Situated at the very centre of a picturesque East Wiltshire village and surrounded by ancient chalk down lands, The Bell at Ramsbury, is a thriving, 300-year old freehouse with restaurant, Café Bella and ten comfortable& spacious rooms. The Bell at Ramsbury located on the village square, is the largest of two remaining village pubs, the other pub, The Crown and Anchor is temporarily closed. For 250 years The Bell & more recently their modern Cafe Bella, has provided hospitality to locals, ramblers, cyclists and some of the thousands of visitors to this beautiful location.

Ramsbury is an ancient village is located in the Kennet Valley, through which flows the tranquil river Kennet, at the heart of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, four miles from Hungerford, the nearest town. For centuries, Ramsbury was known for its Tree, a large wych elm, which stood in the Square at the heart of the village, it died in 1983, over 230 years old and was replaced by an oak sapling from Epping Forest. There is plenty of off-road car parking for guests between the pub and its coach house accommodation.

Offering rustic vibes and country chic style, The Bell at Ramsbury is owned by the surrounding 19,000 acre Ramsbury Estate which supplies The Bell with beer, gin and vodka made at its own award-winning Brewery and Distillery and the Estate’s Black Gold extra virgin cold pressed rapeseed oil from its own Oil Press. Daily deliveries of freshly picked, seasonal fruit, veg, herbs and flowers come from the estate’s Priory Farm kitchen garden, located two miles from The Bell, plus air dried aged beef from the estate’s herd of South Devon and Aberdeen Angus cattle, water meadow lamb and seasonally available game from the estate’s sustainably managed woodland. Fresh fish deliveries arrive daily from Cornwall.

Heading up the Bell’s kitchen, multi-award-winning chef, James Graham. Dedicated to championing the abundant, homegrown and seasonally relevant estate produce on his daily changing à la carte, farm to fork menus with innovative twists, together with elevated pub classics served at lunch and dinner, everything on James’ menus is made in-house, including James’ own charcuterie.

To be able to make use of the incredible, fresh ingredients grown less than two miles from the Bell’s kitchen door to create a truly individual style of sustainable, responsible, farm to table dining, is a genuine and fantastic daily pleasure

James Graham

James also oversees whole animal butchery on-site and offers butchery demonstrations. Every menu includes vegetarian dishes and there’s a children’s menu, but the kitchen will also make smaller portions from the à la carte menu for children too. Meals are served in the bar and two adjoining light and airy dining spaces warmed by wood-burning stoves or open fires, in its own Café Bella or outside on its terrace or the lawned beer garden.

Tastefully decorated throughout with real flair, expect stylish interiors in soft creams with exposed beams, solid oak floors and beautiful leadlight windows. Banquettes upholstered in tartan tweed and kid leather and oak dining chairs complement the antique furnishings, landscape prints and photographs of the Estate, along with well-appointed lighting.

Our Food;

Snacks & Starters:

Partridge Pakora, Chapati & Mango Chutney – I love a pakora but was unfamiliar with the taste of Partridge. I soon discovered that it has a subtle but sweet flavour of game. It is also very low in fat and high in iron, giving it many health benefits. The pakora was served on a round chapati sitting atop a small round oak plate server. The mango chutney topped it off nicely.

Twice Baked Cheese Souffle & Leaf Salad – This twice – baked Cheese soufflé was very light & airy. The taste was very, very cheese-y with a slight hint of eggs. My wife said that every bite just melted in her mouth.

Mains:

Roasted Loin of Venison, Braised Red cabbage, Wild Mushrooms & Celeriac Puree – A rich & earthy taste & texture. I could almost taste the acorns, sage and herbs that the deer would have eaten.

Herdwick Lamb Rump, Merquez, Freekeh & Lamb Jus – A deep, earthy flavour to the meat which reflects the tough conditions in which these sheep traditionally roam in the Lake District. I loved the Merguez sausage, heavily spiced with cumin & harissa, stuffed into a lamb-intestine casing. Combined with the lamb jus, this was a very tasty dish, full of flavour & textures.

Desserts:

Treacle Tart, Berry Compote & Clotted Cream – Because of the Golden syrup, treacle tart is very sweet so a hint of lemon juice helps cut through the sweetness. A fine buttery crust with a moist, chewy centre.

Sticky Toffee Pudding, Butternut Sauce & Caramel Ice Cream – Dates have a very strong toffee edge to them so add to this a moist sponge pudding, flooded with Butternut sauce and a scoop of caramel ice cream and you have a wonderfully sticky, sweet and chewy dessert of the finest quality. Classic!

All of the food that I was fortunate to taste was excellent. I must admit to trying some of my wife’s meal and can vouch that all of the dishes were beautifully cooked and professionally presented to table.

Breakfast did not disappoint either. It was well worth getting up for! There was plenty of choice from the continental breakfast bar including warm pastries, freshly squeezed juices, seasonal fruits & local meats & cheeses as well as the traditional full English, which was my choice to start the day. The hot breakfast was cooked-to-order, so all of the food was freshly prepared, tasty, and plentiful! And as much tea or coffee as I wanted!

Before our evening meal, Head Chef James took a little time out from his duties in his kitchen and came over to our table to introduce himself. We spoke briefly about the menu and his own culinary journey, which was fascinating. The waiting staff were excellent throughout the meal, particularly Lollie, who helped create a convivial atmosphere. I think that The Bells biggest asset are the staff themselves, James & his creative team in the kitchen, the bar & serving staff all contributed to an excellent professional service, they are all a credit to The Bell at Ramsbury.

Did You Know? – Head Chef James Graham

Classically trained, James previously worked as head chef at The Three Daggers in Edington when it was awarded AA Pub of the Year 2019 – 2020 and at The Pointer at Brill when it was awarded ‘Michelin Pub of the Year’ 2018. James was formerly head chef at Cowley Manor Hotel, Gloucestershire, and prior to this was head chef/proprietor of his own critically acclaimed restaurant, Allium in Fairford, Gloucestershire, for nearly 10 years.

Originally from Devon, James worked under Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons and at Petit Blanc after completing five years training at Walton’s, the English House, Oxo Tower and Nico at 90 Park Lane. James also spent time in the kitchen of Lino and Sarah Poli at Welford Place on completing a Masters’ degree and a degree in politics at Leicester University. It was whilst studying at Leicester that James discovered Europe’s largest outdoor covered market, with its amazing breadth of ingredients and exciting, multicultural environment. This experience helped fan the flames of James’ already burgeoning interest in the possibilities that food presented.

James’ experience working in some of Britain’s top kitchens gave him not only an in-depth knowledge of food, but also the experience and discipline required to achieve excellence in his chosen field and also the confidence to forge his own culinary path.

Adjacent to the pub’s dining rooms, is the quaint and sun-filled, Café Bella, with counter dining overlooking the open kitchen and a relaxed vibe. Seating up to 24, it serves the restaurant a la carte menu + breakfast from 8.30am, light snacks, tea, coffee and homemade cakes. French doors lead to a decked terrace to one side of the pub and another set opens to a sunny patio with steps up to a lawned and landscaped beer garden. *Café Bella is also available for private dining and events.

Behind the Bar, Ramsbury Estate Distillery’s own multi-award winning single estate grain vodka, recently awarded ‘Vodka of the Year’ at the 2024 London Spirits Competition, and its fresh and floral Single Estate Gin, both made using the Estate’s own single field Horatio baker’s wheat and chalk-filtered spring water from its own source. Ramsbury Gin is flavoured with nine botanicals grown on the estate, including quince. Attached to the distillery is the much loved Ramsbury Brewery. The Bell offers all four of the Brewery’s handcrafted, grain to glass beers on tap using barley also grown on the Ramsbury estate and own-source, chalk-filtered water, including its best seller, Ramsbury Gold

Also on offer, a further eleven quality gins, a seasonal cocktail list and homemade bitters created by the bar team, along with a carefully curated wine list offering classics and more unusual wines, including from Austria, Hungary and Lebanon, and available by the glass or bottle. Dogs are welcome in the bar, Café Bella and the garden – treats and water bowls available in the bar area.

The Bell’s 10 comfortable, spacious guest rooms include six above the pub and another four in a converted coach house opposite. All en-suite, with views over the village and furnished with luxurious Hypnos beds, upholstered headboards, hypo-allergenic duvets and pillows and crisp white linens, each is individually decorated in a simple pared-back style with a calming colour scheme enhanced with locally sourced antiques, comfy armchairs, prints and photographs. Original architectural details highlight the history and character of the building.

Guests can choose from four Super Kingside beds, two deluxe doubles, two standard doubles and two twin bedrooms, with one interconnecting for families. Seven rooms feature walk-in rain showers and three come with showers over the bath and locally made Elm & Grey toiletries. Our room at the Bell was named after a fish, Perch! Other rooms were named after fish or birdlife. The room was very comfortable and spacious.

Rooms range from £110 per night on a B&B basis for two people year-round. Children of all ages are very welcome, and camp beds (£50 a night per child) and free travel cots can be set-up in most rooms.

Dogs are welcome in the four coach house bedrooms at no extra charge. All rooms have tea and coffee-making facilities, free WIFI, fresh milk and homemade biscuits.

The Bell at Ramsbury is a fine example of an old English village pub with loads of character, where the community comes together, and visitors are made to feel very welcome. You can grab a simple snack, stay and linger over a sumptuous meal in the restaurant area or even stop over for the night in one of their excellent rooms. For tasty food, quality ales & fine wines in a local friendly pub atmosphere, The Bell at Ramsbury is a smart choice.

Have you thought about visiting a new pub restaurant, for that special dining experience?

Why not visit The Bell at Ramsbury for that special occasion. You won’t regret it. I had a great time, and I hope to be going back very soon! The Bell at Ramsbury is a great local village pub with a five star restaurant and comfortable rooms! By providing such excellent quality food and drink, combined with the warm, friendly hospitality, this classic village pub is sure to win many awards for its food and hospitality over the next couple of years.

It certainly comes highly recommended from me!

Disclosure: My visit was courtesy of The Bell at Ramsbury, Ramsbury Estates & Bridget Stott PR

The views and comments expressed are as usual my own.

What to do and see in the area when visiting

The Ramsbury Estate Distillery and Brewery lie just three miles from The Bell, and offer regular tours, beer, gin and vodka tastings and a Bespoke Gin School Experience with a 3.5hr ‘Make Your Own Gin’ masterclass. On our way to The Bell, my wife & I stopped off at the Estate Distillery & Brewery for a 90 minute tour. We were taken around the distillery & brewery by volunteer tour guide, local historian & author Barry Hillier, who not only provided us with an excellent account of how the Ramsbury beers & spirits are created, but also served our group with ample tastings along the way, which was most appreciated. I particularly enjoyed the wide selection of beers, the Red Ram (4.5 % ABV), their first English craft lager, a particular favourite of mine. The tour was very interesting, made much more so, because of the wealth of information & knowledge provided by our guide. If you in the Ramsbury area, I would fully recommend you visit the Ramsbury Estate Distillery & Brewery and enjoy a tour.

The Ramsbury Experience – an off-road, countryside safari tour of the Ramsbury Estate promises some of the most spectacular views across the North Wessex Downs, together with a brewery and distillery tour on the last Friday of the month from April to September. https://ramsburyestates.co.uk/experiences/ramsbury-experience-tour/

Foraging Tours – Join local Wiltshire wild picker, Marc Pardey, for a guided tour of the Ramsbury estate. Foraging for wild food under Marc’s guidance, you’ll be introduced to a wide range of seasonal edibles and learn how to safely identify them in the future. The day will start at 9am with coffee and pastries at The Bell, followed by three hours of foraging on the Estate before returning to The Bell for a multi-course tasting lunch.

Great walks from the front door. Ask for one of the handy maps of circular walks. Take an easy 30-minute stroll through Ramsbury with streets lined with beautifully preserved, half-timbered, thatched, Georgian and Victorian houses and alongside the banks of the river Kennet, or alternatively set out for a more strenuous hike up to and along the Ridgeway. Described as Britain’s oldest road, it extends 87 miles from Avebury in Wiltshire along the chalk ridge of the Berkshire Downs past the River Thames and into the Chilterns at Ivinghoe Beacon and Ashridge. Dotted with archaeological monuments, including Stone Age long barrows, Bronze Age round barrows and Iron Age forts, a nearby section of the Ridgeway  is located on the edge of the village of Aldbourne, three miles from Ramsbury.

Walking trail info here. https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/short-routes/aldbourne-circular-route/

Walk from Ramsbury to Littlecote Roman Villa – the best preserved Roman mosaic in the UK https://www.visitpewseyvale.co.uk/business-directory/littlecote-roman-villa-mosaic/

Nearby National Trust attractions;

White Horse Hill, Uffington https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/white-horse-hill

Lacock Country House https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wiltshire/lacock?origin=search

Bell picnic lunches can be prepared to take with you if ordered the night before.

Sightseeing and shopping in nearby Marlborough, five miles away, Hungerford four miles and Swindon is 12 miles away.

The Bell at Ramsbury, The Square, Ramsbury, near Marlborough, Wiltshire

Recent Awards and Listings:

Michelin Guide 2023

The Good Pub Guide 2020

Café Bella can be used as a private event and/or dining room and can comfortably accommodate up to 24 diners.

Covers – 106 inside and 80 in its landscaped garden and on the terrace

Room rates and facilities

Rooms range from standard of £130 per night on a B&B basis for two people to twin rooms £110 a night to superior rooms at £170 a night.

Children of all ages are very welcome, and camp beds (£50 a night per child) and free travel cots can be set-up in most rooms. The Family Room sleeps four in two rooms with an interconnecting door: a double bed in one room and two single beds in the other. All available on a B&B basis.

Dogs can stay in one of the four coach house rooms at no extra charge.

All rooms include: Flat Screen TVs, Cotton linen and hypoallergenic duvets & Complimentary wireless access