Pubs in Somerset
  Visit Somerset

After selling up our restaurant in Bath whilst working at our Farm at Wheddon Cross, we were looking to expand our farmhouse restaurant as we had most definitely outgrown our cozy front room dining experience.

Back in 2013, after looking hard for 2 years, we came across The Old Ship Aground – a boarded up and run down building, which was perfect for our needs, apart from the fact that she needed a stack of cash spent on her. From the first time we saw her she just oozed  Old Englishness – a quintessential pub, pure and simple. She was originally built in 1911 as The Pier Hotel, a rather grand Edwardian hotel with stabling (which is now the Courtyard Bar) to accommodate  guests from the great paddle steamers which then docked at the Old Pier. And what a perfect setting, right on the harbour. So we set about trying to buy her and succeeded on May the 9th 2013.

We remained closed for a further 3 months whilst we started putting things back in order. There was an awful lot to get done – lots of cold sweats for sure – with new kitchens, bathrooms, plumbing and re-wiring, a compete refit. Finally we were ready(ish) and opened for the beginning of September. Right from the start we wanted to provide good old fashioned hospitality with great honest local ingredients. Put simply a pub that we would want to go to.

Our food is very much ‘River Cottage’ in style, taking inspiration from our farming experiences. From our own baked soda breads, home smoked fish and farm raised meats you can rest assured of the very best of quality because if we can’t grow it or make it, it is locally sourced.

We hope that you enjoy your visit…