Pubs and Bars / A-Z Bristol pub crawl
A-Z Bristol Pub Crawl: The Lamplighters, Shirehampton
A handwritten sentence from Chilcott’s History of Bristol close to the main entrance of the Lamplighters pub is as relevant today as when it was first written in 1851.
‘About a mile from Shirehampton on the bank of the river is a good inn called Lamplighters Hall.’
There used to be a ferry taking people from here across the River Avon to Pill. That ferry has long gone but between the river and the water is still the base of Shirehampton Sailing Club.
is needed now More than ever
In all of the UK, there is no other pub called the Lamplighters, which today is owned by Bath Ales having been closed by Enterprise Inns in 2009, with the fear that it would never reopen as a pub until a groundswell of public support led by former Bristol North West MP Charlotte Leslie secured its continued future as a good inn.
It’s a building with a long history, wich began life as a grand riverside residence before becoming a hostelry.
In the 70s, a major renovation was carried out to remove most of the original interior and replace it with the current layout which was inspired by the House that Jack Built pub on St John’s Lane in Bedminster, now the Brunel.
The Lamplighters is open from midday to 10pm seven days a week – photo: Martin Booth
On a recent lunchtime, there were almost as many inflatable Santas inside the Lamplighters as there were punters.
As late 90s classics from Jason Nevins and Run-DMC, Cher, and M People were played on the stereo, one punter enjoyed his chicken strips washed down by a bottle of Heineken 0.0.
“Oi!” one man shouted across the bar to his friend who had just walked in still wearing hi-vis orange trousers.
“Alright, Bert?” “Alright, Bert?” they said to each other in unison.
Elsewhere, an older couple were both reading copies of Shire, which has been the local community’s newspaper for more than 50 years: a young whippersnapper compared to the Lamplighters.
‘He Amplight Rs’, otherwise known as the Lamplighters – photo: Martin Booth
The Lamplighters, Station Road, Shirehampton, Bristol, BS11 9XA
www.thelamplighters.co.uk
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read next:
- 21 historic photos of Shirehampton
- Commemorative World War One war horse statue unveiled
- A-Z Bristol Pub Crawl: The Lifeboat Inn, Shirehampton
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