The Star continues to shine out brightly over Bath

You left our group of intrepid pub explorers, as we departed the Salamander, a pub that turned out to be something of a disappointment and headed off towards one which we all knew was going to be the star of the show – in more ways than one! We were making for the famous Star Inn, which is one of the most famous pubs in the city. A pub renowned not just for its unspoilt interior, of five interconnecting rooms but also for its impressive frontage of mellow, Bath stone, overlooking the Paragon. The latter is a street of Georgian houses with matching doors and windows which compliment the pleasing stone buildings that line both sides of the Paragon, as it leads off in a north-easterly direction away from the city centre.

The Star was first licensed as a pub in 1759, with an historic interior that was fitted out in 1928, by Gaskell & Chambers – and like me, you thought G&C only made hand pumps! Since 2001 the Star has been the principal outlet in Bath of Abbey Ales, who brew nearby and also own several other pubs in the city, including the famous Coeur de Lion. Abbey Ales also saved the Star from an uncertain future, as its owners, Bass were contemplating selling it off for other purposes.

Internally the pub has four small rooms, with wooden benches around the wood panelled walls and during the cooler months, roaring open fires provide a welcoming warmth which adds to the general feeling of coziness. As well as the Abbey Ales range, Bass is served under gravity, via large glass jugs, direct to your glass, or you can splash out on a 3-pint jug, and share it amongst your friends. The Star is one of only a handful of pubs left in the country where beer is still served in this time-honoured way, and it really is a place where time has stood still.

After being left behind by Martin, Will and Stafford Paul in their rush to get their Bass fix, I arrived at the pub with Jon and Tracey, who both hail from Somerset. I understand they met at Bath University, so their extensive knowledge of this charming Georgian city, meant they were able to point out local landmarks, as well as less obvious things concerning the surrounding buildings. Arriving at the pub, we found the advanced party waiting for us in one of the snug areas, stuck into a 3-pint jug of Bass, although us latecomers decided it would be more prudent to buy our beer by the pint.

Regardless of quantity, the Bass was excellent, even though it had an entirely flat appearance, - hence the expression “flat Bass.” Despite lacking in the head, the beer certainly wasn't lacking in condition or taste. This was my second visit to the Star, and like my first visit, back in March 2022, this wonderfully unspoilt, and characterful pub certainly didn't disappoint. It's definitely a place where one could spend the entire afternoon, and not just for the Bass, as the Star also stocks beers from local brewer Abbey Ales, as mentioned earlier.  I noticed the company’s Bell Ringer on sale, alongside a stronger dark ale, called Black Friar, but also on the bar was a collaboration beer from Five Points Brewing and Adnams.

It was therefore with more than a little disappointment that we moved on to the next pub, the strangely named, Curfew.  The latter represented the most northerly point of the day’s pub tour, but apart from the beer, which was very good, I’ve little to say about this former Wadworth pub.  Martin summed it up nicely, as a boutique-type pub that wouldn't look out of place in Tunbridge Wells, and it certainly reminded both of us of the Allkin Tap, a micro pub, which opened last year, just off the town's main shopping area.

I didn't take many photos at the Curfew, but it was a pleasant enough pub, and the staff were very welcoming. The beer selection included London Pride, St. Austell Tribute, Draught Bass, a pale ale called “Gizmo” from Electric Bear (never heard of them), plus Haka New Zealand Pale Ale, from Butcombe Brewery.  The latter proved a good choice, although the Bass was also good, according to this who tried it – but not quite on a par with the Bass at the Star. It was nearly time to move on, but before doing so, Martin had to rush off to meet Mrs RM, who had just arrived in Bath, after a 200-mile drive down from Yorkshire.

We met up with the couple at the Bell, another of Bath’s real pub gems, but one that didn’t open midweek, until 4pm. Consequently, it was starting to get dark as we walked towards the pub. Although different to the Star, the Bell is a real cracker, with a lengthy, single bar at the front of the building, which leads up to a raised area, at the opposite end of the bar. This acts as the stage, an obviously important part of a pub famed for its live music sessions. These are held, three or four times a week, leading to endorsements from no lesser luminaries than Robert Plant and Peter Gabriel. There is also a small back bar, used mainly for practice and open-mike, music sessions. The Bell was purchased in 2013 by a group of its customers, fans and workers, and is now run as a cooperative.

It was relatively quiet when we arrived, but there was a good selection of cask ales to spark our interest. These included Otter Ale, Summer Lightning, Arbor C Bomb and Palmers 200. I opted for the latter, as it must be several decades since I last enjoyed a pint from this quite localised West Country brewery, based in Bridport, Dorset. Palmers 200 was first brewed to celebrate 200 years of brewing by this family-owned company, and is a full-bodied, malt-driven beer, with a distinctive bitter finish. For me, it represented the perfect beer to end this excellent tour of Bath pubs. In case you hadn’t guessed, all the pubs visited, feature in CAMRA’s latest Good Beer Guide, a fact which might explain the inclusion of some of them on this outing.

After one of the best coffees I've had for along time, I boarded the London train and enjoyed a relaxing  journey back to Paddington. I was then and was able to make my onward connection to Tonbridge, in plenty of time. Son Matthew even picked me up from the station, enabling me to get to bed relatively early, thereby ensuring a good night’s sleep. So where next, for this group?