Pubs and Bars / A-Z Bristol pub crawl
A-Z Bristol Pub Crawl: The Dame, Bedminster
The Tap & Barrel was one of four pubs – all within a 200-yard radius – which closed unexpectedly in March to the shock of the community.
All four boozers are owned by the same person but shut their doors after the previous licensee said she could could no longer continue due to “constant rise in cost of living”.
Now the BS3 venue has reopened triumphantly under a new name with a fresh lick of pant on its vast north-facing wall.
is needed now More than ever
The Dame, named after Dame Emily Park opposite, has been rebranded as a “friendly neighbourhood dive bar” – a place for BS3’s skateboard community and locals alike to come together.
It is being run by Stephen Wallace, Rayne Rose, Tim Nokes and Andre Seidel, with Tim and Andre also running Campus Skateparks in Bishopsworth and Winterbourne.
The Dame is the new name for what was once the Tap & Barrel
On a recent Tuesday evening, a eclectic mix of people filled the space – from a fashionable couple in their 50s and a group of youngsters to an elderly man sipping a pint of Thatchers Gold.
A large bar acted as an island in the middle of the pub, with a darts board, pool table and table occupying one end.
The furniture, such as a set of wooden benches and tables, were suitably DIY and a large poster from skate brand Volcom hung pride of place on a back wall.
Tucked away above the bar, a black and white pencil sketch of the Tap & Barrel hung on the wall – a nod to the pub’s former life.
The Dame, 43 Dean Lane, Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 1BS
All photos: Betty Woolerton
Read more:
- Former pub to become skater-friendly bar
- Exploring the hidden histories of south Bristol neighbourhoods
- Skateboarding more than 250 miles for charity
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