real ale is shocking.

[Quinno]

I've had a few stinkers this year..

4/10

The Rising Sun (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/57117/) Slough
The Old Bell (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1546/) Wash Common
Traveller's Friend (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/81051/) Crookham Common
The Swan (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1561/) Newbury
Hogs Head (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1536/) Newbury
The Prince Of Wales (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1432/) Kintbury
The Railway Tavern (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/61533/) Hungerford
The Top House (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/57183/) Burgess Hill

3/10

The Eagle (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/53948/) Old Street, though that was based on the lack of service, me being the only person at the bar on a quiet weekday afternoon...
The Narrowboat (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1568/) Newbury
The Queens Arms (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1712/) Goring

2/10 - take a bow, son!

The Old London Apprentice (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1548/) Newbury

There were also some that may well have scored a 1 had common sense not taken hold and guided me out the door before committing myself... eg Snooty Fox (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1535/) Newbury

[Bucking Fastard]

I've had a few stinkers this year..

4/10

The Rising Sun (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/57117/) Slough
The Old Bell (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1546/) Wash Common (should be a 4!)
Traveller's Friend (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/81051/) Crookham Common
The Swan (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1561/) Newbury
Hogs Head (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1536/) Newbury
The Prince Of Wales (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1432/) Kintbury
The Railway Tavern (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/61533/) Hungerford
The Top House (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/57183/) Burgess Hill

3/10

The Eagle (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/53948/) Old Street, though that was based on the lack of service, me being the only person at the bar on a quiet weekday afternoon...
The Narrowboat (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1568/) Newbury
The Queens Arms (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1712/) Goring

2/10 - take a bow, son!

The Old London Apprentice (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1548/) Newbury

There were also some that may well have scored a 1 had common sense not taken hold and guided me out the door before committing myself... eg Snooty Fox (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1535/) Newbury


Not a great advert for Newbury ;) ,sounds as dire as my previous visits over 20 years ago.

[oldboots]

Looks like Newbury (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/areas/newbury-central/berkshire/) is wearing the badge of shame this year......unless someone can come up with a worse place, east London perhaps as it was mentioned on another thread? I would suggest Stourbridge but most of the pubs were shut when I went there so that would be unfair.

[Soup Dragon]

From my 2013 experiences, Egremont should tred the primrose path to the everlasting bonfire - hand-in-hand with Smethwick

[Wittenden]

Not a great advert for Newbury ;) ,sounds as dire as my previous visits over 20 years ago.

And I thought it was posh over there!

[aleandhearty]

The Duchess of Cambridge has the worst beer I have encountered in London this year.I have been in 5 or 6 times with my son as he likes the keg and bottle stuff but the real ale is shocking.

Thanks, LC. Although I'm pretty confident in my palate, it's always nice to be backed up, particularly as the DOC isn't on my manor.

[Aqualung]

Looks like Newbury (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/areas/newbury-central/berkshire/) is wearing the badge of shame this year......unless someone can come up with a worse place, east London perhaps as it was mentioned on another thread? I would suggest Stourbridge but most of the pubs were shut when I went there so that would be unfair.

Romford is pretty dire in every respect. The Spoons prevent it from being a complete disaster but even they are not as good as some in SW, SE and NW London despite the GBG showings. If anyone asks why CAMRA branches put Spoons in the GBG just answer "Romford".

How many people have been to Pwllheli? There's a grim place for pubs if ever I saw one but they are opening a Spoons there this year!

[Mobyduck]

Romford is pretty dire in every respect. The Spoons prevent it from being a complete disaster but even they are not as good as some in SW, SE and NW London despite the GBG showings. If anyone asks why CAMRA branches put Spoons in the GBG just answer "Romford".

How many people have been to Pwllheli? There's a grim place for pubs if ever I saw one but they are opening a Spoons there this year!
OMG :evilgrin:

[Al 10000]

Looks like Newbury (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/areas/newbury-central/berkshire/) is wearing the badge of shame this year......unless someone can come up with a worse place, east London perhaps as it was mentioned on another thread? I would suggest Stourbridge but most of the pubs were shut when I went there so that would be unfair.

Ive been to Stourbridge twice and thought it was a decent place to drink in,i have always fancied going to Newbury,i thought it was a fairly nice town with a few Arkells houses.

If you want to drink in some crap towns for real ale,try North Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire or South Yorkshire,if you went to Stavely or Mexborough,you would soon realise how nice Newbury is.

[NickDavies]

And I thought it was posh over there!

Vodaphone.

[Quinno]

Looks like Newbury (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/areas/newbury-central/berkshire/) is wearing the badge of shame this year......unless someone can come up with a worse place

To be fair, Newbury does have a small clutch of decent or 'trying-to-get-there' pubs (The Lamb Inn (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1542/) ; The Lion (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1543/) ; Lock Stock & Barrel (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1544/) ; The Newbury (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1554/)) and both of the JDW's are a cut above the general Spoons stable. But there's so much scope for a really good ale house to open up in town. If the now-deceased Wellington Arms (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/1566/) hadn't been flogged for housing, it could have been The One. It caught my eye as having potential.

[Strongers]

I nominate the Bird in Hand in W14 as it looks like a pub, but it's a restaurant masquerading as a pub. http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24808/

[Maldenman]

Probably Zerodegrees (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/65482/) for me, although being spoken to brusquely like a 5 year old by the so called manager didn't do much for my opinion of the place. I genuinely didn't like the pub or the cold fizzy beer either though in fairness.

[Thuck Phat]

Two candidates spring to mind: The Shady Oak in Tiverton (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/63487/) and The Wilfred Owen in Oswestry (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/56963/).

The Wilfred Owen takes the prize for having very few redeeming features and, unlike The Shady Oak, the only way I can see of improving it is by pulling it down.

[Mobyduck]

The Wilfred Owen takes the prize for having very few redeeming features and, unlike The Shady Oak, the only way I can see of improving it is by pulling it down.
Looks Hideous .

[NickDavies]

Looks Hideous .

We're in World's Worst Wetherspoon territory. I always nominate the Shitehelm (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/54249/) but this one gives it fair competition

[Mobyduck]

We're in World's Worst Wetherspoon territory. I always nominate the Shitehelm (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/54249/) but this one gives it fair competition
I nominate this one (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/56870/), doesn't look so bad from the outside, but crap once in.

[london calling]

Didn't have to think to hard about this, as I'm nominating the same pub as last year. The The Duchess of Cambridge (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/75190/) continues to be absolutely woeful, in my eyes. The standard of beer from casks on stillage defies belief. Every time I stay with family nearby, I pop in hoping things have changed and every time I quickly leave saying never again. Thank God for The Tabard, up the road.

The good people of West London thought the same as you and me.The stillage was remove last week and the pub closed down yesterday.

[aleandhearty]

The good people of West London thought the same as you and me.The stillage was remove last week and the pub closed down yesterday.

Sorry, LC. Somehow overlooked this until today. Have to say it comes as no surprise. You can't sell beer that bad and hope to stay in business. I wonder if anyone else will have a crack at it? Have you heard anything on the local grapevine?

[london calling]

Sorry, LC. Somehow overlooked this until today. Have to say it comes as no surprise. You can't sell beer that bad and hope to stay in business. I wonder if anyone else will have a crack at it? Have you heard anything on the local grapevine?

It would be a brave person who takes this pub on.Make a nice Tesco local.Its a nice pub but a pub this size has to be food led to make it work.

[aleandhearty]

It would be a brave person who takes this pub on.Make a nice Tesco local.Its a nice pub but a pub this size has to be food led to make it work.

Not sure whether it needs to be food led, but it would certainly need to sell food of some description. Part of me still thinks if they just had 4-6 hand pumps serving really good ale and established a reputation for quality, they could make a go of it. Can't see it being a Tesco local, as there's already one on nearby Askew Rd, along with a small Sainsbury's and a Co-op. I think its last incarnation was as a restaurant, so maybe it'll go down that route again. Who knows?

[london calling]

Not sure whether it needs to be food led, but it would certainly need to sell food of some description. Part of me still thinks if they just had 4-6 hand pumps serving really good ale and established a reputation for quality, they could make a go of it. Can't see it being a Tesco local, as there's already one on nearby Askew Rd, along with a small Sainsbury's and a Co-op. I think its last incarnation was as a restaurant, so maybe it'll go down that route again. Who knows?

The Tesco part was a joke. This pub has changed hands so many times that I cant see anyone taking it on.Pubs in West London close and are turned into flats etc without anyone protesting so it wouldn't surprise me if they changed the use.cheers john