Wellington Arms, Bedford  rated5 pints - click for an explanation of our ratingsCask Marque pub - click for an explanation of the Cask Marque scheme

location:

Bedford

address:

40-42 Wellington Street, MK40 2JX

phone:

0871 258 8992*
* calls cost 10p/minute, click here for more about 0871 numbers.

nearest stations:

Bedford Railway station
(830m)

Bedford St. Johns Railway station
(1.3Km)

how to find it:

The Wellington Arms is on Wellington Street, which is just off Tavistock Street, just to the north of the main city centre and pedestrianised shopping area. Click map for more details.

click here for a larger map

picture of Wellington Arms
On an unprepossessing road headed by a Kwik Fit and tailed by a car park, you don't normally stumble across pubs like the Wellington Arms by chance. However, this is a superb pub, worthy of any detour. Everything here oozes authenticity. To start with, there's a cosy, inviting interior, filled with nick-knacks, breweriana and beer mats from their amazing selection of Real Ale. In fact, at any time there are around 10 ales on tap, many from small local brewer Banks and Taylor; their boast of being a pub with a "permanent beer festival" is pretty close to the mark. You'll also find a good choice of lagers, a decent wine list and a couple of ciders and perries to choose from. The soft drink selection isn't too shabby either. The locals come in all shapes and sizes, making this a good place to see a wide cross-section of Bedford's population, while service from the girl with an apparent liking for 1950's dresses was spot on. The Wellington Arms is a rare example of the kind of public house that the multinational chains could never reproduce; it's clearly grown organically under the stewardship of dedicated staff and strong local support. Best pub in Bedford? Almost certainly.

reviewed:
03/08/2008
reviewed by redcat

pub features:(click on an icon to see an explanation)

good beer served - click for explanationexcellent and large selection of real ale
TVs - click for explanation1 tiny TV
beer garden or outdoor seating available - click for explanationsmall courtyard
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