My Favourite Pubs

My name is Tom and I’ve been working for Visit Windsor for a decade now, originally in the Information Centre but now working on our digital content and ticket module. Perhaps I am old before my time, but I have always enjoyed a good pub.

Windsor has some lovely bars and swanky hotels but you can’t top a traditional tavern, and there are plenty in our town. Beer has been brewed in Britain since time immemorial, but it was the Romans who introduced ‘tabernae’ as resting points on their famous road networks. Pubs in Windsor really came into demand during the Middle Ages as St George’s Chapel was a major destination for pilgrims. In the 1500s there were 30 pubs despite Windsor only having a population of about 1,000. We don’t have quite as many pubs per head anymore, but it’s quality not quantity! Here’s a little taster.
 

Just nipping across the river you come to the The George Inn, Eton. The George is run by the Windsor & Eton Brewery, so they have a great range of beers brewed locally with ingredients from the Royal Farm in Home Park.

Windsor had a famed brewing heritage, but hundreds of years of history came to an end in the 1930s when our last brewery closed. The Windsor & Eton Brewery brought brewing back to the heart of Windsor in 2010.  Today, they run a variety of tours and events, and is a great venue for watching the 6 nations or world cups from the brewery floor.
 

The Two Brewers is probably the most beautiful pub in Windsor with all its hanging baskets and window boxes. It's in the perfect dog-friendly location for refreshments after conquering the Long Walk, just at the end of Park Street. It’s also one of Windsor’s smallest pubs with only nine indoor tables so children are not permitted inside but are welcome to sit with grownups on the pub’s outdoor benches if the weather permits.
 

As you can see, The Boatman is just a stone's throw from the Thames. Just a short distance from Home Park, you can wander over to watch the cricket/rugby, then have a refreshing drink/warming meal after. Being just near the Riverside Station means it's ideal for a swift half before getting the train towards London.

Top three things I’m looking forward to doing post-lockdown

1. After this blog it might be pretty self evident a visit to a beer garden is required, perhaps several. Finally finish the ‘Royal Gallon’, the world's most regal pub crawl?
2. I’m a forces brat, it’s why I’m in Windsor now, so I always enjoy seeing the Changing of the Guard.
3. Say hello to my brother in person, by the time lockdown ends I might need to say hello to a new relative, my niece (and another excuse to have a celebration)!