The Blackbird, Hockholler, Wellington

An 18th Century roadside inn, which still offers B&B. Half of the building is now a restaurant, the other half a pub, though it’s hard to tell from outside until you actually stop and look. There are one or two parking spaces on the pub side of the road, though the main car park is the other side of the main road which makes it hazardous to go in at busy times. There is a pleasant garden at the side with a couple of shelters. The bar food is standard pub grub, reasonably priced given the location on a main tourist route. There is a bar billiard table and a selection of board games, and the landlady was quite welcoming. The single bar is carpeted and has a brick fireplace, though the décor is tired and in places decrepit. Sadly, the atmosphere is undermined by the traffic noise from the adjacent road. Ales on were Pride, Otter and Doombar, all in good condition. It’s on the 2019 Somerset Ale Trail.