One of the joys of living in Bath is the almost instant access we have to a whole host of glorious pastoral enclaves that surround the glorious little mini-metropolis at the centre of proceedings.
The tiny little village of Kelston 4 miles/6-ish km north-west of the city is a case in point. Ancient origins (an ancient barrow dating back to prehistoric times; a church — St Nicholas — with its 13th century tower and Saxon remains hidden in the chancel), stunning Cotswold Way walking routes, an iconic soft cheese empire nestled in the nearby fields… heck, even the drive along the route from Bath to the village is a standalone experience in itself, all swoonsome views and cutesy cottages. And then, when you reach journey’s end…
Ah, the Old Crown Inn. The owners call it “a traditional country pub with a contemporary twist,” based around a belief in taste, style and time well spent. “Escape the city with us,” they say; “life tastes better here”. And d’you know what? Unlike many pub website mission statements, this one is not only 100% honest — it’s also an understatement.
The Old Crown is a place where olde worlde charm meets thoroughly modern merrymaking expectations without either parties tastes impinging on the others’ preferences. Higgledy-piggledy nooks and crannies, flagstone floors, ancient beams, cosy fireplaces and subtly updated comfort-flourishes (jewel-coloured velvet cushions on heavy-hued oak benches; fresh flowers to soften stern stone corners; etc) dictate the innately characterful theme inside the multi-faceted 400-year-old inn itself, while a beautiful eco-friendly garden, recently refurbished to impeccable standards and featuring easy-access stone pathways and subtle lighting, is supplemented by the Garden Lodge: a spacious, bouji cabin-style affair that brings the outdoors in or the indoors out depending on the weather.
Oh, it would be so easy to imagine yourself moving into the Garden Lodge; it’s the ideal contemporary countryside retreat. And indeed, we did ‘move in’ — well, for dinner at least, to a corner table where the chirrupy smatterings of birdsong I said I could hear over my shoulder turned out to be nothing to do with the “over-vivid imagination” that Mike said was playing up again, nor a result of me guzzling a gin and tonic too quickly; as it turns out, a family of robins live in the Garden Lodge — so there. Anyway!
The Old Crown’s regularly-changing a la carte menu keeps both fans of classic, classy pub grub familiarity (pork terrine; fish/ham, egg and chips; burgers; steaks; etc) and those in search of ‘right here, right now’ attention-grabbers very well catered to. We straddled both categories, starting with a distinctly non-bouncy chilli/salt/pepper squid perfectly paired with a lively garlic and lime mayo, and a satisfyingly plump beetroot arancini that came with more beetroot in both puree and pickled format, feta cheese, a sublime cashew yoghurt and a sprinkling of dukkah for extra-added crunch — simply wonderful, but not that simple to get this right.
For the main(s) event, for him, a gert big juicy, well-aged sirloin steak with huge, frangible onion rings, proper fat chips, creamy peppercorn sauce and an exceedingly well-dressed salad and, for me, a plump, rich, pan-fried Cajun salmon fillet, the smoky, spirited flavours of the Bayou-inspired seasoning uplifted with a vibrant roasted corn and tomato salsa, the whole affair anchored by a very generous tumble of roasted new potatoes.
Our whole feast was, all, all told, properly good real food: super-seasonal, generous, and clearly laden with care and attention to detail — and a neat wedge of smooth, creamy lemon and lime cheesecake that hit the perfect citrus/sweet balance upheld that ethos as the sun set over our lodge getaway bolthole and the robins settled down in their nest.
One of the joys of living in Bath is the almost instant access we have to The Old Crown.
Footnote: deals currently trending at The Old Crown! Order any two main courses from the a la carte menu from 4-9pm every Wednesday/Thursday and receive a complimentary carafe of wine to share. Every Friday 12 noon-9pm: enjoy a fish and chip feast plus a pint house ale/cider/lager/glass of house wine/soft drink for just £19
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