The Cross Guns in Wiltshire

We had a weekend away in our camper and ended up here served quickly reasonable prices great location with great three tiered garden. Bit off the beaten track though. I don’t know why it has a slew of bad reviews, we thought it was fine 👍s up from me

Disappointed! Pub website advertises hot meals. Lovely walk from Bradford on Avon, intending to get lunch. Asked for menu, to be told, only rolls in fridge or Crisps available. Great location, but bring your own lunch, especially as café nearby only open Fri, Sat, and Sun.

A pint and half of Ale, 2 sandwiches from their fridge called ploughman's but consisted of cheap white bread,cheese even our dog wouldn't eat (and he loves cheese!), one transparently thin sliver of radish and the same of a pickled onion. Total £20. The ladies toilet was disgusting. Sitting on the the toilet I had my face next to a men's urinal (despite 2 urinals next door and this being labelled a ladies toilet), mould all over the walls, peeling paint on exposed pipes, light switch so covered in mould and rust I wouldn't go near it. Cracked and broken tiles on the one bit of tiled wall. Overall disgusting.

No food?? Why has this pub stopped serving hot food? It has always been a fantastic place to eat with a buzzing atmosphere - but now it’s dead. Such a shame.

I have been 5 times recently and SO wanted to like this place as it's a nice cycle ride and midway between me and a pal. Sadly each time there has been some issue and we will not be returning. Rude and clueless staff was the first impression. Signs everywhere telling you "no bikes" "no smoking" "Bike park here" (behind a parked car so innaccesible). No food, despite vast dining area and dozens of outside tables. No WiFi. Pints served 3/4 full, asked for a topup and given the death glare. This happened on the next 2 rounds too, so I said, "do we have to ask every time? Another evening my pal walked up the steps to get a round and found the pub closed and locked up, no warning or "last orders", and this was 5 past 7 on a weekday! Distressed lady was locked out of the outside loos and knocked on the door to ask if she could use the toilet. Staff member VERY reluctantly let her in for relief. Last night was the final straw, baking hot day, served 2 pints of cider in PLASTIC glasses because "it's too hot" ! Apparently by order of "management". Bins behind the bar overflowing with plastic glassses, all going to landfill. Disgraceful. Presumably too hot to wash glasses.I said that I thought I was in a pub, not Glasto! reluctantly given glasses. Finally my third pal arrived who has just been diagnosed with Celiac disease. Asked for 2 bottles of Peroni Gluten Free and was charged £10.20 !!! This same costs £7.60 in another pub we go to and that is already too expensive (£1.55 per bottle in Majestic). Fantastic riverside location, could be a gold mine in the right hands, but not this lot. Doomed to failure. (I forgot to mention the rat which kept my dog entertained scurrying around on, and under the decking all evening! )

My wife and I walked for an hour to have lunch. Upon arrival, we were told that only sandwiches would be avalable in 20 minutes time - only to be told (when the pub opened) that no food would be available today. During the wait we saw two men (staff) on several occasions. They couldn't have told us there was no food!!?? How rude.

I'm sorry I'm not one to post bad reviews. I take it that you can always have a bad meal, you or the bar staff can have a off day. But this I think needs to be said. WHAT A WASTE OF A MAGNIFICENT PUB. Flooded, kitchen refurb are some of the excuses. No food,expensive drinks, no atmosphere, no anything . No visit again from me or any of my friends

The Cross Guns is closed and even though we had booked over 2 weeks in advance, nobody contacted us to tell us they have closed. First we knew was a note on the door saying they had closed due to flooding. Where the flood was, 40 foot above the river, was not apparent.

Rude staff straight off the bat! Very unhelpful, not serving hot food on a Sunday when it was advertised!

We visited this pub today for lunch after a walk along the canal and it was a total disappointment. The menu is very limited, with only about five main course options, and just one vegetarian main course option. Burgers, including a halloumi one for veggies, for some reason are only served on Mondays. My husband ordered the fish and chips (£16.50), which was mediocre and not at all generously portioned given the price point. His mushy peas were a minuscule scoopful. I ordered the small plate of stuffed peppers (£9.50) with rice and feta, which when it arrived was only one small pepper stuffed with rice and not a lot else, some cooked tomatoes on the side and the most pitiful amount of feta. The worst of all was the children’s option of Magherita pizza and French fries (£7). The chips were warm but the pizza slice was stone cold and a soggy, unpalatable mess. I only ate some of it because I was still hungry after my tiny helping of pepper. The setting of this pub is lovely, but the options, prices and quality of the food are all poor. We won’t be returning.

We were six friends on a long weekend canal holiday. We ate here on a Friday night at the end of the summer. We had a good experience, and felt the staff were welcoming and efficient. Beer was well kept, food was great and there were interesting veggie options which was nice. Unfortunately the kitchen closed at 8.30pm which we didn’t know when ordering, so we had a main course but found service had ended when we came back to order dessert. However, our server went out of her way to find a workaround, and offered us some rocky road on the house which we really appreciated. We had a great evening and would come here again (maybe slightly earlier next time!).

We hired a canal boat yesterday for 10 people. What a lovely day out until we came upon the Cross Guns Pub in Bradford on Avon. Beautiful Pub to look at in an idyllic setting. Lets all go for a drink we said. The views from the outside seating area were delightful until..... I went inside to order the drinks. A young woman was behind the bar tidying bottles etc, she turned and her attitude was unbelievable. Have you made your mind up yet she said in a hostile manner. What have I done I think, absolutely nothing. She proceeded to pour the drinks. Then I asked her could I have two plates of chips for my grandchildren. The kitchen isn't open until 12 ( the time was 11.55) and didn't take my order. If I wasn't with my family of 10 I would have just walked out. Not wanting to spoil the day for everyone I said nothing. Thank you young lady for putting a blight on my wonderful day up until then. I hope you read this. Going through your life with an attitude like you have is not going to help you. I'm an easy going 73 year old person and would be rude to no one. To the Manager sort this young woman out or you will be getting more reviews like this.

I don't normally write reviews but I can't believe the dismay I witnessed and heard at the cross guns. me and my wife walked from bath along the canal and stumbled across this pub hoping for a lovely meal in its picturesque setting. Either the manager or chef was screaming at the top of there voice at someone, swearing all I could hear was F* bombs we were sat thinking what's going on, this went on and on it was like round after round, I heard the manager or chef threaten to punch someone, at this point my wife's actually holding me to sit still as I was generally concerned, then we see what looked no more than a 17 year old boy walk out, what's going on you employ children to be spoken to and treated this way? I hope this review finds its self in the hands of the right person and something be done about this. from the moment we arrived all we seen was kids working here, everyone needs a job but you employ these people for cheap labour on the lowest wage and treat them this way. getting to the food, it was too expensive for hardly anything. its the same prices as pubs that have a rosette for goodness sake!! we wouldn't ever return for the war staff are treated to the staff that looked after us this day thank you get a job else where were your valued.

We've been here several times before, but today, 3rd August 2023, the food was atrocious. My wife had the small plate Falafel(£8.50). This was over-cooked, dry and barely edible. I had the Fish, Chips & Mushy peas at £16.50. The peas were a pureed green slime, which were awful. The chips were large, and very strange tasting. I asked my wife to taste them to make sure, and she spat them out in disgust. The fish was covered with layers of dry, hard cider batter. It had obviously been heated up several times, so the fish had shrunken inside the batter. Again, absolute rubbish - and the price was over the top. If you want food, avoid eating here!

Nice drinks but would really like to eat here but there is a lack of consistency with the meal times and days so do your research people. Avon cliff is a lovely part of the world. Pub garden is set up well to appreciate the views.

The one star is because it is a lovely old pub in a beautiful location. The service was terrible. When we arrived we found that the table reserved for us was not big enough and they had to rearrange the furniture. We then waited over an hour for food even though we had pre-ordered. They didn't inform us of this on arrival, and it really messed up our timetable for the day as we had a train to catch. With the exception of the battered fish the food was overpriced and underwhelming. Maybe we got them on a bad day, but other recent reviews suggest not.

Worth the walk out of Bradford on Avon and there is always the train. There is a public car park in Avoncliff other than the station. The food has improved a lot over the years but check what days they serve as they're struggling a little during the week out of season. This is due to the fact they're a little off the beaten track. The staff are really friendly hence the service is great. Definitely worth the walk even if you're just looking for a nice pint. This pub deserves your support on the less popular days.

Lovely setting and views - we got the train to Bradford in Avon and walked along the Canal which was a lovely walk. We had a baby in tow so the walk was pram friendly. When we got to the Cross Guns there was lots of outdoor seating - we opted for the top deck as we had a pram but it looked even nicer down the steps by the river. The menu was very limited and overpriced. We were told 1 hour wait for food but it did come out sooner than that after 25 mins which we appreciated, The hot dogs were very cheap - basic white roll, barely any topping. I ordered the “gourmet” with truffle mustard which didn’t taste or look any different to the standard yellow hot dog mustard on my husband’s hot dog! My husband tried to order his without ketchup and was quite rudely told they couldn’t make any changes. It was busy but not crazy busy as you would expect for a bank holiday Monday / May half term. The menu was already very basic and limited so seemed a bit inflexible to not even make a small change! It was also £12.50 and £13.50 for the original and gourmet hotdogs which for what they were was totally overpriced. Would come again for a nice walk and drink with a view but not for food. Drink choices were also quite limited - thought they had Ashton press cider as they had all the glasses but it turned out they only had thatchers which they were putting in Ashton press glasses. Bit disappointed as prefer Ashton press to thatchers. Only one toilet outside which always had a queue - went inside to use the toilet and they had roped off the inside which was a bit weird as it was quite busy.

We had booked for Sunday lunch as we were getting drinks we were told that all the roasts had gone and all that was left was hotdogs and fish and chips. Very poor seeing we had booked a table in advance. This pub is in a beautiful setting by the river and the canal. Unfortunately, we will not return until they get their act together with the food seeing this venue as only just opened. Needless to say we walked into Bradford on Avon and had s great late lunch.

We stopped by after a 3 mile country walk from Limpley Stoke. Being a Saturday it was extremely busy and there was a queue to get drinks or food. What was confusing was too separate lines; one inside the pub and one outside. To get drinks inside was a short wait and you can pick a table and have a drink. There wasn’t much draught beer to choose from which made it disappointing but settled with Thatcher’s Cider. The setting on the Avon was really nice and the walk from Freshford was pleasant but I would suggest going during the weekdays and weekends could be extremely busy.

This was a disappointing visit. I haven’t had food here for an extremely long time having moved away. We were in town and decided to go here for a change, called ahead due to it being on a Saturday evening to have dinner, person on the phone said they had a table. When we arrived the place was pretty much empty, but did have reserved tables, we were early into the evening (7pm) so seemed it would be busier later. We were given a paper menu with about 4 options, really not much at all. The bar woman comes over to take our order, basically it was either pies, fish and chips or meat or veg stew. Two of us opted for the veg pie, another for the fish and chips, and when ordering the last meal was told that they didn’t have that (meat pie), which left not much else. The staff went to double check and advised in fact they have a different meat pie available which was steak, so that was ordered. The food arrived quite quickly, and I just felt so sad looking at it. The pie looked okay, but the chips were those dried out deep fried cheap horrible chips, and the green beans were obviously the frozen ones. To make matters worse my partners steak pie seemed to be just one of those Pukka pies you get in supermarkets for a quid or a chip shop. He was fuming, but so hungry that he just ate it (it was all dried up inside too like it was really old…yuk). The fish and chips was oily and lots of batter and not much fish. All round disappointing food. The beer apparently was nice but quite pricey. We left around 8:30pm ish and still no one else arrived for dinner, felt that was a little odd. As a well thought of establishment in the BOA area, it really should be better. I understand staffing these days may be an issue for some, but it’s really not worth serving poor food, especially at those prices, no one will come back. Recipe for disaster.

Gorgeous beer garden with views over the river. All the staff were super friendly. Great to see it open 6 days a week again. I was most excited by the vegan hot dog on offer - delicious and perfect mid walk pick me up.

Came here for drinks and lunch but kitchen was closed when we arrived but still so happy we passed by! Sat alongside the river there were lovely views and on entry we were very impressed with the clean stylish decor! We had our dog with us and the staff were all so friendly and inviting, they came over with treats for the dog and a chat which we really appreciated! Also what made this pub great was just a 20 min walk down the river was another pub so we had a little pub crawl!

Different than any pub I have been to. You don’t sit down & have a drink you simply spend all your time queuing for one. If you want to sit outside, don’t think the tables & chairs will be wiped down either. If you like spending more time waiting to be served than having a drink - this is the pub for you….

A wonderful stopover place if walking along the canal between Bradford-on-Avon and Bath. Great selection of drinks and cakes.

16 people were very happy and fed great pub food that was hot and tasty. We strolled along from Bradford upon Avon and were haven't a warm welcome from friendly staff and wonderful pub food. GREAT CHIPS!!

A group of 11 of us went here on Friday 30th July while on a canal boat holiday. It was a 30th surprise birthday and the staff were very accommodating as we had a cake and balloons delivered there ready for the surprise.They catered very well for the group which included gluten free and vegan diets and there were options for both. In particular the fish & chips were fantastic.

Before covid the cross guns was the place to go somewere special,it had everything,good views river,train station,canal,inside bar,dining area....2 years on ..no bar,no dining area,poor menue,terrible smell from somewere,..needs to open up again and be the place it was...hope it can be sorted as too good a place to let go.

Booked in advance for first night of boating holiday on canal. Setting is wonderful with views of the aqueduct and river. It’s quite a way out of Bradford town, probably a 25 min walk/cruise. Place was probably half full on a Friday evening, staff were friendly and service prompt but food was a bit bland and expensive served on bamboo plates. I understand the drive for environmental changes but china would have been far nicer. Isn’t it more efficient to wash china plates than keep throwing the plates away?

We came as two couples today for a meal. The food was average and served on plastic/ cardboard eco plates along with plastic knives and forks, regardless if eating inside or out. The prices should have been adjusted to the plastic dinner ware. Beautiful setting and the bar man/ young chap was absolutely great. Really welcoming and accommodating! Think this place could do a bit better as the location is an absolute gem, we will visit again.

We visited here for lunch. We had a glass of wine, a cup of coffee, and two items which were called sandwiches. mine was ham and cheese, and it was, but it was cold (like it has been frozen) and tasteless. My partner's was hummus, tomato and rocket. The rocket was days old, the hummus had dissappeared into the bread, and was returned uneaten. And all that was £20I really wish I had read the other reviews befreo visiting I ticked service was adequate, because my partner brought out the food from the door

Great location (stay clear of the septic tank), lovely view across the river and up the valley. Decent pub food and not overly priced. Good serviceShame about the plastic knives and forks! Not what you expect after paying for a meal and NOT good for the environment. Probably just can’t be bothered to wash up. Shame

Lovely pub right on the Aquaduct with an excellent beer garden looking out on to the river and Aquaduct. I can't fault the location and after a day cruising on the canal it was a perfect pitstop.The food menu is very limited with very few options to choose from but the fish and chips which I had was deliciousGreat pub, recommended

Not sure where all the bad reviews have come from. Visited with some friends as part of a canal boat holiday and had a lovely time! The food menu is fairly small but everything we had was absolutely delicious, can recommend the pies. Location is stunning, would happily come back!

We met some friends here a couple of weeks ago, we thought it would be lovely as weather was great, and the location we know is really nice as living local to the area. Unfortunately it was spoilt by the terrible menu choice and quality of the food, not like it used to be. Also the sewage smell drifting past as you ate was terrible. Will not be returning to this place, we were very disappointed!

My partner and I called in here recently whilst on a walk along the canal. The weather was good so we sat outside overlooking the river. I had the chicken and ham hock pie with chips, peas, salad and gravy which was probably one of the best pies i have eaten in a very long time and my partner had the honey and lemon half a roast chicken. the chicken was too much for her to eat so reluctantly i had to help her out :-) All together a great experience and very good value for money, thoroughly recommended.

We stopped here for a drink and snack. Food was nice but unfortunately the smell in the garden was very off putting. Not sure if sewage was being released into the river but smelt pretty bad.

Firstly the setting and location of this pub is beautiful, with a short walk along the canal to get to it is perfect for a pint or soft drink, for food however I would try elsewhere. A group of us decided to go for a stroll along the canal and have a bite to eat. On first glance the menu was very limited with little light lunch (sandwiches etc.) Options avaliable. With that being said I had the cider fish and chips, which were ok, but nothing to write home about. Unfortunately others in my group had ordered the chicken and chips, they said it was very dry and not brilliant. Also, having to use plastic knives and forks to eat a main meal with wasn't ideal although I appreciate given the circumstances why this was being done.I will definitely return for drinks at this idyllic, peaceful setting but won't be ordering food again- such a shame.

Walked here for a drink only with family. Can’t comment on the food as we didn’t eat but saw paper plates and wooden cutlery being cleared and just thrown in the bin. Not very environmentally friendly. Followed the rules and went to order at the hatch from outside, was completely ignored for quite a while ! Not even acknowledged that we were waiting ! Drinks were great. Deli was fantastic. Lovely drinks and snacks and much more friendly service.What was awful was the state of the toilets. After seeing that I’m glad we didn’t eat if that’s the standard of cleanliness!! My little girl cried as she didn’t want to go in there because it was so bad. Instead we had to stop for a wild wee on the way back. I did have to use the one working toilet and washed my hands in the cold water with nothing to dry them on. I felt dirtier after being in there !! Can’t believe such a lovely looking pub has toilets that bad.

We were really looking forward to a good evening, overlooking the river. When the meal arrived it was inedible and sent back. The manageress was very apologetic but goodness knows how it could have been sent out in the first place. Such a shame and it ruined our evening.

I have passed by Avoncliff several times throughout the last year.. I was so eager to visit, but even when allowed to open the doors reamined firmly shut. At last yesterday, I was welcomed in.Unfortunately my meal and drink were disappointing.The beer was as warm as the (partially reheated) pie I'd chosen from the very limited menu and I was was served salad covered in gravy, a completely new experience!. The chips were hollow (so I believe) frozen ones. I placed an unidentied string or root on my serviet offering it to the manager who tald they would give it to the chef. I have no idea why! Maybe to include in someone else's meal?I find it hard to believe I was charged £13.50 for a frozen pie and chips! I was, and remain, sadly disappointed. This place should be a destination pub. At the moment it is not.Please be brave, yes, you have two clientel bases to cater for (the vast garden, sunny day folk and a resteraunt).Don't (as you put it) experiment. Meet and surpass people's needs and expectations on both fronts, more difficult, but you will find it much rewarding.It can be done with fresh food, whatever the size of the kitchen, I promise.People will followRegardsColin

from the train this looks like an amazing place by the river....when we arrived we were planning on lunch but it was really confusing what we (the customer) needed to do.....we eventually found a table in the bottom garden where the brollies were broken and the grass was long and generally could have been looked after! we assumed it was table service but were then told we had to go back up and order at the bar....(I've been to a few pubs in the last 2 months and they are all struggling with the table service rules but they do it) so I'm surprised this pub can serve you drinks at the bar!!! guys.....you have an absolute gold mine in avoncliffe.....but please make it clearer during covid.....buy a lawnmower and fix your brollies! I'm not going to slate the pub as didn't eat inside or experience it during normal times......and would still recommend a pint or two

The first issue was having to pay £3.50 to park, The queue outside to order was horrendous. The final insult was being given plastic knives & forks and paper plates and this was dinner!! I had ordered scampi without mushy peas as I cannot bear the look and smell of them. Needless to say the meal arrived with a dollop of mushy peas so I asked for a fresh plate without the peas. When I complained about the plastic knife and fork I was informed that they had proper cutlery and offered them. This is absolutely nothing about the environment and sustainability, as detailed on the menu, but just can't be bothered with the washing up!!

This is a great location, by the river and but the canal.You'd think that they'd nail the food. But alas not so.With such a captive summer clientele walking along the river and the canal, the effort on the food is a D-.We had a couple of pies and chips. And caesar salads.The pie and chips came with gravy, which was liberally added to the side salad, on top of the dressing, strange twist.The mushy peas were so salty they were inedible.The pies were like something you get from the local chippy, like a bad one.The caesar salads were OK.The chips were good.

On a circular walk from Freshford via Avoncliffe we planned to eat outside at the Cross Guns for the first time. A bit concerned given some of the reviews below however no need to worry. All well organised and our huge, well priced meals of fish and chips and vegan burger were served promptly piping hot.Friendly staff and great views completed a most enjoyable experience.Only downside from revisiting with grandchildren is no kids menu.

This was a family trip to the Cross Guns which we had looked forward to due to it's lovely setting. We ordered three pies, which we were advised was a South African spiced lamb specialty called Bunny Hop. The pies all came out extremely quickly, which was a little concerning, something I noticed was happening throughout the restaurant with all meals. The pies were not freshly prepared, and honestly were pretty revolting, with bits of hard and chewy ingredients within, none of which was clearly labelled on the menu. One member of our group actually refused to eat the meal, something that has never happened previously. Chips also appeared to be store bought frozen and put in the oven, with a side of pulp described as mushy peas. On top of this the cutlery was plastic individually wrapped, served on throwaway plates, neither of which is particularly environmentally friendly. For the price paid, we had expected a meal of far better quality than what we had received.

Could this be the most idyllic spot in England for a pub?Beautiful location looking down over a river and canal aqueduct, plus a fabulous old pub and lovely staff. A big thank you to the cheerful and friendly ladies who manned the mid terrace snack bar.

Lots of large meals but very little selection for a light lunch. The irony of providing eco friendly cutlery while also serving a set bag of plastic covered sauces ( tartare, tomato, mayo, vinegar and lots of salt and pepper,) when we only had a small serving of chips! Why not ask what sauce we would like and serve it in a small bowl?

I last dined here in 2015 and since then, and since Covid, the Cross Guns has changed hands.Atmosphere: The Cross Guns has a nice atmosphere. The interior has been remodelled and presently has a very slight air of Cuprinol Wood Treatment, no doubt because the very old wooden ceiling has been sand-blasted and treated, it looks good and the smell didn’t spoil my visit. I hope they will light the fire on winter days. The outside seating area is extensive and now runs down to the edge of the river; there are toilets inside now, before there was a wall down the road! Covid security is very good bye the way.Staff: Seem cheerful and attentive, when in view.Food & Drink: I’m glad to say that beer from the Box Brewery is still on offer. I came here to eat and the food is Pub Grub with a sensibly small choice of dishes. I have one criticism and several observations. The food portions are, well, far, far too big. We left more than 50% of our meal. This is not good for the planet or my waistline! Or The Cross Guns profit line for that matter.You don’t have to impress with meal size, just meal quality.My observations are the food could have been hotter; (presently) there no puddings, but given the size of the mains portions this isn’t a bad thing. Next, put the coleslaw in a dish then it won’t be a mountain on the plate. Try far fewer chips, but offer to bring the customer more if required. Or, try a seniors menu? But DON’T call it that.Meal for four people with two bottles of wine (£26 each), three pints, and four Sambuca cost £126.

I’d love to give five stars for the lovely building and fantastic staff but, Trip-advisor does not allow that! We were on a narrowboat, holiday weekend and booked the pub a week or so before. The staff were very welcoming and very nice. The range of beer was fine. Sadly the food was dreadful. The menu was so limited, I was embarrassed for the staff. They had a Vegan burger on the menu but no meat burger. Apparently they do a meat burger but, could not do one that day! I found that a tad puzzling. I imagine the cooking process would be similar.. I had scampi and chips, which quite frankly was at best average. I remember the 1970’s when a scampi basket was almost a bit cosmopolitan!This was last Friday, the 21st of May 2021!I want this pub to be a great place to moor up and have a nice meal. Do they produce poor food because they have new customers every day, so poor reviews don’t matter!One of my family actually loved his, “Pie of the Day” (the kids had to have adult meals, no children’s menu)He is only 10 and has to fight his three siblings for food, so, he would eat pretty much anything!The other thing, was the speed at which the food was produced, it was amazingly quick. I’m not sure much love goes into it. I hate leaving bad reviews and as I say, the pub is lovely and the staff are really nice.Maybe the pub is in transition and it will get better, I really hope so.

Walk from bradford on avon. Finished with food and drinks. Great servive and well above normal friendly staff. Loved it

Food and beer was ok although expensive! I just wish they could clean and bleach the Gents toilets, utterly disgusting and stinky! We sat outside top deck and could smell the septic tank, like sewage smell. Awful!

We had lunch here today and it was very disappointing. The menu was limited and unimaginative and there was no kids menu. The 'Covid safe' ordering process was woefully inefficient - there seemed to be lots of bar staff doing very little with a huge queue of people waiting to be served - it wouldn't be hard to think up a better system. The food when it came was very average, quite overpriced for what it was. I was also horrified by the amount of disposable items - paper plates, plastic cutlery in plastic packets etc. The setting here is lovely, but I get the feeling the Cross Guns these days is just trying to get as much money as they can by putting in as little effort as possible - what a shame as it used to be a great pub. We won't be eating here again.

This place has really gone down hill, it's really sad to see. And clearly are not doing their part to protect customers or staff from Covid 19. We had to order at the bar, the government made table side service a requirement last summer. There was no hand sanitizer any where. Didn't see the staff clean any tables. The only protection the team actually had was masks. Do the owners think they are excempt from the rules? Shame on you for putting money in front of customer and staff safety. The bar has very little to offer. Which should make it easier for the staff there, yet they all seem to hang around the bar and do very little except cause a lot of confusion for one another; which resulted in errors every time we ordered. The new team is being managed by an 18 year old Assistant Manager, shame on the owners for putting that level on responsibility on such a young individual. The new Assistant Manager is lovely, but clearly another negligent move from the owners. Would highly recommend people to AVOID!

A nice pub doing its best to survive some trying times. Beer and service was good, though the food was limited due to supply problems. What we had was tasty, but its the only place I've been to under restrictions where my food has turned up in a cardboard box with wooden cutlery. That said its got a good location and will hopefully be able to up its game when able

This is a very out of the way pub with beautiful views and a interesting outlook on life in these troubled times. Only a choice of two foods fish n' chips or veg pie + chips, which I can understand in these covid19 ruled times and we need not waste. Served in cardboard take away boxes was a great idea and great precautions against cross contamination and good for disposal. Well done to this establishment for the effort. Oz bartender cute, interesting and friendly. I would visit again especially during a canal trip.

We brought our friends here who were staying for the weekend and were disappointed and a bit embarrassed. They have a limited menu which I can understand in current times, fish and chips and pie and chips. When we asked what pie it was the waitress didn't know and had to go and check. We were given 3 pie options, one of which was vegetarian. When we asked what was in the vegetarian pie the response was "I dunno just vegetables and things". We asked if they had a kids menu as we had 2 toddlers with us (they only had 1 high chair so this proved challenging too). We were told anything on the menu could be halved so ordered pie and chips for kids... Oh no sorry we can't change the size of the pie so they'll have to have fish and chips... OK fine fish and chips it is! We didn't wait long for food but when it arrived the chips on the kids meals were covered in salt, completely unnecessary. The fish was completely tasteless and dry as others have mentioned. The chicken pie had a very odd flavour to it that actually made me feel quite sick, the curry pie tasted like tomato, no curry flavour at all. And a final very minor point, I ordered a coke with no ice which came as half a pint of coke with half a pint of ice. All round bad service and sadly bad food to go with it. Unless they significantly up their game we won't be returning, which is a shame because it's in a really nice spot.

Worst pub I have been to in many years!2 choices of food - pie & chips and fish & chips.We had the fish that had obviously been pre-cooked and it comes in cardboard with throwaway everything to go with it. Dried up, tasteless and with no finess....Limited drinks menu too..... we ended up 45m later £32 down for awful food and 2 beers.... unless you are desperate or they change the owner give this a miss Whoever does own this should be ashamed! It is a huge waste of a potentially lovey site and there are enough customers from the canal boats etc to put on even a half attempt at reasonable food.The Aussie bar guy was lovely and the other staff seemed fine but a really poor experience!

We walked to this pub from the town. Lovely view while sitting watching the world go by. There is a few different levels you can sit. We took some nice photos. The tables were well spaced out with umbrellas. Staff welcoming. we had a dog with us and we found them dog friendly in the outside areas.

Having been recommended this place to stop at while on the canal holiday, we had high expectations on a Thursday weekday evening last week. So we turned up, to find an extremely limited menu of food , basically fish and chips or a pie for a tenner, then we had to walk on to the “bar” set in the doorway and order from a pretty limited selection of beer choices. So a couple of ok beers in plastic glasses and a bowl of chips. Had to sit outside, but no lighting was turned on, so we were in darkness. Given the very steep staircase into the garden which we had to negotiate in the darkness, this was a real H & S concern. The staff did not know how to plug the lights in. Just really strange and not really working to try and maintain some kind of attractive business proposition in these pretty weird times. I do get the Covid situation and the impact it has, but other places along the canal route seemed to be making a go of it. A real shame as this pub probably has the best view in the gardens of all the pubs along the Kennet and Avon canal. Hope things improve there very shortly as this could be a real gem of a place.

This pub is in a beauty spot and has not made good use of its location. In Covid times the adjustments were weird and laborious. Queue for drinks at hatch, board said what was available but there was more available once you were being served. Drinks in plastic glasses. Order food from kitchen side door, taken by a cook. Ordered food and wrong salad came...we were told they didn't have what we ordered but they took the order! Food served in cardboard containers,salad in a cardboard tumbler. Food was ok. Basically out of touch with what other hospitality venues are offering; unwelcoming and we felt we were inconveniencing them.

Whilst on a walk yesterday around midday, we spotted The Cross Guns on the map and decided to stop for half an hour to sit down and have a drink. Just the most picturesque spot right on the river with gorgeous views - my brother commented "one of the nicest places I've ever stopped for a pint in this country" which I thought was high praise!I can't really comment on the food as nobody was very hungry so we just shared a couple of portions of the delicious chips! The Cross Guns were very conscientious about social distancing with all the tables outside spread out, separate ordering points for food and drinks with a one-way system and sanitiser if you needed to go inside the pub. The chef was very helpful - he saw I was carrying drinks also and kindly offered to lend a hand, but I was fine with the paper bag he gave me.Drinks were fab and the Australian barman was extremely positive and friendly, he brightened our day! Bit of a shame that the takeaway cups were plastic, but other than that we thoroughly enjoyed stopping here :)

We were on a long walk from Bath to Bradford-on-Avon (around 9 miles) and - having previously lived for many years in the area - I recalled Cross Guns as having decent food and beer in lovely surroundings.The beer (a red cask beer) was interesting and very good. For food, you could have pies (which looked to be bought-in) or fish and chips, which is really uninspiring, even in these Covid times. We had an excellent little tub of local ice cream instead. The view, looking across the River Avon valley at the old water mill etc, was as good as ever, the beers are OK (albeit you can't go inside) but I wouldn't go for the food here. Better to walk into Bradford.

We Went along a lovely walk along the canal from Bradford upon Avon to Avoncliff. You come to a lovely pub in Avoncliff. We got there we queued for 2 nice cold beers in plastic cups. Sat in the lovely gardens with a lovely view. All good till we went for food. Very Very Limited menu,fish and chips or pie and chips (not homemade, a pukka) in cardboard containers not good. Queued again for one and only toilet. Place to go to for cold beer and views. Not for food!!

Its not good folks. First visit. Unable to attest to whether it was a lovely place to visit pre covid, but they are certainly using the restrictions to their advantage.Visited on a Sunday. Got a table in the garden by the river.. All good until this point. Saw the couple next to us come back to the table with two cardboard boxes, sign one we should have left haha. Ill keep it brief:two options on food (on a Sunday). Fish and chips or pie and chips. Fish somehow tasted watery. Pie was deifnetely a pukka pie. £10 a piece for the pleasure. Tip-find another pub

Once a great pub that served good food now terrible, warm beer served in a plastic glass no vodka for my other half then we ordered food, fish and chips with no peas served in a box with wooden cutlery..Chips like cardboard no vinegar and fish which I think they bought from Iceland for a pound and we paid £24.. Terrible..We used the toitet after and washed our hands and found the water in the taps smelling of vinegar.. Awful

Lovely pub and gardens - we liked it so much we stopped for two nights whilst on our canal holiday. Great staff, food and drink, thank you

We are locals and visit every Thursday evening. However, this week we were invited to a meeting with the manager, who subsequently cried off. Now we find that all the tables, chairs and drinks have been removed, and the pub will be closed for the foreseeable future. No explanation has been offered.

I was not impressed with the roast beef dinner today...it was definitely over priced for quality and quantity of what you got. On the plate you had 3 very thinly slices of beef (probably pre cut and not off a freshly cooked joint), 3 very small roast potatoes, 3 chopped up bits of a roasted sweet potato and a spoonful of cabbage, Oh! and a big dollop of horseradish by the beef...I dont know many families that would have sweet potato n cabbage together as veg unless it is accompanied by the usual...carrots, cauliflower and broccoli. The horseradish should of been put in a ramekin as an option. To me this wasnt a roast dinner just what ever they had left over from Christmas and flung together and dolloped on a plate. I have ate here a few times and this is my worst meal ever...I felt robbed of a roast dinner and my wallet.Whetherspoons beat this hands down today....cross guns has gone down in my estimations. I had to ask for the table to be cleaned as it wasnt wiped down properly. Other tables that were finished with had not been cleaned straight after they had been finished with either.

One of the worst meals of my life Claggy Luke warm and ghastly . Beer good but do not eat here - What a shame the location is great

We were very disappointed with our meal. The food was very poor, low quality. Only one of us (out of 4) had a meal that was edible. I fed a lot of my meal to the dog and I still felt ill most of the afternoon! Strongly suggest not eating there until they Improve things.

Much of the menu unavailable... Perhaps fortunately... Hot dog partially cold. A morass of cold pulled pork, onions and wet roll. Chips/salad entirely unexceptional Inedible Nice pub, good beer.Are food customers taken for granted here?

I enjoyed visiting this pub. It scores highly in terms of its ambience, service, location (with a lovely canal view) and coffee – very satisfying. However, the food menu is limited and unoriginal. Surely you can diversify from boring burger and chips? My bread bun and meat fell apart faster than a Labour manifesto. Please do work on this.

After a long walk to the pub on Xmas day with kids in tow, and after checking they were open til 2, we arrived at 1.34 and were told they were closed, the till had been put away, I said we had cash for a couple of drinks, but nope.Could we speak to manager? No managerSo disappointing.

Pub was a little on the cool side. The menu choice was limited and then running out of fish and 1 of the 3 pudding options was a disappointment.

Having checked on the website that the pub was open for Monday lunch time I was surprised to find it closed. We had travelled for nearly two hours by train!

It’s the kind of pub you are delighted you’ve discovered. I have been there before but just for a drink. Based on the fact they serve a fantastic cider we went for Sunday lunch. We had roast beef and it was wonderful. I very rarely clear my plate but my husband was so disappointed because I did and there were no leftovers for him. There was plenty of beef. The roasties were amazing and the other veg cooked perfectly. Perfect cider, perfect roast makes for a perfect pub. Service was superb as well. We will certainly return. It was very busy so unless you want to eat outside we would advise booking.

Popped in after a walk along the river, warm and welcoming with some lovely food will definitely be back x

We stopped here while on a canal boat for the weekend, it is a great location next to the Avoncliff Aqueduct, with views from the garden terraced area.

This is an amazing pub near the aqueduct. Great choice of beers. I had food here with my wife and had the pie of the day, loved it! The bar staff were brilliant and very accommodating.

I came here Thursday evening and was greeted by a friendly bar man Harry and we had the homemade Beef and ale pie and it was one of the best pies I’ve ever had! I would recommend this pub for families too, great food, great staff! special thanks to Harry for making our evening enjoyable.

Very old coaching inn beside the Kennet and Avon canal aqueduct. Gets busy at lunchtime. Lovely views of the river. Good selection of veggie food although the veggie burger was a bit stodgy. Cider battered fish excellent.

Thank you for the Gluten Free choices on the Menu of this picturesque little pub. Food and service was great and the location cannot be beaten!

We rang in advance for our large group party, told the estimate of numbers, gave a name, a time window of our arrival, and said we would be having food. So it was a surprise to see the booking book open in full view of the customers inside with a very rude note of our group! Was the staff member not listening on the phone call? I was just so shocked and upset!

Went to Avoncliff and decided to have a bit of lunch at the Cross Guns, was very disappointed that the glasses were dirty. Did not notice this at first as the glass was full of beer, but when you drank down the glass was very dirty.

We passed over the nearby aquaduct on a narrowboat holiday and decided we would return to this beautiful location next to the dreamy river Avon. We stopped for lunch and discovered the delights of the terraced gardens and and their Deli. All I can say is that everything was perfect. Thank you guys from 2 piccy buggers who couldn't fault anything.

One of our favourite pubs. Really gorgeous setting, perfect for sitting by the water on a sunny day after walking along the canal. Recently had a bit of a facelift including a deli. Highly recommend.

Stopped here for lunch after an enjoyable walk from the Dundas Aqueduct. The Cross Guns is located to the side of the Avoncliff viaduct above a terraced garden leading to the river. An idyllic spot.The staff were welcoming, the restaurant food was very good and well presented. There was also a deli for snacks at a lower level. Drinks were also reasonably priced.

You couldn’t get a nicer spot. A mile or so walk up the canal from the lovely town of Bradford on Avon—and then you teach the cross guns inn. Along side the Avon with fish swimming about waiting for titbits from your plate—ducks—swans—kingfisher zipping up and down. Ok—the food is not wow—but it’s better than most pub grub—and Ok the menu isn’t extensive—but Who cares—you could not get a better place to spend a couple of hours with a cold beer and quick bite.

Stopped off here after walking from BOA along the Canal.

Stopped here as a halfway point on our cycle route. Arrived just after 12 so beginning to get busy with the lunchtime trade. Never been before but staff not very friendly or welcoming. Small menu not the greatest selection. We chose what we wanted & sat & enjoyed the view. Food arrived after watching waiter walk around with it, slightly disappointing not to hot & chips a bit undercooked. We will visit again for drinks but wouldn’t have food again. Toilets were pretty smelly & not clean.

Called here recently while travelling along the Kennet and Avon canal.

We had to walk both downhill and uphill for about a mile to visit this pub. Only because the one in our village shut at lunch time. What a good bit of fortune it was. The place was buzzing in the late afternoon. A lovely deserved pint of beer or two was enjoyed. We also had a lovely meal in the sunshine. The bar was quite busy, but had a unique system. One person took my order started to pour my pint. someone else did my wife's wine and before my pint was poured another guy was handing the machine over for my card. Very enjoyable visit to a well organised establishment

Took friends here for lunch having been to this pub many years ago when I lived in Bradford-on-avon. It didn't disappoint. I am gluten free and I have to say that this is the best GF fish and chips I have ever had! The location, right by the river and close to the canal is also stunning. Would definitely recommend.

Very limited food menu, no sandwiches or baguettes, limited menu with poor choices. Food was poor quality and a long wait. Various options unavailable, on a Wednesday lunchtime? Lovely pub great location. Shame about the food

It has everything going for it including great pies and friendly efficient service. But we like wine and maybe the 'locals' don't - cos surprisingly there's no wine list and what we were offered was not good and way over-priced.

We got there early for Sunday lunch to get a great table by the river. We ordered some food from the pub, rest from the deli. All very good.

Have been coming here for years, first with family when it was good enough to justify driving all the way from central Bath, back then it was famous for it's steaks, if I have got this right the owners also had a wholesale butchers or something similar and the T-bone was legendary. Fast forward to about ten years ago and as a narrowboat owner I came here with my partner and the food looked dire, the decor chintzy and on its last legs. In tabloid speak, we finished our drinks and left, heading back to the boat to cook our own dinner!

I was with a large group, about 40 of us, who were out for our monthly reunion lunch...and a pint...or 2.

We were on barge holiday stopped for break Really lovely setting beautiful Staff friendly and helpful Will definitely recommend and hopefully go back soon