Pubs and Bars / A-Z Bristol pub crawl
A-Z Bristol pub crawl: The Foresters, Downend
It was a miserable Wednesday evening outside, as punters from across Downend queued in their dozens for a game at the Foresters infamous pool table.
Rows of pool cues were lined up in lavish leather boxes by the bar, some with engravings, other with delicate threads of gold and red. This tournament meant business.
The weekly competition is one of the pub’s proudest affairs, and as the games progress into the night, a bounty of seemingly never ending food appears from the kitchen, overwhelming the bar in a buffet-style feast.
is needed now More than ever
Stacks of sausages, freshly buttered white bread and mountains of chips line the counter, and groups of men gather round to tuck in and line their stomachs for the night ahead.
Natch and a proper Guinness tap
The hustle and bustle of this pub is a credit to its fiercely local spirit. The Foresters was refurbished and re-opened in 2013, after being closed for several months, and has since become a local hot spot for all things sport.
Rugby fixture posters and several ginormous sports screens line the walls, while a comical mix of photographs of locals’ weddings and pool competition winners are hung up in an almost shrine-like collage on one wall.
It’s an inviting establishment, with a tree mural sprawled on the front facade, and fairy lights dotting the front windows, beckoning passersby. There’s also a sizeable garden, jukeboxes, a darts board and an arcade machine.
If you ever find yourself in Downend, you’ll be sure to find a welcoming spirit here. Provided you bring your cue.
Two men carry their cues into battle
The Foresters, 20 Salisbury Road, Downend, Bristol BS16 5RB
All photos: Mia Vines Booth
Read next:
- A-Z Bristol pub crawl: The Essex Arms, Kingswood
- Owner says community will ‘never get pub back’
- Brewdog apply to extend opening hours of harbourside bar
Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast:
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
