Gromit-hunting took me over the Suspension Bridge to Tyntesfield last week. Next stop after that on the trail was Bristol Airport, down a dusty dirt track next a field of cows that is probably best not repeated on such a bone-shuddering bicycle as mine.
Before the brush with the bovines, I stopped off at the Battleaxes, nestled on the outskirts of Wraxall and built by previous owners of Tyntesfield in the 1800s.
“Just 10 minutes from the city of Bristol, The Battleaxes is set in a characterful Grade II listed building on the main Bristol Road (B3130). Lovingly, sympathetically and imaginatively restored in September 2010 The Battleaxes has a playful eccentricity that is Cluedo country house meets traditional country pub.”
So says their website and it’s about as good a summary as you can get.
A flat cap behind the bar gives a clue to the ownership of the Battleaxes. Flatcappers is the name of a side business of the group behind the ever-expanding Lounges chain. Their two pubs are this one and the Castle Inn in Bradford on Avon, both freehouse country pubs with luxury bedrooms.
Black and white photos of shopworkers and assorted others on the walls of the Battleaxes are familiar touches from the Lounges.
There is a huge amount of space to fill here in a Gothic pile with hidden function rooms with names like the the Shindig and the Club Room.
Ales on tap when I visited included Fallen Tree from the Twisted Oak Brewery in nearby Wrington, Bath Ales Dark Side and Flatcapper Ale made by the Three Castles Brewery in Wiltshire. Ciders were Pheasant Plucker and Stowford Press.
An all-day menu has options from £7.95, up to £16.50 for an 8oz rump steak served with chips and salad. Sharing boards are a popular option, costing £12.95 and divided into Pig Out, Fishy Business and Life on the Veg.
Lunch specials see two courses for £12 or three for £13 between midday and 3pm, while there are also lighter options such as sandwiches and jacket potatoes.
Thanks, Gromit. This is a pub I might never have visited without you.
The Battleaxes, Bristol Road, Wraxall, North Somerset, BS48 1LQ. 01275 857 473
