Five of Frome's best pubs - or the ones I managed to visit, last weekend!

Before we start, I promise there is no AI involved in the drafting of this post, just good old-fashioned, hard slog on the keyboard. That is apart from me using the CAMRA pub website, for useful and relevant facts, figures and other relevant information, intended to convey a visual images) of the pubs concerned. I therefore trust that readers will find, what is in effect, a guide to five of Frome’s best, and most interesting pubs. There were others, of course, but my late arrival meant there was a handful of public houses I didn’t get to experience.

Our first port of call, and the source of a much-needed pint was the Three Swans. A 17^thcentury, grade II listed, two bar pub in the centre of Frome, that is both quirky and traditional at the same time.  Extensively refurbished between April 2013 and January 2014, the pub has an eccentric, but very comfortable and inviting feel to it. The back door leads out to a secluded courtyard, and there is also a spacious function room upstairs, that is ideal for meetings or small celebrations.

The two regular beers are supplemented by a single guest, which can be sourced from all over the country. The Three Swans is one of the oldest pubs in Frome, small in size but big in character which makes it customers feel right at home. The majority of Pub Forum members on this particular visit, were just making ready to go when Martin and I arrived, but one person happy to stay for another pint was Stafford Paul. 

 It was especially good to see him again, after what must be a period of over 18 months. The Butcombe Original, one of two cask beers on sale that day, was in fine form, and just the thing after a long, and frustrating train journey!

The next port of call was Just Ales, Frome's first micro pub, but to reach it we first had to navigate the historic and picturesque narrow lane, known as Cheap Street. Characterised by a fast flowing, tiny stream, which flows along a narrow stone gulley known as a “leat”, Cheap Street has certainly retained its historic medieval character. With plenty of independent shops and cafés to choose from, this area of Frome was bustling with people, drawn by the aforementioned shops and businesses. 

Unfortunately, the photos I took, don’t really do Cheap Street justice, although with luck they do convey part of the feel of the place. Prior to reaching Just Ales, we passed the relatively small, but attractive George Hotel, a Wadworth establishment, which was the pub I was originally aiming for, had my train not been delayed, earlier, by those pesky sheep.

Opening in March 2018, in what was previously a small café, Just Ales seemed a good place to linger, and enjoy one of the two cask ales on sale at the pub. It also afforded an opportunity of catching up with rest of the party; several of whom I knew from previous “Proper Days Out”. Jon & Tracey, Mick, and Will were amongst this group, but where was Stafford Paul? I do recall him saying earlier that it wasn’t his intention to complete the entire Frome crawl, and in mitigation he had started off on the previous evening, with a stop-over in nearby Bath. He and Martin had gone for the obligatory jug of gravity-served, Bass, at the town’s legendary Star Inn, so whether this put him off his stride remains unknown, but it would have been nice to have spent a bit more time with him.

Instead, I enjoyed a catch-up with Jon, Tracey and Martin, as well as a brief chat with the pub’s landlord. Simply furnished, Just Ales is in the heart of Frome's vibrant St Catherine's district, and with seating for 30+ people, plus Frome Brewing Co. Devil’s Backbone Porter on tap, plus a fruity pale ale (Summer Breeze) from Milestone Brewing, this bright, breezy and vibrant micro-pub was a good place to while away a summer’s afternoon – at least I would have been, if we hadn’t needed to move on!

What followed was another walk up a
steep hill – this time St Catherine’s Hill, a thoroughfare once again furnished with more quirky and eclectic shops. We were heading for the Lamb & Fountain, a stone-built pub close to the top of the hill. The Lamb is a small and friendly unspoilt gem of a pub with fantastic views over the town, from its spacious lounge room, at the rear of the building. 

It is a grad e II listed building, on the CAMRA register as "An historic pub interior of regional importance", as evidenced by the passage running to the rear of the building, and the old-fashioned off-sales hatch with a sliding glazed window and a display case above. The door at the front leads to a very small public bar with a Victorian counter, which has a c.1960 Formica top. The bar back shelves are mainly original, and there is an interwar tiled and wood surround fireplace with a gas fire in front. This information comes from CAMRA, rather than AI!

Known locally as "Mothers” and run for over 50 years by Freda Searl, this late 17^th or early 18^th century pub is now run by Freda’s daughter, Sue. Freda made no major changes to the pub during her time at the helm but sadly passed away in November 2021. Sue has followed her mother’s wishes and left the pub just as it was. Our party took over the lounge, leaving the mainly cider-drinking locals, to the rather more basic front room of the pub. As with many Frome pubs, cider is the main tipple of the locals, with London Pride often, but not always, available on hand-pump.

Just a short hop away is the Griffin, an attractive, stone-built pub that was formerly the brewery tap for Milk Street (now Frome) Brewery, which has moved to the outskirts of the town. Up to three Frome ales and guests, as well as a range of craft beers and ciders. The main bar retains some original features such as etched windows and wooden floor. We made ourselves at home in the large room at the front of the pub, as you can see in the attached photo. My tipple of choice was Funky Monkey, a 4.0% Session Bitter, from Frome Brewery.

The Griffin is listed in this year’s CAMRA Good Beer Guide, as is what, for me was the final pub of the day. The Royal Oak was quite a hike from the Griffin on a road that was heading in the wrong direction. By that I mean the pub was on the fringes of Frome, and in the opposite direction to the station. So, despite the hike, and the far longer trudge back to the centre of Frome, I followed the others into the pub and purchased a glass of St Austell Proper Job.

Like the previous pub, the Royal Oak had several drinking areas as well as an outside patio garden, but we gravitated to the large room at the front of the pub. Given the distance back into town, I knocked my beer back quite quickly. I was thirsty, of course, but being unsure of the route back to the station, I decided I’d better get going. First I had ascertain the best way into town. This was to follow the main A362 Broadway Road all the way down into Frome, passing Christchurch and Portway on the way, a distance of just over 1.5 miles.

I called in at a petrol station on the way, to ask if they had a toilet – I was "breaking my neck for a slash", as they say, but whilst there were no toilets there, Rye Bakery & Pizzeria in station approach did, thankfully have “facilities”! They also had some much-needed solid sustenance – I hadn’t eaten since mid-morning at Castle Cary, so I bought a Cornish pasty to eat on the train. Shortly before my train pulled in at the station, several other members of the group turned up. They would be heading off in the opposite direction towards Westbury and Bristol, and I think they were as surprise to see me as I was to see them!

We said our goodbyes, as their train departed ahead of mine, although only by a few minutes. Not long after, the Castle Cary train pulled into the station, and I headed off on the start of my journey back to Kent. There was no livestock on the line this time – although not locally, but according to the indicator board, the train was running 17 minutes behind schedule due to, you’ve guessed it - animals on the line!  These West Country farm boys and girls, really need to be more careful with their critters!