Pubs and Bars / A-Z Bristol pub crawl
A-Z Bristol Pub Crawl: Kings Head, Redcliffe
“I’ll have a pint of Good Lager, please,” says a well-speaking punter wearing a blue shirt and grey waistcoat.
The middle aged man fits right in with the clientele of the busy Kings Head on a recent evening, predominantly made up of office workers enjoying a post-work brew.
Drinkers sit in pairs or trios next along the bar, huddling together every now and again to let passersby make their way from the front entrance to a tram-shaped snug bar at the back or one of the pair of tiny WCs formed by part-glazed partitions.
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Two of them wear identical green check shirts and hair cuts and order drinks just as a cloud of steam puffs up from the dishwasher behind a decorated mirrored bar.
Most of the rear part of the pub contains the ‘Tramcar Bar’
Entering BS1’s Kings Head is like stepping back in time due to its unique interiors dating back to around 1865.
In fact, every nook and cranny is crammed with intriguing relics proudly looking onto generations of drinkers – from ancient antiques to signs with artfully written calligraphy.
The most eye-catching include a series of arches and gilded glass panels advertising various drinks including Jamaica rum, London gin and mineral water as well as a gas-lit cigar or pipe lighter on top of a bench-back in the tramcar bar and an old pressure gauge from the days of gas lighting.
These, some of the oldest bar fittings in the UK, are so well preserved that this historic boozer is the only Bristol pub recognised as being of national importance in Camra’s Heritage Listed Interiors.
The Kings Head offers cask and keg beer from local and national breweries as well as spirits, wines and non-alcoholic drinks
New life has been breathed into the Kings Head by Kelly Sidgwick and Bob Cary, co-founders of Good Chemistry, who recently reopened the pub which had been closed since Covid-19.
The St Philip’s brewery dominate the bar, with Shadow Future, All Welcome, Hello Sunshine, Extra Special and Lamp Lighter all on offer alongside the likes of Everyone Loves Harlequin by Fyne Ales, Revival by Downlands Brewery, Flare by Pulpt and more.
The Good Chem team also regularly host She Drinks Beer at the pub, described as “a regular night at the pub for women who enjoy beer”.
As clock struck 8pm and the three more punters walked through the threshold on this dark evening, it was time to settle down with another pint of beer in this clearly much-loved revamped local.
Kings Head, 60 Victoria St, Redcliffe, Bristol, BS1 6DE
www.goodchemistrybrewing.co.uk/2022/10/19/kings-head-victoria-street
All photos: Betty Woolerton
Read next:
- A-Z Bristol Pub Crawl: Junction, Wapping Wharf
- Meet the women championing inclusivity in the brewing industry
- Historic pub to be reopened by new owners
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